MUSIC DIRECTORY

San Antonio is home to experienced and talented musicians, music businesses and music resources – and the San Antonio Music Guide is your resource for connecting with them easily. 

• Find Musicians - Your event can feature an authentic San Antonio sound by booking these local musicians! 
• Find Music Businesses - Looking for a local place to listen to music? Want to attend a San Antonio music festival? Need to rent, buy or repair gear? Need a recording studio? Want to produce a music event? Interested in joining a music group or association? Take a look at these business listings!

Please note: The online guide is a reference; no endorsement or quality judgment is implied by the San Antonio Music Commission.

Do you need to register your music business, band, or yourself in the San Antonio Music Directory?

• Create Your Listing - Create your free listing today!

City Council Local Music Spotlight Program Guidelines

The City Council Local Music Spotlight is a program administered by the City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture and that features the music of local San Antonio artists during City Council meetings and on TVSA during city advertisements showcasing bid opportunities. 

Applications for the City Council Local Music Spotlight program are accepted on a rolling basis.

Eligibility

• Only San Antonio-based artists can apply.
• Music must be original (in other words, you must have the legal authority to license the City of San Antonio to utilize the recording and composition for the City Council Local Music Spotlight program).
• All genres qualify, including music in languages other than English and instrumental only.
• Artists who participate in the City Council Local Music Spotlight program must comply with the City of San Antonio’s Non-Discrimination Policy. Music submitted must no stereotype or promote views and ideas which are likely to promote discrimination, contempt or hatred for any person on the basis of race,color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, familial status, national origin or age.
• Content of submitted work must follow Federal Communication Commission rules on obscene, indecent and profane content.

How It Works

• By applying to City Council Local Music Spotlight program, an artist grants rights to the City of San Antonio to use the submitted music for the purpose of introducing and providing music during breaks during City Council Meetings and also on TVSA during city advertisements showcasing bid opportunities. The City of San Antonio is limited to this exclusive use, while participating artists remain free to use the same music outside of program. By applying, an artist also confirms and verifies that he/she is the legal copyright/license holder of any and all music submitted and has the legal authority to grant  a license the City of San Antonio for its use.
• City staff and the San Antonio Music Committee, a committee of the San Antonio Arts Commission, will select artists from the pool of submissions received.
• Artist will be notified of selection.
• Selected song will be featured for a specified length of time.
• City reserves the right to remove the song from the Music Spotlight program at any time for any reason, without providing notice to the artist.

If Selected, When Will My Music Be Featured?

• Selected artists will be notified of the timeframe in which their songs will be featured.
• City Council “A session” meetings are held every Thursday at 9 a.m. in the City Council Chambers (first floor of the Municipal Plaza Building, located at 114 W. Commerce St.), except for the fourth week of month. “B session” meetings are held on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. On occasion, the Council may be called into a special meeting and/or may meet at locations other than City Hall  All meetings will be open to the public, in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act. In addition, meetings are broadcast on TVSA at Time Warner Cable 21; Grande Cable 20; AT&T U-verse 99; and online on the TVSA website. Featured music will appear on these outlets as well.
• City advertisements listing bid opportunities are played in rotation between TVSA programming, including City Council meetings. 

How To Apply

To be considered for the City Council Local Music Spotlight, create a free listing on the San Antonio Music Guide and then complete the application form and email it to music@sanantonio.gov along with:

• 1 to 2 photos (jpeg format, hi-res preferred for social media promotion)
• 1 to 3 songs (must be in MP3, MP4 or WAV format)

Please directly attach application, photos and songs in an email to music@sanantonio.gov.

Thank you for your interest in sharing your music with the City of San Antonio. We are excited to showcase our city’s rich and diverse music scene!

FEATURED ARTISTS AND SONGS:

• Federico Chavez Blanco, "Celebration": http://federicochavezblanco.com/

COMMERCIAL DECAL FOR MUSICIANS

Throughout San Antonio are several Commercial Loading Zones. As a certified Music Friendly Community, the City of San Antonio provides permission to local musicians who meet the qualifications and application requirements below to use the city's 30-minute commercial loading zones with a Commercial Decal, strictly for the purpose of loading music gear and equipment into and out of gig venues.

WHO QUALIFIES?

• Musicians with a Doing Business As (DBA) registration showing "doing business as said musician"
• Musicians with a Limited Liability Company (LLC) registration
• Musicians with a Limited Partnership (LP) registration
• Musicians with proof of membership in American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 23
• Musicians listed on the City of San Antonio's Music Guide

REQUIRED APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

1. DBA, LLC or Limited Partnership documentation OR Letter from AFM Local 23 stating that applicant is a member in good standing OR Letter from the Department of Arts & Culture's Music Commission verifying that the applicant is listed in the San Antonio Music Guide. 
2. Copy of vehicle insurance OR registration with the Vehicle Identification Number 
3. Driver's License
4. 30-Minute Parking Application (PDF)

At any time, the City of San Antonio's Center City Development Office's Parking Division may require to provide additional documents. 

PROGRAM RULES AND REGULATIONS

1. The permit decal allows for use of any 30-minute commercial loading zones in San Antonio, only for the purpose of loading into and out of gig venues.
2. The permit decal is only for use of 30-minute commercial loading zones. The use of all other loading zones is not permissible with this permit.
3. A new application form must be submitted each year with required document(s).
4. If the vehicle is sold or transferred, a written notice is required along with a replacement fee of $5.00. Only one decal replacement will be issued within a one-year period.
5. Documented misuse or abuse of the decal will result in a suspension of privileges for a period not to exceed one year. Examples: Transferring decal from one vehicle to another without proper notice and/or excessive parking citations. 
6. Vehicle is subject to citations and towing for overtime parking in Commercial Loading Zones, if parking exceeds more than 30 minutes. 
7. It is the decal holder's responsibility to contact the Parking Division of any changes in vehicle status. Unauthorized transfer of decal may result in citation and impoundment of vehicle. 
8. Decal holder is responsible for the renewal of decal.
9. Expiration date on decal serves as notice.
10. Permits are good for one year from the date of issue at a charge of $30.

