There have been multiple musicians from Des Moines, Iowa, mainly rock bands and jazz musicians. The most popular being the Heavy Metal band, Slipknot, with most its members being born in Des Moines. Des Moines has a lot of local venues, independent radio stations, and community events that help expand music in the surrounding areas. Local festivals such as the Hinterland Music Festival and 80/35 Music Festival attract many visitors. Many musicians from the area credit Des Moines in shaping their careers.
The combined events venue of Casey's Center, EMC Expo Center, and the Community Choice Credit Union Veterans Auditorium ballroom has hosted 346 events so far, as of 2025, and has made a profit of $1.84 million.
Slipknot is the most popular music group from Iowa, with 14.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify. 10 members from the group were born in Des Moines, the oldest being Donnie Steele, born on December 31, 1967 (age ), and the youngest being Michael Pfaff, born on May 17, 1980 (age ). The group's album Iowa has reached platinum status in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The majority of solo artists from Des Moines are jazz musicians. Early 20th-century traveling artists travelled to the plains, into cities like Kansas City, Chicago, and Des Moines. As jazz grew in the United States, so did the midwestern venues, including Des Moines, which helped grow its popularity in the region. Des Moines was a major stop for jazz musicians to perform in, and included a theatre from Balaban and Katz. Many famous jazz bands and musicians came to clubs throughout the city, including Charlie Parker and Thad Jones.