GEORGIA MUSIC PARTNERS ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF FULTON COUNTY MUSIC ECONOMY IMPACT STUDY WITH GLOBAL MUSI

ATLANTA — Georgia Music Partners (GMP), in partnership with Fulton County and Sound Diplomacy, announced today the launch of a six-month comprehensive study of recording studios, rehearsal spaces, music venues and music festivals in Fulton County. This ground-breaking initiative aims to map related business across the county and assess their economic impact. To lead this work, Georgia Music Partners and Fulton County have engaged music policy consultancy Sound Diplomacy, a global expert in developing music strategies for cities, regions, and countries. Sound Diplomacy will manage the entire process, which will ultimately deliver both an ecological assessment of recording in the County and an economic impact report on the music industry in Fulton. Georgia Music Partners has been advocating on behalf of Georgia's robust music industry for nearly ten years. To remain competitive, attract investment, and create job growth in the music sector, GMP forged a relationship with Sound Diplomacy several years ago. "GMP is delighted to engage with Sound Diplomacy and Fulton County in this study. This is just the beginning," said Shachar Oren, President of GMP. "Our work with Sound Diplomacy will help dig deeper and wider into data and surface information in an insightful and actionable way for Fulton County. We look forward to the work and the findings it will lead to and how it will impact the bigger vision of music in Georgia." A critical piece of the study will be direct engagement with stakeholders in the music industry in Fulton County. Their feedback will combine with Sound Diplomacy's research to develop a rich picture of the assets in this vertical of the county’s robust music ecosystem. "Music and culture are a big deal in Fulton County. Our music industry creates jobs and attracts businesses, tourism, and investment dollars," added Chairman Robb Pitts, Board of Fulton County Commissioners. “This work with Sound Diplomacy and GMP will tell the story of our music economy so we can sustain and grow this industry in the future.” Work begins on the study this week, with a tentative delivery date of the study set for January 2020. Sound Diplomacy will regularly share updates on the progress of the study on its website. "We're thrilled to be starting this work to map the music ecosystem in Fulton County and determine its economic impact with such an impressive group of cities residing within Fulton County, spearheaded by Atlanta. Music is one of Fulton County and the region's largest exports. And we know once it’s fully quantified, the support will continue to grow across Greater Atlanta and Georgia as a whole," said Shain Shapiro, Founder & CEO, Sound Diplomacy.