Introduction

Abstract

This chapter introduces the volume Music Cities: Evaluating a Global Cultural Policy Concept. We begin the chapter by evaluating the origins of the term ‘Music City’ as a distinct policy concept, emerging from urban regeneration, heritage and tourism and creative city policy frameworks within a select group of cities. We then describe how, in recent years, this concept has become globalised, with many cities across the world now looking to pursue a Music City strategy. Here we point to the UNESCO City of Music accreditation and the Mastering of a Music City report produced by International Federation of Phonographic Industries (IFPI) and Music Canada in 2015, as key drivers of the globalisation of this policy concept. While the decision to pursue a Music City policy will inevitably involve a complex set of internal and external motivating factors, we highlight the significant emphasis that is placed by city planners, consultancies and specialist agencies on the potential economic gains for a city, both directly (based around musical activity and music tourism) and indirectly (industrial development, drawing on Florida’s creative class thesis), from developing as a Music City. The chapter then provides an overview of the contributions to the volume, assembled due to their shared concern with providing in-depth examinations of the music city paradigm in the context of particular cities, including those beyond the ‘superstar’ Music Cities of the West.