BIGSOUND: The Challenges Artists Are Facing In 2025

BIGSOUND returns to the Fortitude Valley in Brisbane next month, hosting the most impressive emerging and established acts on its music festival, and music industry figures and performers locked in as Speakers for its Conference.

Simply put, it’s the Australian music industry’s biggest week of the calendar year, and there’s a lot going on. From showcases to parties to conferences and even more, it’s BIGSOUND’s music festival that is annually renowned for everyday punters and industry figures for its programming.

Ahead of this year’s BIGSOUND music festival, returning to 18 stages across the Valley from 2-5 September, The Music has caught up with some of the must-see artists performing next month and asked them: What are the biggest challenges facing artists in 2025?

In an industry that’s reckoning with the emergence of generative AI, making content on social media, venues shuttering each week, touring excessively to make money from their music, and other issues, there are few more affecting questions for today’s artists.

BIGSOUND: The Challenges Artists Are Facing In 2025

BADASSMUTHA

Some struggles that I think artists come by in 2025… the main one is money. Money and time. Where are they?

Briana Dinsdale

My biggest hurdle as an artist for 2025 has definitely been trying to keep up to date with social media: posting, following all the trends - there are so many trends this year, it’s overwhelming me. The social media world is a whole different ball game.

Chloe Styler

I think for me personally, the thing I struggle with being an artist these days is remaining authentic on social media and still trying to get the music across.

dogworld

One of the biggest challenges facing emerging artists, especially this year, is recognition among streaming services, and financial growth from streaming just seems like something that’s not really very doable these days.

Effe

I would say the biggest issue facing emerging artists at the moment is a lack of funding. Touring is such an important way to get your music heard, and it’s just so expensive in this country, so it’s really holding back a lot of artists in Australia.

GLVES

Overcrowded markets—so many people can make and release music now, it’s super accessible. Which is great, but I heard like 80,000 songs are being released worldwide per day. So, it’s really hard to cut through as an independent artist.

Harper Bloom

Independent artists are struggling big time. I think we face a lot of burnout.

Lucky

The biggest challenge artists face today… obviously, navigating social media, but I think a big one is trying to learn how to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Mannequin Death Squad

[Artists face] a lot [of challenges]. I’d say the main one is touring costs - touring is expensive; the cost of living is affecting touring quite a lot, especially internationally. We’re fully DIY, so we have to front money, organise everything, booking, so we definitely noticed that change with touring overseas. It’s definitely gotten worse.

But also, all the hats you have to wear… touring, social media, content creation… every band is a content creator now.

Nightlight

Things that make life hard for a musician… the cost of living crisis is really affecting everything to do with being a musician, from booking rehearsal time to booking studio time, to the cost of touring… everything is just really expensive right now.

Puree

Probably the cost of everything now. Like, travel, recording, production, and having to work jobs every day, and finding the time to do it.

Sunsick Daisy

One of the biggest challenges artists face in 2025 is the expenses of touring, and finding the time to make content for social media, as well as write music, can be quite challenging.

Taija

I think some challenges artists face this year, in 2025, is that some people are hesitant to collaborate and work together, but I think that’s where beautiful things can be created. Networking is a powerful tool.

The Stamps

I think the biggest challenges artists face in 2025 are festivals and live music venues shutting down. It’s getting harder and harder to see and play live music, so places like BIGSOUND are really important for championing live music.

All of the above artists will perform at BIGSOUND 2025. To attend or find out more about the 2025 music festival program, head to the BIGSOUND website.