City prepares to assess Austin’s creative class

Included in the 15 action steps in this week’s plan for the city to address sound compatibility issues was the news that there could soon be an update to 2014’s Austin Music Census, which showed the creative community is under increasing economic pressure due to affordability issues. The Economic Development Department is preparing a request for proposals for what’s being called a “music and entertainment industry assessment” that will gather data about a broader array of creative industry workers. Goals for the study include assessing the current state of Austin’s music industry, while learning more about job opportunities and experience requirements for musicians in other creative industries in Austin. The 2014 census helped to shape a number of policies contained in the Music and Creative Ecosystem Omnibus and other efforts to improve the economic stability of local artists and musicians.