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50 States of Music website details impact of music on the US

50 States of Music, a new interactive website, has been launched to showcase music’s financial and cultural contribution across the US.

The 10 organisations that contributed to the site include the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), National Independent Venues Association (NIVA), and National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), among others.

The website’s introduction states: “Music is everywhere and always with us in a 24/7 world that grows more digital every day. And it’s in every state — creating jobs, sustaining communities and boosting local economies from coast to coast.”

By clicking on state-specific pages, users can find financial figures of music’s impact on that state, as well as a list of notable artists and musicians, festivals, music schools and major music conferences.

According to data from Economists, a premier economic consulting firm in the fields of law and economics, public policy, and business strategy, the music industry contributes $170bn to the US’s GDP and supports 2.47 million jobs, 1.45 million songwriters and over 230,000 music establishments.

As the country nears the one-year pandemic closure mark, 50 States of Music indicates the value to each state. More than 430,000 jobs and 70,000 music establishments are in California alone, home to the industry’s Los Angeles epicentre. The industry contributes $1.6bn in economic output to Arizona, with a less populous state like South Dakota seeing music still bringing in over $250m to the state GDP.

The site shows that Tennessee’s music industry brings in $5.8bn and supports 61,617 jobs, 4,502 music establishments, 12,263 royalty recipients and 68,113 songwriters.

In a joint statement, the music groups that partnered to create the website, said, according to Music Row: “It is widely known that music contributes to our lives in meaningful ways. It comforts us in times of sorrow and punctuates moments of joy.

“What is less known, however, is the tremendous value music provides to towns and cities across America in the form of jobs, community, culture, and revenue. We hope that policymakers, fans and artists everywhere will continue to use this site as a resource to better understand and appreciate the full breadth of music’s impact on every community.”