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ATXM News & Happenings
Let the Money Go: How ATXM Helped Unlock Millions for Live Music Venues in Austin
When Austin’s Live Music Venue Preservation Fund stalled, millions in lifesaving relief sat frozen while beloved venues faced collapse. ATXM stepped in—organizing a high-visibility rally, educating venue owners about the blocked funds, and pushing the city to release the money. The result: $5 million finally flowed to the stages that define Austin’s music culture.
Advocacy Isn’t One-and-Done: ATXM as Long-Term Steward of Music Policy
Winning a policy isn’t the end of advocacy—it’s the beginning. ATXM continues to steward major wins like the Live Music Fund and the $200 minimum pay rate long after they pass, ensuring they work the way they were intended. From monitoring implementation and flagging issues to educating musicians on how to access grants and fair pay, ATXM keeps the system accountable. This ongoing oversight turns policy victories into real economic impact for musicians, venues, and the entire Austin music ecosystem.
Setting the Floor: How ATXM Helped Secure a $200 City Standard Pay Rate for Musicians
Austin Texas Musicians helped deliver a historic win for fair pay: Austin’s first citywide $200 minimum performance rate for all city-funded gigs. What began as an internal guideline during the pandemic became official policy thanks to ATXM’s advocacy—drafting the resolution, coordinating with City Council, and ensuring it passed with overwhelming support. Today, every city-sponsored performance must meet this standard, strengthening musician incomes, enforcing fair budgeting, and setting a national precedent for artist compensation.
When the Music Stopped: How ATXM Helped Unlock $6M for Austin Musicians
When SXSW collapsed in 2020, Austin’s entire music economy went silent overnight. ATXM moved fast. Within weeks, Patrick Buchta and Nakia Reynoso were inside City Hall asking one urgent question: How do we get money into musicians’ hands—now? Their advocacy helped draft and pass the resolution that created the Austin Music Disaster Relief Fund, delivering $1,000 emergency grants across two rounds totaling $6 million. ATXM not only pushed the policy forward—they educated musicians on how to apply, partnered with MusiCares to ensure musician-centered administration, and gathered feedback that made the second round smoother. This support kept hundreds of artists afloat during the city’s darkest moment.
Results that Resonate
Austin Texas Musicians is delivering real, measurable impact for Austin’s creative workforce. From $8M+ in public funding and fair-pay policies to 1,500+ musicians trained annually and $300K+ in paid gigs, see how advocacy, education, and economic development are helping Austin artists live, work, and thrive.
How Advocacy Powers Education & Economic Growth
Advocacy isn’t just policy work—it’s the engine that powers real opportunities for Austin’s working musicians. From shaping fair-pay standards to securing millions in public funding, ATXM’s advocacy creates the conditions for better education, stronger careers, and more paid gigs. This post breaks down how behind-the-scenes policy wins turn into master classes, business training, venue partnerships, and direct financial support for the people who make Austin’s music culture thrive.
Community Partners
Are You a Central Texas Musician?
Austin Texas Musicians is for you! We are musicians working for musicians.
Our community of Central Texas musicians is over 6,000 strong and growing.
We represent those we serve on city, state, and federal policy and provide basic needs and services to improve our quality of life.
Advocacy, Education, and Economic Development are the three pillars of our work to empower you to “Show Up, Speak Up, and Be Heard"!
Make an impact today
🎵 Join us in protecting Austin’s creative future.
Every bit of support goes a long way in helping us help musicians. We’ve got some very impactful new initiatives in motion for 2026, including:
Expanded Paid Performance Opportunities for Musicians
Expanded Education Programming, in Partnership with Local Higher Education
A Downtown Creative Hub, Parking and Safe Escort for Musicians
To continue doing this work, we need your help. Cultivating new partnerships, investment, and donor relations both public and private will be key to our sustainability.
We're putting out a call to all interested corporate partners, angel investors, and music community members and imploring that we all come together to lift up what has proven to be a crucial service to the health of our music community, which truly serves as the cornerstone to Austin’s economic well-being. We hope you’ll help us continue our work by donating, or by contacting us directly to discuss options.