Music Policy Is Economic Policy

Photo by City of Vancouver. Outdoor concert at Columbia Tech Center.

I recently spent four very full days learning the fundamentals of economic development through the Northwest Economic Development Course, hosted by Business Oregon and the Washington State Department of Commerce.

We covered everything from workforce development and business retention and expansion to entrepreneurship, small business, tourism, and the tools communities use to build stronger local economies.

And somewhere along the way, I had a realization that was both new and strangely obvious:

A lot of the work I’ve been doing to support the music industry in Oregon and Washington is economic development work.

I just haven’t always called it that.

So, what is music policy?

At its simplest, music policy is about understanding how laws and regulations affect the people and businesses that make up a local music ecosystem, and advocating for policies that allow that ecosystem to thrive.

A lot of this work involves looking at existing laws and policies, particularly at the city and state levels, and identifying where they may unintentionally create barriers for music businesses. Sometimes those impacts aren't obvious when a law is written. Sometimes the industry has changed while the law hasn't. And sometimes policymakers simply haven't had the opportunity to hear how a particular policy affects the music sector.

Music advocates may then work with policymakers to address those barriers or advocate for policies that better support the music industry, including issues related to sound management, liquor and cannabis licensing, non-compete agreements, transportation, and funding.

These may sound like niche music-industry issues, but they all have economic implications.

Think about what music policy actually touches.

When we connect music businesses and community organizations, we're building business networks.

When we advocate for policies that allow venues and creative businesses to operate and grow, we're addressing barriers to business retention and expansion.

When we help musicians and music businesses access resources, we're supporting entrepreneurs and the creative workforce, along with the economic activity those businesses generate for other local businesses.

When we strengthen the infrastructure that allows artists to tour between communities, we're supporting a regional economic ecosystem and tourism.

And when we help communities understand the economic activity generated by their music and creative industries, we're making the case for investing in a local economic asset.

The more I learned during the course, the more I could see the connections.

Music is culture, but it is also an industry.

It creates jobs. It supports small businesses. It brings visitors into communities. It activates downtowns and commercial districts. It creates opportunities for entrepreneurs. And it contributes to a community's identity and quality of life, which can influence where people want to live, work, visit, and invest.

That doesn't mean we should reduce music to an economic development tool. Culture has value that can't be captured on a balance sheet.

However, we're missing opportunities when cultural policy and economic development policy operate in separate silos.

A cultural services department is an important part of a community's creative ecosystem, but it can't necessarily address every need. Creative economies include not only nonprofit arts organizations and cultural institutions, but also musicians, venues, festivals, creative entrepreneurs, manufacturers, promoters, and other for-profit small and microbusinesses.

Many of those businesses may not see themselves as part of the traditional arts and culture infrastructure, even though they are an essential part of it.

The creative economy gives us a place where those conversations can meet.

My four days in the economic development world gave me a broader framework and new vocabulary for understanding work I've already been doing. They also introduced me to a group of incredibly smart, generous, community-minded people who are thinking about how to make their communities stronger from many different angles.

The creative economy conversation has been building for years. Now we're seeing better data, practical solutions, and communities putting those ideas into action. Cities and economic development agencies are creating dedicated creative economy roles and bringing creative industries into the economic development conversation in a more intentional way.

I'm excited to be part of what comes next, and to help build that future here in Oregon and Washington.