A preliminary proposal to ban smoking on all patios in Austin was met with pushback and prompt backpedaling at a meeting of the Music Commission on Monday. Proposed by Central Health, a taxpayer-funded district in Travis County, a potential amendment to Austin’s smoking ban was expected to come before City Council in late 2016, according […]
Austin Music Commission
The Austin Music Commission guides city practices on music development issues, including the SxSW music festival.
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: TNC (and TNC-adjacent) battles continue
We’re here for your posts… If you checked out of the news over the weekend, the Austin Monitor has your back. Late Friday afternoon, the city’s Transportation Department attempted to enter the Matrix and track down the Facebook group for the listing service Arcade City. Unfortunately, it did so at the Capital Factory co-working space. It […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Music Commission recommends new policies to rescue Austin’s music industry
Austin’s music industry is hoping for a new era of cooperation with city government, and the Music and Creative Ecosystem Recommendations are meant to kick-start these long-awaited changes. At a special meeting of the city’s Music Commission on July 12, a packed room of music industry professionals and city officials came together for their last […]
Posted inAustin
Reporter’s Notebook: We get procedural
Let the autopsy commence!… On election night, David Butts, chief strategist for Our City, Our Safety, Our Choice, said that opponents had overplayed their hand, but he also praised the media for exposing inaccuracies in Proposition 1 advertising. “The press,” he said, “did a really great job of exposing (deceptive advertising). “It’s one thing for us […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Music Commission narrows omnibus priorities
Austin’s Music Commission managed to prioritize some of the “kitchen sink” initiatives put forward by the Austin Music and Creative Ecosystem Omnibus Resolution during its Monday night meeting. But while stakeholders shared multiple recommendations for potential music industry best practices, most commissioners stated that a potential code change was their top priority. On March 3, […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Can the city save Austin’s arts and music scenes?
Scores of musicians, artists and patrons of the creative economy filled a room at the Marchesa Hall & Theatre on Tuesday to share their thoughts on how the city can better support the arts. The occasion was a joint meeting of the Arts Commission and the Music Commission. Members of the two city panels acknowledged […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Music Commission embraces Adler’s plan to save Austin arts
Through a series of town hall meetings citywide, the Music Commission has vowed to educate Austinites and solicit public input on Mayor Steve Adler’s plan to better support art in Austin. Each of the 10 meetings will focus on a different genre of music that the commission feels is underrepresented, said Commission Chair Gavin Garcia […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Music Commission to tackle licensing issues
Although the city’s Music and Entertainment Division is billed as “an economic development accelerator and centralized resource center for Austin’s music industry,” program manager Don Pitts says he spends about 70 percent of his time on permitting issues. Aiming to help cut down on that work, the Music Commission has formed a working group to […]
Posted inAustin
Commissioners envision co-working space for musicians
The Music Commission would like City Council to consider creating a centrally located hub for the Austin music industry comparable to what Austin Studios is for the film industry. The resolution discussed at the Music Commission’s Monday evening meeting is a response to the Austin Music Census, a survey of over 4,000 musicians conducted last […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Austin Music Census reveals fault lines in industry
The Austin Music Census is out, and it warns that Austin’s music industry is rapidly approaching a tipping point. According to the census, Austin’s musicians and music industry professionals are finding it difficult to get by in a more expensive city. Further, working with the city to run a music venue can be an arduous […]
Posted inAustin, Local Politics, Public Safety, The Code
Venues ask for guidance on sound ordinance
Conflicts between downtown music venues and residents continue to fester. At this week’s Austin Music Commission meeting, venue operators and musicians asked for more clarity and consistency in the city’s sound enforcement. In response, the commission formed a working group with the intention of clearing up the rules and eliminating some of the confusion that […]
Posted inCity Council, Public Safety, The Code
Council passes sound permitting ordinance
City Council approved an ordinance Thursday that subjects large-scale outdoor music events on city parkland, such as the Austin City Limits festival, to more comprehensive sound permitting requirements. The ordinance amends city code to require that applicants seeking outdoor amplified sound permits for music events on city parkland with a likely daily attendance of 7,500 […]