Decals are sold in person between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the Center City Development Office's Parking Division at 400 N. St. Mary's Street, Suite 100, San Antonio, TX 78205. Applicants must bring all applications documents listed above.

Venue and Studio Map

Our Cultural Interactive Map (Updated Version Coming Soon) provides a view of music venues, studios and other arts and cultural locations in San Antonio. If you have any recommendations for other Arts and Cultural locations we have not included here, please send us an email at arts@sanantonio.gov or call us at 210. 206.ARTS (2787), and we will be happy to consider your suggestions.

Music Strategic Plan

In the fall of 2016, the Department of Arts & Culture, along with music industry stakeholders, began work on a study of the local music industry – including community feedback sessions, economic impact analysis, and a survey instrument. Using the study as a foundation, the Department of Arts & Culture, along with its Music Committee, is working to develop a Music Strategic Plan to help grow, develop and promote the local music industry as well as define the direction and role of a San Antonio Music Office.

A timeline of past and upcoming the music study and strategic planning efforts is detailed below:

• August 21, 2018 – City Council Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee meeting at noon at Culture Commons Gallery, 115 Plaza de Armas. 
• August 14, 2018  – San Antonio Arts Commission meeting at 9 a.m.
• August 6, 2018 – Music Committee meeting at 3 p.m. at Westfall Library (6111 Rosedale Ct., 78201)
• June 25, 2018 – Music Strategic Plan Community Meeting at 6 p.m. at Brick at Blue Star (108 Blue Star, 78204)
  Click here to view the presentation.
• June 11, 2018 – Music Committee meeting at 3:15 p.m. at Westfall Library (6111 Rosedale Ct, 78201) 
• April 18, 2018 – Vision Statement subcommittee meets to finalize Strategic Plan Vision Statement 
• April 9, 2018 – Music Committee held with a focus on a Visioning Statement session
• March 30, 2018 – Strategic Planning Session held with Music Committee utilizing local facilitator Mary Flanagan with Strategy & Leadership LLC  
• May – September 2017 – All information collected and finalized in the San Antonio Music Industry Study 
• March – May 2017 – Survey closed with 228 surveys collected, community feedback session data analyzed, additional music industry experts interviewed, and inventory of music venues, studios and education offerings conducted
• March 20, 2017 – The final community feedback session held at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center with 30 attendees 
• February 27, 2017 – The second community feedback session with 45 attendees held at the Crown Room 
• February 7, 2017 – The first of three community feedback session held at the Central Library with 60 attendees
• January 2017 – SASG distributed an online survey to music industry participants in San Antonio
• October 2016 – The Department of Arts & Culture began work with San Antonio Sound Garden (SASG) to develop a study of the music industry

Music News Coverage

• Rivard Report, July 26, 2018, "Local Music To Bring 'A Little Pizzazz' To City Council Meetings"
• Spectrum News, July 26, 2018, "San Antonio City Council To Feature Local Music"
• Fox San Antonio, July 26, 2018, "City Council Looking For Local Musicians To Feature During Meetings"
• Rivard Report, November 28, 2018, “Study Finds Healthy Music Scene in SA, But A Nashville or Austin?”
• Rivard Report, November 30, 2018, “Workshop Brings SA Closer to Music Friendly Community Certification”
• TPR, January 16, 2018, “Is San Antonio A Music Friendly City?” 
• Rivard Report, February 12, 2018, “Texas Music Office Designates SA As Music Friendly Community” 
• Spectrum News, February 12, 2018, “San Antonio Named a Music Friendly Community” 
• WOAI Radio, February 12, 2018, “San Antonio Officially Named a Music Friendly Community” 
• KSAT, February 12, 2018, “SA Named Music Friendly Community” 
• Texas Standard, February 13, 2018, “San Antonio Earns Music Friendly Community Designation”

If you are member of the media looking to learn more about San Antonio’s music scene, please contact Krystal Jones, Music Commissioner, 210.207.6730.

Reports and Research

• San Antonio Music Strategic Plan
• "San Antonio Music Study" by San Antonio Sound Garden
• "Mapping Music Cities: A Case Study of the Musical Landscape of San Antonio" by Dr. Stan Renard

About Us

The Music Committee

A committee of the San Antonio Arts Commission, the Music Committee consists of individuals with expertise across the music industry. The responsibility of this advisory committee, which meets once every two months, includes assisting with the development of a Music Strategic Plan, participating in public meetings concerning the local music industry and beyond, and making reports at regular San Antonio Arts Commission meetings. The members of the Music Committee are:

• Henry Brun, District 7 Arts Commission Representative and Committee Chair
• Suhail Arastu, Mayoral Appointee on Arts Commission
• Mark Rogers, District 10 Arts Commission Representative 
• Carlos Alvarez 
• Joan Carroll 
• Julie Good 
• Keith Harter 
• Jon Johansen 
• Faith Radle 
• Stan Renard 
• Edwin Stephens

Per the San Antonio Arts Commission bylaws, the Music Committee can comprise of up to 11 members. If you are interesting in volunteering your time and commitment to the San Antonio music industry by serving on the Music Committee the next time a position is available, please fill out this application. All applicants are reviewed and recommended by the Committee Chairperson and voted on by the San Antonio Arts Commission. If you have any questions, please call (210) 207-6968.