The New Orleans Music Economy Initiative (NOME) is a project of Greater New Orleans Inc. (GNO, Inc.), the region’s economic development nonprofit, in partnership with the music and business communities. The NOME project was started, in part, to address gaps in the New Orleans music industry.
According to organizers, NOME has two primary objectives. First, for musicians to make money from their original compositions and recordings (intellectual property or “IP”). In other words, create new sources of revenue for musicians beyond what they are paid for live performances. Secondly, to develop the “business of music” that supports music creators of all genres. This includes artist and IP management, production, publishing, booking, law, finance and beyond.
In a statement, GNO, Inc. said “We’ve all heard the stories about the many great New Orleans musicians who had to leave the city to take their careers to the next level because ‘the music industry doesn’t exist in New Orleans’ or ‘you need to move to New York or Los Angeles or Nashville to get a management, booking or record deal.’ We all know someone who has had their music used (and was paid) in HBO’s Treme or CBS’ NCIS New Orleans. These are the types of issues the NOME initiative is attempting to address.”
To help achieve its aims, NOME is putting together an “Action Plan” to focus “on ways for a musician creating original music (in any genre) to have that music generate money directly for them. It will also focus on creating opportunities for residents to get great jobs in the music industry, broadly defined.”
First, NOME says it must, among other things, determine the economic impact of music in New Orleans. To achieve that, global music consultancy organization Sound Diplomacy was hired. Furthermore, round-table discussions with over 150 musicians and music-industry professionals were held to gather “their hopes and concerns.”
For its next step, NOME is seeking input from the community. An “important survey about the music community” will help NOME:
Calculate the amount of money music adds to the economy of Greater New Orleans (recorded, live, and music business)
Develop ideas for government policies that will help drive the infrastructure needed to support musicians’ original songs, compositions and recording
Continue to demonstrate the economic value of music to New Orleans to the wider community (business, tourism, policymakers, investors, culture-bearers and everyone in-between)
Map where music businesses are in New Orleans, so they can partner with organizations to better serve them
Develop the Action Plan in order to support goals of new revenue and business development
GNO, Inc. and NOME will not share any survey taker’s data with anyone or highlight any specific feedback in published findings without the prior consent of the survey taker. The survey, which can be accessed here, takes between ten and 25 minutes to complete (or five and ten minutes, if you’re a music lover). The survey will remain open until June 30.
