U.S. Music Industry's $211.8 Billion GDP Impact Revealed: State-by-State Analysis Shows California Leads
The U.S. music industry contributed $211.8 billion to the national GDP in 2020, representing 0.9% of the total U.S. economy and marking an 18% increase from 2017.
Aerial view of LA skyline
California leads state contributions with $51.4 billion, followed by New York ($24.9 billion), Florida ($9.3 billion), Texas ($8.2 billion), and Tennessee ($7.5 billion). When measured as a percentage of state GDP, Tennessee ranks highest at 1.7%, followed by California (1.5%) and New York (1.3%).
State-by-state music industry GDP map
The industry supported 2,539,280 jobs in 2020, an increase of 373,737 positions from 2017. Nearly 43% of these jobs are concentrated in the top five states by GDP contribution.
Key earnings growth by sector (2017-2020):
- Musical instruments, audio/video equipment, and software manufacturing: 43% increase to $8.26 billion
- Agents, managers, promoters, and artists: 17.8% increase to $60 billion
- Music production and distribution: 13.2% increase to $36.03 billion
- Music schools: 10.7% increase to $116.12 million
- Retail establishments: 2.1% increase to $5.86 billion
The analysis, conducted by the RIAA with Secretariat's experts, utilized data from multiple sources including the Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and private sector contributors.
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