The City of Austin Music Commission approved revised guidelines for the Austin Live Music Fund after months of working-group discussion and public comment.

The commission voted to adopt two grant tiers — $5,000 awards over one year and $20,000 awards over two years — and to prioritize applicants' documented career accomplishments and local economic impact in scoring. The vote passed with a majority of commissioners; one commissioner opposed.

The change is meant to stretch limited hot-tax dollars across more individual musicians and independent promoters while maintaining a separate funding track for live music venues. Erica Shamley, Music and Entertainment Division manager for the city's Economic Development Department, told the commission that the office adjusted the program to reduce administrative burden and to emphasize career-building investments. “We wanted to do higher grants because ... it is a better investment and more focused investment in the careers and businesses of our applicants and awardees,” Shamley said.

Pat Butcher, chief executive officer of ATXM (Austin, Texas Musicians), presented survey findings and urged a structure that reaches more performers with smaller awards. “I'd rather see more musicians get them because $20,000 is a lot. You'd have to be doing this for a long time to know what to do with that,” Butcher said when describing musician feedback favoring smaller, more numerous grants.

The commission’s recommended scoring breakdown gives musician career accomplishments 50 percent of the score, local economic impact 25 percent, marketing (past and future) 20 percent and accessibility features 5 percent. The recommendation removes previously used questions about access to banking and health-care services from the scoring rubric.

Nicole Clopadlo, executive director of the Red River Cultural District, argued the venue stream should stay narrowly defined so that venues whose principal function is live music remain prioritized. “We want to see the evidence then that is uploaded as the grant application support the actual definition of the venue,” Clopadlo said, urging retention of the existing venue definition and the $30,000/$60,000 venue grant tiers.

Commissioner Strickland, who led independent outreach to musicians and promoters outside the formal working group, pressed for stricter verification and project-based awards so funds are tied to public-facing performances and exhibitions. He emphasized residential verification, measurable project outcomes and reciprocity with other cultural grant programs for high-scoring applicants who run out of live-music-fund dollars.

The motion to adopt the recommendations was moved on the floor and seconded; the clerk recorded votes including Commissioner Ray Price (yes), Commissioner Casada (yes), Chair Modi (yes), Vice Chair Patterson (yes), Commissioner Carvalho (yes), Commissioner Blevins (yes) and Commissioner Strickland (no). The motion passed and the commission directed staff to work with the Economic Development Department and Legal to finalize application language for the planned May–June 2025 rollout.

The commission and staff noted operational constraints: more, smaller awards increase administrative workload and reporting obligations. “Each grant equates to a grant agreement that has to be monitored and managed all the way from progress reports to payments,” Shamley said, adding that final reports and receipts are required before final payments are released.

Next steps: staff will draft final application and scoring language consistent with the commission’s direction, coordinate legal review on accessibility and other scoring elements, and publish outreach and application dates. The commission encouraged continued community workshops to help applicants prepare stronger, project-based proposals.

Votes at a glance: Motion to approve the Music Commission’s recommendations for the Austin Live Music Fund (2025) — Approved (Yes: Ray Price, Casada, Chair Modi, Vice Chair Patterson, Carvalho, Blevins; No: Strickland).