Greater Cleveland Music Census | Cleveland Rocks: Past, Present & Future

Launched
November 2023

Thank you for your participation!

Take the Greater Cleveland Music Census!

To participate, we ask that you:

Live within the Greater Cleveland area
Have a professional interest in music (such as work creatively in music as a musician, or participate in any music-related product or service industry)
Must be 18 or older

The survey closed December 15, 2023

Sound Music Cities is validating, exporting, and analyzing the data from the survey.
Look for a full report coming in March 2024.

If you need assistance taking the survey, please contact us and we can help provide resources for those who need translation or accessibility assistance in completing the survey.

Supporting the Growth of the Greater Cleveland Area Music Community

The Greater Cleveland Music Census is a community-led initiative to gain a better understanding of the current needs of the Cleveland-area music community. The Census captures key information about the Cleveland music economy to help the city and community make more informed, data-driven decisions to support the music ecosystem. The census asks questions specific to the realities of music and live entertainment workers, including general information about their demographics and occupation types as well as their perspective on issues such as diversity, equity, and belonging.

This marks the first time in almost a decade that the music community will have new data from which to develop policy solutions and approaches. The Census will be administered by Sound Music Cities, a leading Austin-based provider of music ecosystem studies and music census work, in conjunction with Cleveland Rocks: Past, Present, Future and The Cleveland Independent Venue Association, as well as support from local partners. The Census was made possible with financial support from The Cleveland Foundation.

Music and live entertainment community leaders here in Northeast Ohio and around the world have identified the importance of having measurable information about people who do music-related work in order to provide them with better support.

The results of this census will be made available to the thousands of music and live entertainment industry professionals, nonprofits, academics and government agencies in our area, as well as to the countless music and comedy patrons and consumers who are the lifeblood of our live entertainment ecosystem.

“Cleveland and Northeast Ohio have a rich and storied music history, which is essential to the culture of our region. Arts and music provide immense opportunities for education, cultural expression, community engagement, and inclusive communication. The Greater Cleveland Music Census will offer valuable information that will assist us in preserving, maintaining, and continuing to grow cultural life in our communities.”

Chris Ronayne, Cuyahoga County Executive

“This census will provide important information about the music and comedy venues and creative workers that help make up the $9.1 billion creative regional economy. “The last time music and live entertainment was surveyed was more than a decade ago. The data collected about the for-profit music and live entertainment industry will be a powerful complement to the data Assembly recently collected as part of the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 study from Americans for the Arts and will help to paint a fuller picture of the substantial economic impact of arts and culture in Cuyahoga County."

Jeremy V. Johnson, President and CEO of Assembly for the Arts

“We are truly excited about understanding the collective impact and large-scale vision of this project. With that said, we are encouraging comprehensive participation from for-profit and not-for-profit venue owners and promoters to generate inclusive data that is representative of the full spectrum of live entertainment in every neighborhood in the City of Cleveland.”

Rhonda Brown, Senior Strategist Arts, Culture & Creative Economy for the City of Cleveland

“We’ve hosted over 14 million music fans at our incredible museum since opening 28 years ago and wholly support this Music Census project. Having a better understanding of Cleveland’s music ecosystem will empower us to have a greater cultural, social and economic impact to our region. Cleveland is a music city, let's keep amping it up.”

Greg Harris, CEO of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum

“The Cleveland Foundation has long supported a thriving and diverse cultural ecosystem in Cleveland. This survey will help funders identify the most effective way to support the artists and music venues that help drive Northeast Ohio’s creative economy.”

Boris Oichermann, Director of Arts & Culture at The Cleveland Foundation

Community Engagement Partners

It Takes A Village To Reach a Village!

Become a Community Engagement Partner and help us conduct the most extensive survey of the Northeast Ohio music and live entertainment ecosystem in over a decade!

What we’re asking:

We will begin our survey in mid to late October, and we’re asking you to send the survey to your contacts in the music and live entertainment ecosystem, encouraging individuals to take the survey. We also will ask you to periodically make social media posts to announce the launch of the survey, and encourage participation.

What you’ll get:

Most importantly, representation in the survey results – we want to be as inclusive as possible, which means we want the folks you work with and serve to have their voices heard. We will give community engagement partners a sneak peak of the survey data results before finalizing and publishing our dashboard report. And we would love to add your logo to our list of engaged partners!

Please add your information in the form to the right – contact name, email and telephone, and upload your organization’s logo to add it to the list of partners working to reach every part of our music and live entertainment ecosystem, and help us show the world that Cleveland is a music city with incredible depth and diversity!

Become A Partner

Step 1. Complete the form.

Step 2. Upload your logo to the Google Drive folder.

FAQs

Why Is This Data Being Collected?

Music community leaders here in Cleveland and around the world have identified the importance of having measurable information about people who do music related work to provide them with better support. The results of this census will be made available to the thousands of music industry professionals, nonprofits, and government agencies in our area, as well as to the countless music patrons and consumers who are the lifeblood of our music ecosystem.

What Kind Of Questions Are Being Asked?

The census asks questions specific to the realities of music workers, including general information about their demographics and occupation types as well as their perspective on issues such as diversity, equity, and inclusion. There are no questions in this census about personal identifiers, such as name, address.

I Value My Privacy. Will The Answers I Provide Really Remain Anonymous?

Yes. The census does not collect any personal identifiers or IP addresses. Any individual responses highlighted in the published results will be attributed as “Census Respondent.”

How Long Will It Take To Fill Out The Census?

From 10-20 minutes, depending on your respondent category. (Creative, Venue owner, or Industry) and whether you type in lengthy comments. 13 minutes is the average time spent on the census.

Who Is Eligible To Participate In The Census?

Those working or students in the music industry in ANY capacity who are 18 years or older and living in the Cleveland area.

I’m Not Sure That I Qualify As A Professional. Should I Still Participate?

You should participate in the census if you contribute any type of music-related work, with or without compensation, and you believe your skills and commitment are worthy of acknowledgment and support. This includes part-time work, rarely paid work or volunteer work, and work that is more administrative than creative.

How Do I Fill Out The Census If I Have Two Different Jobs In Music, Or Own Two Or More Music Businesses?

To keep the data analysis manageable, we must limit the census to one entry per person, which means you must select one primary identity (creative, venue owner, or industry). That said, we know that most music people work in more than one area, so you will also have an opportunity within the census to provide info on work you do in other identity categories.

Do I Have To Take The Census On A Desktop Computer?

No. You can use a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Note that if you wish to leave and finish your response later, you will need to use the same device.

When Will The Results Be Released Publicly?

We will release the results of the Cleveland Music Census in early 2024. There will be three reports: Summary Report, Data Deck and a DEI report.