Association of Music Offices Launches With 14 Founding Members Across U.S. Music Hubs

The Association of Music Offices is officially here. Announced Monday, May 11 at the Music Biz conference in Atlanta, the new national trade group brings together 14 government music offices, community organizations and industry partners with a shared goal: strengthening local music ecosystems across the U.S.

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The founding roster leans heavily on public-sector music infrastructure. Government members include the Dallas Music Office, Huntsville Music Office, Louisiana Office of Cultural Development, New Orleans Mayor’s Office of Nighttime Economy, North Carolina Music Office, Oklahoma Film + Music Office, Tennessee Entertainment Commission, Texas Music Office and the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture. Rounding out the initial group are Georgia Music Partners and Music Export Memphis, plus industry affiliates the Recording Academy, Pace Public Relations and Marauder, a marketing and development organization that works with music communities, according to the release.

Matt Mandrella, Huntsville’s music officer and the country’s first municipal Music Officer, framed the launch as more than just a new acronym in a press statement provided to Billboard. “Every city has a music scene, but most overlook it as an economic and quality of life driver,” he said. “As the country’s first municipal Music Officer, I’m so excited about the team we have launching AMO and even more thrilled to see other regions follow our lead in the future. Together, we have the opportunity to significantly amplify the power of music ecosystems nationwide.”

In the announcement, AMO says it wants to act as “the collective voice for music office leadership” while helping local governments and organizations share expertise, build out resources and support “long-term economic impact and cultural vitality nationwide.” The broader ambition is pretty clear: reshape how cities and states invest in and sustain their creative economies.

Reid Wick, the Recording Academy’s director of regional advocacy and member engagement, said the organization has been taking shape through “organic discussions about policy” and now has the potential “to transform how we support music at the state and local level.”

The first phase of AMO’s work will focus on establishing governance and membership structures, developing data and measurement frameworks to quantify music’s local impact, building community engagement models for diverse and inclusive music ecosystems, and creating a central hub with an accessible resource library for toolkits, funding mechanisms, education and other programs.

Music offices and allied organizations interested in getting involved can find more information about AMO’s first year at www.musicoffices.org.

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