Last month we saw a run of incredible shows—Judas Priest and Alice Cooper in Austin, Babymetal in LA, and finally Lovebites at the historic Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo. That last one, in that downtown art-deco landmark, pulled together threads from almost every Music Cities theme we’ve covered so far. And it led to this episode. YouTube | Mp3 Download Most people outside the metal tribe look at Japanese women-led metal bands and see...
The music industry and the startup world run on the same model: both chase unicorns. The difference? Startups evolved — they built systems so ordinary founders could win without venture capital. Musicians never got that. In this episode, Kevin Crowder (musician, entrepreneur, founder of BusinessFlare® and Street Economics®) breaks down how to fix the system that keeps artists broke and cities stuck. Drawing from his own years playing clubs...
Today, we explore what might be the ultimate lesson in economic development, disguised as a simple song about a guy on his front porch swing. Jimmy Buffett didn't just write music; he mastered the art of creating places people want to be, and he did it with a place that didn't even exist. We dissect how a fictional paradise, "Margaritaville," became a billion-dollar economic empire by generating a powerful emotional connection that came long...
A new study reveals that many top music producers secretly use AI to compose hits, reshaping the economics of the entire music industry. Cities banking on creative music economies (Nashville, Austin, Atlanta) must urgently recalibrate; what does music-driven economic development mean when machines write the songs? If cities don't help artists adapt fast, AI could leave their music economies and cultural brands as obsolete as vinyl records. Read...
Music Ally's International Entrepreneur of the Year nominees highlight the power of music innovation; not just for fans, but for local economies worldwide. These music-tech entrepreneurs aren't just disrupting how we listen; they're reshaping how cities benefit economically from music scenes. By building platforms that boost local artists, venues, and festivals, they're creating vibrant music ecosystems that generate real economic activity. For...
Sacramento is remixing its music scene with a dose of economic savvy. The city has tapped federal recovery funds to launch an initiative teaching local musicians how to earn a living from their art. After a new “Music Census” found that 75% of Sacramento’s musicians rely on non-music jobs to survive, officials responded with a grant to the Department of Sound to roll out “Making Money with Music” workshops. This year-long program will...
There are many types of musician entrepreneurs. They go into ventures that are as diverse as there are genres of music. They include investments in record labels and production, real estate, beer and spirits and many other industries. But our interest is in those musician entrepreneurs that build brands around places. Places where people can engage with each other as part of a community, and places that contribute to the area as a whole. Sammy...
