5 Best Cities For Musicians

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Looking for the best city to live in as a musician?

Want to move somewhere that your career can grow strong?

If you want to build a successful music career, it can help if you’re in the right place to do it. There are plenty of cities out there but not all of them are great to live in as a musician. Some are more active than others and will offer more opportunities to gig, make industry contacts, and find great band members.

While some music jobs, such as teaching guitar, can be done just about anywhere, there are definitely some places that are better suited for pursuing music as a profession than others.

If you’re a musician who is looking for a great place to live and build your career, then look no further. Here are the best cities for you to live in as an aspiring musician.

1. Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is one of the best cities for musicians to move to. While the city has the stereotype of being full of only country music, all kinds of music have a place in Nashville. Known as the “Music City”, few places in the USA are as well-known among musicians, singers, and wannabe music business professionals than Nashville, Tennessee.

While it’s sure to be a competitive place to make music, you’ll also have plenty of colleagues in Nashville as well that can make the journey to musical success with you. Especially if you’re an aspiring songwriter, the new Nashville may just be the city for you.

2. Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles is another option for living as a musician. It’s no secret that Los Angeles is the biggest city for the entertainment business in the United States, and that’s not limited to Hollywood movies. L.A. is also the home of the Grammy Awards and is a great place to enter the music business and build a music career.

The city employs a huge number of music professionals. It’s great for pop, hip-hop, rock, and just about any genre that you would be interested in playing.

3. Austin, Texas

Austin is another good place to live as a musician. Like Nashville, it has a reputation for being a music city and while Nashville is big on country music, Austin is more known for Americana and indie rock. Austin, Texas features a huge concentration of music cities around its popular street of 6th Avenue, Downtown, and other areas.

Austin is also known by many as the “Live Music Capital of the World” and its yearly South By Southwest (SXSW) Festival simply can’t be rivaled. Because of these reasons and more, Austin may just be the place for you if you’re serious about making a living out of playing music.

4. New York, New York

It should be no surprise that New York is another one of the best cities for musicians to live in. New York City has something to offer everyone, and the same is true for musicians of all kinds. The city has a place for every genre and has produced many famous musicians over the years. The city features venues of all types and of all sizes.

New York may be an expensive place to live as a struggling musician. If you can afford it, however, few other cities will offer as many opportunities in one place.

5. Where You Live

The final place that can be great for building your music career is where you are right now. Chances are that there is a music community in your city or town that you can find your place in if you have a desire too.

Once you grow more you can tour or take visits to other cities. More than many other professions, you have the chance to make your own way as a musician and to create your opportunities. Take a look at your city and consider looking at not just what’s going on but what you can create. Chances are that there are ways you can help build a thriving live music scene locally.

Additionally, in the age of the internet, you can reach fans from all over the world. If you don’t want to move, you don’t necessarily have to if you want to build a thriving career in music.

Moving to One of the Best Cities For Musicians

If you’re looking for the best cities for musicians to live in, you can’t go wrong with any of the above cities. There are more great places that you can grow your career well, both in America and abroad. However, the cities above are some of the first ones to consider living in when building your music career.