The latest census of the city’s music industry and ecosystem opened today and will gather input from musicians and others involved in live and recorded music until Aug. 15. The Greater Austin Area Music Census, at austinmusiccensus.org, will be used to help make policy decisions related to affordability and other issues affecting the industry. The initial version of the census released in 2014 found that a large number of local musicians and creatives earn less than poverty-level income from their performances and recording activities. In the years since, local leaders have crafted programs to try to improve musicians’ earning power and quality of life. More than 50 community organizations connected to music and the arts have agreed to help publicize and gather input on the 2022 census, with the goal of gathering more than the roughly 4,000 responses received in the previous iteration.
Chad Swiatecki is a 20-year journalist who relocated to Austin from his home state of Michigan in 2008. He most enjoys covering the intersection of arts, business and local/state politics. He has written... More by Chad Swiatecki