Entertainment & Amplified Sound Compatibility Engagement

The City of Austin is committed to supporting live music and entertainment venues and their essential contribution to Austin’s culture and economy while protecting the quality of life for Austinites and visitors. A focus on nightlife economic development while promoting compatibility between all stakeholders is necessary to achieve this goal and includes various impact areas. For this engagement, the Music & Entertainment Division (MED) within the Economic Development Department is focusing on stakeholder compatibility solutions for Amplified Sound Impact.

Austinites and representatives from the venue, hospitality, and development communities are invited to join this engagement to inform recommendations to City Council this spring.

The Entertainment & Sound Compatibility Engagement team is coordinating meetings between subject matter experts and stakeholders to thoughtfully gather and organize input and feedback for enhancing compatibility between live music and entertainment venues, Austinites, and hotel visitors.

  • Timeline: November 2018–April 2019
  • Participants: City Staff are facilitating engagement meetings with stakeholders and subject matter experts while gathering online input and feedback from the public at large.
  • Goal: Determine policy recommendations from facilitated stakeholder engagement, pinpointing common ground informed through stakeholder and public feedback, impacts, and best practices.
  • Conclusion: Provide response to City Council of Sound Impact Compatibility recommendations in April 2019.

The City of Austin is committed to supporting live music and entertainment venues and their essential contribution to Austin’s culture and economy while protecting the quality of life for Austinites and visitors. A focus on nightlife economic development while promoting compatibility between all stakeholders is necessary to achieve this goal and includes various impact areas. For this engagement, the Music & Entertainment Division (MED) within the Economic Development Department is focusing on stakeholder compatibility solutions for Amplified Sound Impact.

Austinites and representatives from the venue, hospitality, and development communities are invited to join this engagement to inform recommendations to City Council this spring.

The Entertainment & Sound Compatibility Engagement team is coordinating meetings between subject matter experts and stakeholders to thoughtfully gather and organize input and feedback for enhancing compatibility between live music and entertainment venues, Austinites, and hotel visitors.

  • Timeline: November 2018–April 2019
  • Participants: City Staff are facilitating engagement meetings with stakeholders and subject matter experts while gathering online input and feedback from the public at large.
  • Goal: Determine policy recommendations from facilitated stakeholder engagement, pinpointing common ground informed through stakeholder and public feedback, impacts, and best practices.
  • Conclusion: Provide response to City Council of Sound Impact Compatibility recommendations in April 2019.

  • Amplified Sound Compatibility Proposed Solutions Survey - SURVEY CLOSED - Thanks for participating!

    Since 2017, the Music & Entertainment Division of the City of Austin’s Economic Development Department has been collecting proposed solutions from stakeholders and staff to address amplified sound compatibility issues surrounding live music and entertainment venues, Austinites, and visitors.

    For this engagement, stakeholder meetings kicked off late 2018 with a Listening Session at the Doris Miller Auditorium on December 5th.  This meet-up included members from neighborhood associations, music venues, night life establishments, real estate industry, and hotels.  An online survey was also available to stakeholders through December 14, 2018, to collect information on ongoing issues and proposed

    Since 2017, the Music & Entertainment Division of the City of Austin’s Economic Development Department has been collecting proposed solutions from stakeholders and staff to address amplified sound compatibility issues surrounding live music and entertainment venues, Austinites, and visitors.

    For this engagement, stakeholder meetings kicked off late 2018 with a Listening Session at the Doris Miller Auditorium on December 5th.  This meet-up included members from neighborhood associations, music venues, night life establishments, real estate industry, and hotels.  An online survey was also available to stakeholders through December 14, 2018, to collect information on ongoing issues and proposed solutions. 

    The main themes that emerged from the Listening Session and online survey are summarized below and reflect interest areas in previous engagements:

    1.  Agent of Change: Useful as a forward facing tool, while monitoring and enforcement is used to resolve current conflict.

    2.  Compliance & Enforcement: The City must improve and then provide consistent enforcement of the sound ordinance.

    3.  Sound Standards, Monitoring & Mitigation: Establish amplified sound standards for all venues, increase publicly accessible and real-time sound monitoring, and increase City-led mitigation testing and efforts.

    4.  Stakeholder Partnerships: Build on success of Red River Extended Hours Pilot Program, where venues and residents successfully worked together on agreements and self-regulation, while also considering other community-led groups to serve as problem solvers and advocates.

    Please take a moment to let us know if you agree or disagree with each proposed solution provided so far in each key area, including your preferred implementation timeline and any additional suggestions for solutions.

    This information will be collected, analyzed, then discussed during our next engagement meeting happening Saturday, February 2nd, at LZR to learn the impact of each solution and prioritize accordingly.

    Thank you for participating!

    Complete Form