In 2011, Austin celebrated 20 years of official branding as the Live Music Capital of the World®.  Austin's musical history goes considerably further back than 20 years – after all, it wasn't until the city was an established destination for both bands and fans that the City of Austin considered creating the trademark.

Austin really surfaced as a music mecca in the 1960s and 1970s, when Willie Nelson went “on the road again,” Janis Joplin waited tables at Threadgill's and Stevie Ray Vaughan played at Antone's.  Visitors (and residents) knew that Austin was a free-spirited destination in the heart of Texas, and that the local music scene was burgeoning into a long-standing tradition.

Since 1991, the City of Austin, local music venues, non-profit foundations and musicians have come together to not only promote the Austin music scene, but to make the Austin community one that truly thrives on the melodies and harmonies we create together.  Here are a few facts and figures that illustrate why Austin goes beyond clubs and performances to thrive as the Live Music Capital of the World®.

• More than 250 Austin establishments showcase live music, from dedicated music venues to retail shops, restaurants to museums.
• Austin is home to some 8,000 musicians and recording artists, including such famed personalities as Willie Nelson, Asleep at the Wheel, Ghostland Observatory, Iron & Wine, Okkervil River and more.
• The Austin Music Office, a division of the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau, is dedicated to marketing and promoting the local music scene.  Music Office staff service conventions by booking local artists for meetings and events, and also connect artists and venues with local music professionals.
• As one of the city's most popular tourist draws, music contributes to annual visitor spending of around $4.3 billion.  The music industry also supports more than 18,000 jobs in Austin, from club bouncers to publicists, bartenders to production professionals.
•  “Music in the Air” is the live music program at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.  Live music is played on five different stages throughout the terminal, welcoming visitors and sending off passengers in style.
• The City of Austin supports the live music scene by hosting a performance at each City Council meeting, and declaring that date as the performing act's “official day.”  In addition, the City sponsors the “Live from the Plaza” music series each summer.  Local acts perform on the City Hall plaza for free during the lunch hour.  The City of Austin also employs an official music industry liaison, whose mission is to ensure the ongoing health of the local music industry and promote Austin music nationally.
• Austin City Limits, the longest-running music show on television, is filmed at ACL Live at Moody Theatre, on Willie Nelson Blvd. in downtown Austin.  The show spawned the Austin City Limits Music Festival, which expanded to two weekends in 2013 generates an economic impact of more than $100 million.

The original Austin City Limits studio, located on the University of Texas campus, has been honored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a historic musical landmark.  Austin is also home to the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial, erected after the legendary guitarist's death in 1990.

For more than two decades, the SXSW Music Conference & Festival has become one of the leading industry events in the world.  More than 1,800 touring acts from across the globe play during the five-day musical extravaganza.  Altogether, SXSW welcomes more than 300,000 people and injects $190 million into the Austin economy.

The Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) was founded in 2005 to provide access to affordable health care for Austin's low-income, uninsured musicians, focusing on prevention and wellness.  To date, HAAM has serviced 2,000 musicians – some of whom report that HAAM likely saved their lives.

Founded in 1995, the SIMS Foundation continues to provide mental health and addiction recovery services for Austin's working musicians.

Austin is filled with music venues from classic live music joints to up-and-coming hot spots- much like the artists playing in them. There are more than 250 live music venues that feature everything from rock and blues to country and jazz every night of the week.Some Iconic Venues include: Saxon Pub, Continental Club, ACL Live, Emo's, Stubb's, The Mohawk, Elephant Room and The Parish 

FINANCIAL IMPACT: The 2010 economic impact of Austin's music industry was more than $856 million. Music tourism brought in another $806 million, together totaling $1.6 billion.

MUSIC SUPPORTS MORE THAN 18,000 JOBS IN AUSTIN including:

•    More than 1,900 music businesses employ 9,592 Austin citizens

•    More than 50 classical and performing arts groups with 1,850 employees

•    45 radio stations with 630 employees

SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST (SXSW®) is one of Austin's largest conventions, bringing over 313,200 music, film and interactive industry professionals and fans from around the world and generating $315 million for the city in 2014.

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS (ACL) MUSIC FESTIVAL — The popularity of the Austin City Limits television show spawned the ACL Music Festival, which takes place annually spanning two weekends. The music extravaganza encompasses more than  16 acres in Zilker Park with 130 renowned music acts performing on eight stages.