For years, New Orleans has tried to establish itself as a major music center. “We’ve got the talent here… why don’t we have the business side?” is the refrain we’ve heard time and again from musicians and music business outsiders.

Granted, music business acumen has improved in the years since OffBeat was founded in 1988. We have a city government that’s at least given lip service to developing the music industry with the establishment of a Music & Entertainment Commission...