Sonic City: The Evolving Economic Geography of the Music Industry

Our research tracks the location of musicians and music establishments in U.S. regions from 1970 to 2004. We find that the music industry has become significantly more concentrated over time. New York and Los Angeles remain dominant locations, with Nashville emerging as a third major center. This reflects the economic and artistic advantages of large markets. We also find evidence of the persistence of musicians and music scenes in some smaller locations throughout the United States. This reflects demand for music in some small locations with more affluent, higher-human capital populations, location-specific assets, and technological changes that have lowered the costs for producing, distributing, and consuming music across locations.