The United States has shaped the sound of modern music. Every genre – hip-hop, soul, jazz, country, pop, rock, and more – has deep roots in towns and cities nationwide, and that legacy remains just as strong today. We can see it thriving across the country, with packed live venues, new emerging artists, and entire communities coming together in support of their local music scenes.
But which cities truly stand out for music lovers, both in the U.S. and internationally?
To find out, Spin Genie analyzed key data points, including the number of venues, artists, events, festivals, Google searches, and music-related jobs per capita, to reveal this year's ultimate U.S. music hotspots.
Looking for entertainment closer to home? Explore Spin Genie’s online casino in Ontario for a different kind of live excitement.
Key takeaways
- The most musical American cities are in the South; four of the top five are located in Southern states. With the influence of Caribbean and Latin American styles, the music in these cities has become very popular.
- Music remains a major economic force. With high levels of employment in music-related industries across several cities, the findings point to a sector that continues to provide jobs, tourism, and cultural value nationwide.
- Creative talent is widespread across America, with a national average of 212 musicians per 100,000 people highlighting a wealth of creative energy and talent across the country.
The Top Three American Musical Cities
Atlanta tops the ranking with an impressive music hotspot score of 8.74/10, followed by New Orleans and Miami in joint second place, and Orlando (the second Florida city in the top 10) close behind. Overall, the results reveal a strong southern influence, as four of the top five cities are located in the Southeast, where music culture is deeply ingrained in everyday life.
1. Atlanta, Georgia – Music Hotspot Score: 8.74/10
Atlanta tops the list as the best U.S. city for music lovers, scoring an impressive 8.74 out of 10. The city performs strongly across every category, with 188 upcoming music events per 100,000 residents (the second-highest rate nationwide) and 577 musical artists per 100,000 people.
Although it might be a surprising winner in our ranking, outperforming the likes of Nashville and Los Angeles, Atlanta’s rich musical history earns it the top spot. Known as the unofficial capital of hip-hop, Atlanta’s influence spans decades. Global names like Usher, Ludacris, and Ciara all hail from the city, and its thriving music scene continues to shape R&B and rap culture across the U.S.
2. New Orleans – Music Hotspot Score: 8.18/10
In joint second place in the rankings is New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz and home to some of the most influential musicians in history. This Louisiana city leads the nation for musical artists per capita, with 633 per 100,000 residents – more than six times the national average (102).
Venues across Frenchman Street and the world-famous French Quarter keep traditions alive, while pioneers of the genre such as Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton helped cement the relationship between the city and music.
3. Miami, Florida – Music Hotspot Score: 8.18/10
Miami shares second place with a score of 8.18, reflecting its reputation as one of America’s most culturally diverse and musically active cities. The city hosts 11 upcoming festivals, including Ultra Music Festival and GroundUp, and its mix of Latin, Caribbean, and U.S. influences gives Miami a sound unlike anywhere else in the country.
Much like the other hotspots in our top 10, music truly is woven into the fabric of Miami. Whether you’re relaxing at a beachfront bar or living it up in one of the city’s high-octane nightclubs, it’s never hard to find incredible live music.
The Top-Scoring City For Each Musical Category
While Atlanta takes the overall title, each metric in the ranking reveals a different story about how music thrives across America. Some cities stand out for their thriving live music scenes, while others are recognised for the number of working artists or the scale of their festivals and events.
These category leaders highlight the diversity of the U.S. music landscape and show that there’s no single way to define a great music city.
Oakland, California – The most music venues per capita
Oakland in California has the most venues with almost 50 per 100,000 people, – more than three and a half times higher than the national average of just over 14. One of the most famous Oakland venues is Yoshi’s, where music lovers can enjoy some smooth jazz, R&B, soul, and other genres whilst sampling Japanese cuisine.
Arlington, Texas, and Baltimore, Maryland, ranked in second and third place, respectively. Even though they have almost 20 fewer venues than Oakland, their totals of 32.37 and 31.88 per 100,000 are more than double the national average of 14.23 per 100,000.
New Orleans, Louisiana – The most musical artists per person
New Orleans has the highest number of musical artists per person, at 633 per 100,000, which is almost triple the national average of 212.7 per 100,000. Although the city is most famous for its jazz, it has also produced notable artists in other genres, including rapper Lil Wayne and the ‘Anthem King’ DJ Khaled.
Austin, Texas – The most music-related Google searches
The most online interest for music in any city is in Austin, Texas. Over 200,000 people searched on Google for music festivals and live music in the city, making it the only place to cross this milestone. In fact, only six cities had more than 100,000 total searches, with the second-place hotspot, Chicago, getting nearly 50,000 fewer (156,400).
Las Vegas – The most upcoming events per person
Las Vegas more than lives up to its reputation as the entertainment capital of the world, with 599 upcoming music events per 100,000 residents – over 400 more than any other city. From long-running residencies by Adele and Bruno Mars to the city’s ever-evolving festival, circus, and comedy circuits, Vegas continues to attract the world’s biggest artists and the brightest lights.
We can really see just how much Sin City outshines other hotspots in our rankings when we look at the second and third-place cities. Atlanta sits in second place with 188 events per 100,000 people, and Minneapolis is in third with 155 – both considerably less than Vegas.
Phoenix, Arizona – The most upcoming music festivals
Phoenix ranks first for upcoming music festivals, with 13 scheduled in the near future. Highlights include the Goldrush hip-hop festival and the Phoenix Lights Festival, which is named after the famous mass UFO sighting of the same name in the city back in the 1990s and features electronic music acts with vibrant stage lighting.
Orlando, Florida – The most music-related jobs per person
Hunting for a job in the music industry? Orlando leads the nation for music-related employment, offering over 50 industry jobs per 100,000 residents – almost double the U.S. average. Behind its theme-park fame is a vibrant professional scene that spans live events, production, and entertainment management, helping sustain the city’s position as one of America’s most dynamic creative economies.
Methodology
Spin Genie specializes in online casinos and regularly explores topics within the wider entertainment and showbiz world. In line with that focus, this study set out to discover which U.S. cities offer the best environments for music lovers, from thriving live scenes to the highest concentrations of musical talent.
The analysis began with a seed list of major U.S. cities, compiled using population data from World Population Review and cross-referenced with Fifty Grande’s list of top U.S. music cities.
Each city was then scored across six key music-related metrics:
- Music venues: Number of live venues listed per city, sourced from Pollstar.
- Artists: Number of musical artists originating from each city, using data from MusicBrainz.
- Search interest: Volume of Google searches for music-related terms (e.g. “concert tickets,” “live music [city],” “music festivals in [city]”), normalised per capita.
- Upcoming events: Total number of upcoming music events per city, from Pollstar.
- Upcoming festivals: Number of scheduled music festivals, based on listings from Music Festival Wizard, between 10/30/25 and 12/31/26.
- Music-related jobs: Number of open roles within the music industry, sourced from LinkedIn Jobs (search term “music industry,” within a 40 km radius).
Scores across these factors were weighted and combined to produce a final Music Hotspot Score out of 10 for each city.
All data was collected and analysed in October 2025. Figures represent the most recent publicly available information at the time of research and may fluctuate over time due to population changes, new event listings, or updates to third-party databases.
