CVL Economics | October 2025

The Washington Nightlife & Music Association (WANMA) design and implementation of the inaugural Washington State Music Census provides foundational insights into the economic contributions, workforce characteristics, and needs of the state’s music composition, production, and performance ecosystem. This Census represents the most comprehensive attempt to date to measure how music operates as both a cultural force and an economic engine in Washington.

By combining quantitative analysis with lived experiences from musicians, business owners, and industry workers, the Census paints a detailed picture of a sector that generates billions in GDP, sustains tens of thousands of jobs, and shapes the identity of communities statewide. At the same time, it surfaces urgent challenges—housing affordability, income instability, and gaps in equity and representation—that threaten the sustainability of Washington’s music economy.

These findings establish a critical evidence base for policymakers, industry leaders, and community stakeholders to act. They underscore that supporting music is not only a matter of cultural preservation but also a strategic investment in economic development, workforce vitality, and Washington’s global competitiveness.

MUSIC CENSUS

The Washington State Music Census was conducted by WANMA, the Washington State Department of Commerce, the City of Seattle Office of Economic Development, King County Creative, in partnership with CVL Economics. The survey was fielded from December 16, 2024, to February 28, 2025, and was available in both English and Spanish. Upon closing, the survey had collected 742 completed responses from musicians, 255 from business owners, and 586 from music industry workers.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

The foundational step in quantifying the economic impact of Washington State’s music industry is the identification of the appropriate sectors that comprise the core—or “direct”—components of the industry.

Economic data are reported using the standardized North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), which allows for consistency and comparability across datasets. No single NAICS code wholly encapsulates the music industry. As a result, a curated list of relevant sectors must be assembled. Some are directly aligned, such as Record Production (2022 NAICS 512250) and Music Publishers (2022 NAICS 512230). Others—like Fine Arts Schools (2022 NAICS 611610) or Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (2022 NAICS 711510)—are only partially relevant, since not all individuals within those sectors engage in music-related activity.

To address the limitations of prior economic impact studies of the music industry, CVL Economics employs a refined, ecosystem-based approach that uses NAICS codes as a foundation but incorporates additional filters to avoid over- or under-counting.

Rather than relying solely on narrowly defined sectors like Sound Recording Industries (2022 NAICS 512200), the analysis identifies core, supporting, and peripheral sectors and applies customized inclusion rates based on the proportion of music-specific activity within each.

This includes excluding non-music segments from broader industries such as Radio Stations (516110) through employment or revenue share adjustments and proportionally including relevant subcomponents of sectors like Colleges and Universities (611310) by isolating conservatory programs or related instructional staff. This calibrated approach enables more accurate economic multipliers and input-output modeling by aligning the scope of the analysis with the actual structure of the music ecosystem.

In addition to quantitative analysis, sector-level adjustments are informed by qualitative insights from industry stakeholders, particularly experts based in Los Angeles, CA. To maintain methodological consistency and avoid inflating indirect and induced impacts, the adjusted contribution rate is applied uniformly across all stages of the economic impact model.