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Austin Music Commission: strong Live Music Fund application activity as two December deadlines approach
Summary
City staff told the Music Commission that intake and eligibility activity for the Austin Live Music Fund is strong: as of the meeting, 1,360 intake forms and 508 eligibility forms were submitted, with 127 full applications in the system. Staff reminded applicants of Dec. 4 and Dec. 11 deadlines and outlined award goals and assistance services.
The Austin Music Commission heard a detailed update on December 1 from ACME funding staff on applications and outreach for the Austin Live Music Fund, including two application deadlines this week.
Laura Odegard, acting division manager for ACME funding programs, told commissioners, "So we've had 1,360 intake forms submitted so far." She said 508 eligibility forms have been completed and 127 full applications for the Live Music Fund had been submitted as of noon the day of the meeting, including eight venue applicants, 103 at the $20,000 level and 19 at the $5,000 level.
Why it matters: the commission and staff have set an ambitious target for awards this cycle. Odegard said the department is aiming for 384 awards overall, with goals of 22 venue awards, about 242 awards at the $20,000 level and 120 awards at the $5,000 level. Commissioners and staff framed those goals as part of an effort to distribute roughly $7,000,000 in available funding across venues, artists and projects.
Staff described the application and review process and the immediate deadlines: intake and eligibility forms must be submitted by Thursday, December 4 at 6:59 p.m., and completed applications are due Thursday, December 11 at 6:59 p.m. Odegard explained the distinction between an "application sent" status and an "application submitted" status: "Application sent is... the process of us saying, yes. You are eligible. Here is your application. Application submitted is you have then filled everything out... and then you hit submit in the Submittable system," she said.
On concerns about tiering between the $20,000 and $5,000 awards, Odegard acknowledged a known platform limitation in Submittable that prevents automatic downgrades from a denied $20,000 application into the $5,000 tier. She said staff plan to survey applicants after the cycle to gather ideas for improving the process. Commissioners asked staff to consider whether changes could allow applicants who meet the $5,000 criteria but are denied a $20,000 award to receive the smaller award in the future.
Staff and Long Center partners have provided substantial applicant assistance: Odegard said city staff have logged more than 160 hours on application assistance, held 10 workshops with 168 attendees (including sessions with ASL interpretation and Spanish-language access), hosted open office hours and offered one-on-one appointments. She encouraged applicants to use those resources in the days before the deadlines.
The commission also heard a related financial update earlier in the meeting: Erica Shamley, division manager for music and entertainment, summarized FY24 Live Music Fund final report activity and payment counts ("136 signed agreements... 135 first payments have been paid out so far, 103 second payments, and 53 final payments"), and presented a fiscal-year-to-date hotel occupancy tax collection figure shared in the staff slide deck.
Next steps: staff said they will continue outreach through this week, expect a post-cycle survey and will return to the commission with additional metrics. The commission did not take a formal vote on the fund at the meeting.
Sources: presentation and remarks from Laura Odegard, acting division manager, ACME funding programs; Erica Shamley, division manager, music and entertainment.
