4. Toronto, Canada
I recently hung out with one of Toronto’s heads of Government arts funding. Let’s just say she had an annual arts budget comparable to the salary of an NBA superstar. All of that money went to Ontario-based indie artists to release their own albums.
Toronto also has perhaps the highest talent per capita I’ve seen (one man’s opinion). The tolerance for rubbish music in Toronto is low. You’ve got to have the chops to survive and get slots at the decent clubs.
Ontario has a blossoming house concert circuit and vibrant festival scene. Cost of living is high and competition is fierce, but surrounding oneself with this amount of ferocious talent can only up your game. Dine Alone Records is an underground legend in the label world, fostering acts like Heartless Bastards, Delta Spirit, Matthew Logan Vasquez, Field Report, and The Lumineers.
Source: The top 10 cities for full-time songwriters | DIY Musician Blog