We have identified 300 spots in the Portland metro area that regularly host live music—that’s nearly twice the number boasted by Austin. In addition to world-class large venues, we have a robust network of smaller venues, restaurants, and bars that support emerging artists and provide intimate music experiences.

Without a coordinated effort, every local independent venue and festival stands alone against corporate chain venues, new residential infill, zoning changes, and skyrocketing rents. Without collected economic impact data, no venue can effectively fight the forces that oppose us. Independent music in Portland drives tourism, lifestyle, and corporate moves to the city, but it currently enjoys none of the advantages given to traditional music institutions. Together we can change that.

MUSICPORTLAND OBJECTIVES TO SUPPORT VENUES and Festivals:

  • Secured the largest City allocation in the United States to support performance venues with relief funding for COVID closures ($2.5 Million) after four months of active lobbying to City Council and letter-writing from MusicPortland members.

  • Worked with a coalition of organizations to put a halt the city's irrational crackdown on unreinforced masonry buildings that threatened 30 music venues with closure. More than 100 of our members participated in protests and letter writing. This URM Ordinance was completely repealed in early 2020.

  • Building Portland’s first-ever Music Industry Directory to promote our wealth of local venues to new customers locally, nationally, and internationally.

  • Gathering data for the first Economic Impact Study on the Portland music industry; the resulting quantified data on our local music economy will inform all future advocacy and promotional efforts

  • Established the city’s first-ever Music Policy Council at City Hall, to review and make recommendations to optimize all policy and regulations that impact local music to rationalize, streamline and codify all music impacting issues, like noise management, special event permitting, and more. All of this will impact how much music can happen in our city.

  • Enacted long-needed Musician Loading Zones at venues (accomplished at 16 venues in Feb 2019). We manage the promotion to local musicians and production support, provide a document and printable tag for venues to share with touring musicians, manage the registration and distribute Permits to local musicians (900+ to date). We’re looking at the next phase of this program, so please contact us if you are interested in a loading zone at your venue. More info here.

  • Exploring how to implement “Agent of Change” requirements in building codes to guarantee that developers of adjacent properties to venues pay for all sound mitigation and include disclosure of music venue environment in rental/sales agreements.

  • Explore how to insulate independent local venues from monopolistic incursion from corporate venues.

  • Streamline, improve, and centralize venue and event policy, licensing and enforcement with all departments (fire, police, CCL, BDS, OLCC, etc.) to make it more transparent, intuitive, consistent and accountable.

  • Evolve a Safe Venue Program with venue-informed protocols, systems, and support to empower your existing security team, insulate your venue against litigation, and make audience experiences more inclusive, respectful and safe

  • Identify new tax bases for support of music, to underwrite a free city-wide music festival that introduces new fans to new venues and sounds

  • Boost the profile of local music venues in partnership with TravelPortland to increase tourist attendance at live music events.

  • Check out all of our initiatives because everything we do will ultimately make a better music industry in Portland.

 

Do you support our mission?

BECOME A MEMBER

Our work is made possible by the generous support of our members. Please consider joining us as an Individual Member for just $25/year or as a Business Member for $250/year. MusicPortland dues are a fully tax deductible business expense. If you are not able to offer financial support at this time, please register for free as a MusicPortland participant to become a recognized part of our industry. Whether you manage, work for or contract with a venue, we need to know who you are and what you need to successfully advocate for you.

Spread the word

Tell your friends, colleagues, and employees about MusicPortland! By registering as part of the Portland-area music industry you help us generate real data— and data is power. Only by quantifying the impact music and artists have on our city can we successfully lobby local government, corporate employers, and development agencies to provide more resources, opportunities, and policies to support us.