The Missing Export: Culture as Economic Infrastructure

In today’s experience economy, cultural capital is increasingly valuable, especially for cities seeking to differentiate themselves. Municipalities routinely invest in traditional industries, physical infrastructure, and innovation pipelines, but music is often siloed as “entertainment.” Music can function as an economic engine, a form of cultural connective tissue, and a powerful competitive differentiator.

The scale of the opportunity is significant. The music industry contributes more than $212 billion to the U.S. GDP and accounts for 2.5 million jobs nationwide. Cultural exports are not just symbolic; they shape global perception, attract investment, and support workforce retention. According to the Recording Academy, when an out-of-town visitor buys a concert ticket for $100, the local economy sees an additional $335 in related spending.

New models show that with the right civic support, music can and should be treated like any other high-impact export.

MUSIC AS A BRAND AND A BRIDGE

City-supported music touring programs are emerging as effective tools for both artist development and place branding. When artists tour, they become de facto cultural diplomats who carry a city’s stories, aesthetics, and identity into new markets. As artists expand their reach, the city’s cultural profile grows alongside them, creating a powerful feedback loop of visibility and credibility. This reframes the relationship between municipalities and creators. Rather than acting as passive supporters, cities become strategic amplifiers.

One of the things that we have found that operationalizes this approach is to provide financial support to musicians who promote the city while on tour. When our city launched its Music Ambassador Program (MAP), we learned through Memphis’s MAP initiative that cash touring grants and facilitated media opportunities generate artist growth and a stronger global position as a music destination. The benefits are twofold: artists receive tangible career support, and the city gains authentic, artist-led storytelling.

 A STRATEGY FROM THE TECH PLAYBOOK

The private sector, music companies, and recording studios are beginning to recognize the value of these partnership models closely mirror what the tech industry has been doing for years. When private sector, government, music companies, and recording studios collaborate, artists gain regional and national exposure with cities extending their cultural footprint. For example, we’ve teamed up with Universal Music Group’s East Iris Studios in Nashville, the MidCity District and Apollo Coalition here in Huntsville to expand visibility for the artist and our community.

Partnerships like this mirror successful long-standing economic exchange programs in tech and business that also apply toward creative capital.

BEYOND VENUES: RETHINKING MUSIC INFRASTRUCTURE

Supporting music as an export requires more than building amphitheaters and creating performance spaces. It demands logistical support, funding mechanisms, professional pathways, and investment in the systems that allow artists to scale their careers. High-impact, cost-effective strategies include:

• Stipends or grant programs for touring
• Mentorship pipelines connecting local talent with established and influential industry professionals
• Relationships, residencies, or cultural exchange programs with peer cities
• Public-private partnerships that lower barriers to touring and cross-market visibility
  
  

The goal here is to reduce friction in talent mobility and help artists build sustainable, long-term careers that extend beyond local gigs—careers that have a ripple effect on job creation, production, marketing, hospitality, and tourism across the broader music ecosystem.

PROMOTE ARTISTS WITH EQUITY AND AUTHENTICITY

Here in Huntsville, Alabama, we have seen great success with our music export programs and have also learned many important lessons along the way. These three lessons in particular are helpful to consider when building or expanding a program in your city.

1. Programs must be intentionally designed to avoid favoritism or the commodification of local culture for external approval. Exporting culture carries the risk of disproportionately favoring established artists unless equity is prioritized.

2. Authenticity matters. The most successful music export initiatives reflect the true dynamics, diversity, and texture of a city’s creative community—not a curated version of its scene.

3. Community engagement is essential. Listening sessions, grassroots input, and shared ownership are crucial components needed for ensuring music strategies are sustainable and scalable.  Bringing the local community into the fold is critical to the long-term success of cultural exports. 

THE FUTURE: CULTURE AS ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE

As the boundaries between industry, culture, and identity continue to blur, cities that treat music as an export—not just an amenity—will gain a measurable advantage.

Municipal governments and chambers of commerce have long focused on exporting products, ideas, and innovation. In an era where identity, experience, and narrative shape everything from tourism to talent recruitment, it is time to recognize music and the arts not simply as local assets but as exportable engines of economic growth.

Matt Mandrella is the music officer for the City of Huntsville, Alabama.

View the full article