King County Creative—Music policy

The Creative Economy Initiative provides resources for musicians, indiviuals, and businesses in the music industry in King County.

a crowd with their arms raised at a concert. Yellow lights from the stage silhouette the crowd while mist silhouette's the performer.

Music is a part of the fabric of life in the Puget Sound region. Groundbreaking bands like Pearl Jam and Nirvana defined the 90s, putting Seattle on the sonic map. Today, musicians continue to contribute to our culture and quality of life in the Pacific Northwest, putting the “sound” in Puget Sound. However, explosive growth and the rising cost of living in our region is putting pressure on the people and venues that made the “Seattle sound” famous. The Creative Economy Initiative is also intended to address the needs of music artists in our region so they can continue creating harmony (and melody) for the next generation.

King County OEOCE, Visit Seattle and the City of Seattle ARTS and OED work with more than 30 independent music venues every year to book the Cloudbreak Music Festival.

King County does not directly book the performers. Please make sure the talent buyers at your preferred venues are aware of your band.

If a King County venue you like is not a current Cloudbreak participant, please encourage them to email creativeeconomy@kingcounty.gov to start a conversation to explore becoming a Cloudbreak venue.