Nashville needs new policies to protect music industry workers, study says

Metro urgently needs to develop policies to support Nashville music industry workers, from parking for performing musicians to economic incentives for venues, according to the results of a survey released Thursday.

Why it matters: The Greater Nashville Music Census is perhaps the most comprehensive survey of Nashville music industry professionals ever conducted.

• The top-line takeaway is that the city's affordability crisis is acutely affecting those workers and pushing many of them to move outside the city.

The big picture: The top two broad concerns, according to the survey, were the rising cost of living and stagnant pay.

• The top specific complaint was the cost of parking and parking rules. For instance, the typical gig takes more time than a musician can reserve at a downtown parking meter.
• The data shows a migration outside of Nashville, with 30% of the respondents living outside Davidson County.

What's next: The census suggests specific policies that could help the industry, including that the city should hire a top official to serve as an advocate.

• According to the survey, 79% of music venue leaders want to be a part of the city's economic development conversations.
• The census suggests the city contribute to the state's newly created live music fund , aimed at helping venues, musicians and business people who make their living from concerts.

Zoom in: The census received responses from 4,256 people. Leading music industry institutions, such as the Tennessee Entertainment Commission, the Country Music Association, the Music Venue Alliance Nashville, Belmont University, the musicians' union and the Broadway Entertainment Association, collaborated with the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to conduct the survey.

• "Policies should be designed to nurture and protect Nashville's cultural heritage," the census concluded.

Flashback: Under former Mayor Karl Dean, the city created an advisory group called the Music City Music Council, which consisted of musicians and top Music Row executives. But that committee fizzled out .

• More recently, the city launched a new Music, Film and Entertainment Commission , but the new department still doesn't have a full-time staffer.

The bottom line: The survey is the second comprehensive piece of data showing how one part of the city's music ecosystem is struggling.

• A Metro-funded study released in June found that independently owned and operated music venues are an endangered species in Nashville.
• "We have really good data," says Jamie Kent of the music consulting firm Backstage Strategies. "Now's the time to take action."

Read the census results

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the Tennessee Entertainment Commission among the list of groups that partnered to conduct the study.

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