A new study for the City of Austin shows how making music has made money, which, in turn, has made it hard to make music. The report, put together by the Austin-based economic consulting firm Texas Perspectives, says the music business provides 11,200 jobs and generates about $616 million in economy activity and $11 million in city taxes. And, it brings in tourists and puts them in hotel and motel rooms.

The music industry also plays a key role in the creative nexus between entrepreneurship, technology and the arts that contributes to Austin's singularity. "What appears to set Austin apart from most other communities is this concentration of creativity," the report says.

But the economics of the music industry combined with the rising costs of a growing city cause concern. "Rising rents and house prices have put pressure on all lower income groups, including the majority of musicians and songwriters in the city," the report says. "These pressures have also been felt in the commercial real estate market, further reducing profit margins of club owners who lease their facilities."