LIVE MUSIC FUND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The Music & Entertainment Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department has been working with the Music Commission to form the first program of the Live Music Fund, which is a permanent funding source for supporting Austin's music industry established by Mayor & City Council in September 2019.

After many Commission and working group meetings to gather community feedback for how to launch the Live Music Fund as part of the Cultural Funding Review: Arts, Heritage, Music, Music Commission Recommendation 20201019-2bii was sent to City Council. This recommendation states that a Preservation, Innovation, and Elevation & Collaboration (PIE) fund be established to create greater equitable economic growth in the Austin music industry. This recommendation is the foundation of the resulting pilot program of the fund, the Live Music Fund Event Program.

LATEST UPDATE

Read the May 24, 2022, "Hotel Occupancy Tax Program Update – Staff Update" memo to Mayor and City Council.

Based on feedback received from the Music Commission during the April 4, 2022, meeting, Staff presented updates to the pilot Live Music Fund Event Program during the Music Commission meeting on May 2, 2022:

• Live Music Fund Event Program - Staff Update Presentation, May 2, 2022
• Watch the May 2, 2022, Music Commission Meeting here.
  • 2A. Update on Live Music Fund and Creative Space Assistance Program by Erica Shamaly, Division Manager, and Kim McCarson, Program Manager, Music & Entertainment Division, Economic Development Department.

BACKGROUND

The Live Music Fund, established by City Ordinance No. 20190919-149 on September 19, 2019, is the result of recommendations from 2017’s Visitor Task Force's Final Report. This is an ongoing fund sourced from State of Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) revenues to support the Austin music industry and not a relief and recovery program in response to the pandemic.

Since the Live Music Fund is funded with HOT revenues, supported activities should encourage, promote, improve, and showcase Austin’s live music industry to sustainably develop infrastructure and experiences that attract tourism and develop Austin’s convention and hotel industries. Learn more about HOT funded cultural programs in Texas through the Texans for the Arts Hotel Occupancy Tax Toolkit.

City Staff coordinated community engagement efforts with the Music Commission’s Live Music Fund Working Group and Systemic Racism Working Group, which were comprised of Music Commissioners and representatives of Austin’s Music community who were nominated during the Commission’s December 2019 and July 2020 meetings respectively. City Staff and the working groups gathered and organized feedback on community priorities to form the below recommendations for the pilot program:

• Live Music Fund Working Group Recommendation

• Systemic Racism Working Group Recommendation

The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. For assistance, please contact Michelle McLaren at 512-974-9053 or Relay Texas 7-1-1