Back in October, we shared news about the Chattanooga Music Census — a community-led effort to better understand the current needs of the local music scene — administered by Chattanooga Tourism Co. in conjunction with Sound Music Cities.

1,407 folks in Chattanooga participated in the survey. Now, the data is in and we’re excited to share some of the results with the community.

Some key data points

Only one in four music professionals in Chattanooga earns income solely from music (75% receive income elsewhere).
Local music professionals are passionate + devoted to their work (84% will continue their music careers).
22% of respondents have five or fewer years of professional experience in music + 61.9% have 10+ years of experience.
Compared to other music cities, Chattanooga’s workforce is slightly older, but showing a bit more growth in new entrants than other cities.
77% of the local music industry desires grants to help grow + sustain their music work.
Marketing + social media skills are the most favored by the industry for additional training (63% of respondents).
Fewer than half of creatives in Chattanooga’s music ecosystem (46%) look to local providers for music gear, supplies, or equipment rentals — for various music-specific needs, 59% say they can’t find local providers.

According to the findings, “Chattanooga has all the elements to build a vital music ecosystem; it’s a matter of pulling the parts together into a cohesive ecosystem that is interdependent and works in concert.”

Local opportunities

Grants (using data to support creatives)
Revenue development (to diversify creatives’ income sources)
Industry training on essential skills (think: marketing, social media, publicity, etc.)
Mentorship programs and classes
Focus on more local live gigs + greater economic support for venues

… and there’s a lot more. Want to read more of the findings? Read Sound Music Cities’ full report + view the Chattanooga Music Census data deck here.