Music and Entertainment Industry Development
The Music and Entertainment Industry Development team supports the development of Austin's creative economies through programs focused on revenue and creative jobs development, cultural tourism development, and creative small business and nonprofit support. These efforts are informed by music and entertainment industry best practices and ongoing collaboration with our City of Austin partners.
Contact Shelbi Mitchell for details about the following creative economy development programs:
Music and Entertainment Industry Development Support
- Public Performance Program
Austin is truly unique for the sheer number of musicians and bands playing original music throughout the city every night of the week. The Public Performance Program highlights and promotes this amazing talent by paying Austin-based artists representing all genres to perform as part of City of Austin programs year-round. We invite eligible Austin-based musicians and bands to add their information to our database to be considered for these ongoing performance opportunities through a process focused on equitable participation and representation.
- Artist & Creative Business Development
Meet with one of our team to learn about coaching and training opportunities for musicians, live music venues, and event organizers.
- Entertainment Industry Services Assistance
Entertainment Industry Assistance is available from across the City for all kinds of music and entertainment related topics, from creative space stabilization to amplified sound.
Music and Entertainment Industry Development Partners
- Austin Music Trade Alliance
The Austin Music Trade Alliance is dedicated to promoting Austin’s music industry globally, while building lasting industry relationships and networks between Austin and network cities for ongoing touring, recording, publishing, and licensing collaboration. For its inaugural year, Austin and Greater Manchester held an exchange program in 2025 where musicians from Manchester visited and performed in Austin for SXSW, and Austin musicians traveled to SXSW London to perform, and Greater Manchester to network with their music industry. Learn more in the 2025 International Engagements Annual Report (PDF) prepared by the Mayor's office.
- Texas Music Office
Austin is designated as a Music Friendly Community in the State of Texas through the Texas Music Office. The program provides designees with a network for fostering music industry development and sends a clear message to industry professionals that certified music communities are serious about attracting and developing new business.
The Office of the Governor’s Texas Music Office created the Texas Music Industry Directory to list music businesses of all kinds, from commercial music, to education, to tour services. The Division provides the maintenance and promotion of Austin’s portion of the directory, which connects members of the community to cultivate a stronger Austin music industry.
- HAAM Day Music Fest
The City of Austin is a longtime supporter of the HAAM Day Music Fest. This event is like having the entire Austin music scene in your backyard for a day….except anyone and everyone can come over, listen LIVE all day and into the night, and admission is free! Consider this is your official invite to get clued in to (or rediscover) why Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World and how critical it is to support the health of local music, and the music heroes who make the scene so major.
- Love Austin Music Month
KUTX and the Music and Entertainment division have declared each January as Love Austin Music Month to highlight and spread the love of Austin music.
- SXSW Community Music Showcases
The division supports paid opportunities for Austin's musicians and bands to perform in official free community showcases curated and produced by local nonprofits that coordinate with the SXSW Music Festival and Conference during the annual springtime festival.
- Austin-Toronto Music City Alliance
The Austin-Toronto Music City Alliance—a first of its kind trade and export alliance for commercial music—is a public-private partnership with the Division, Austin City Council, the City of Toronto Music Sector, Economic Development & Culture Division, and private industry leaders in both Austin and Toronto.