APRA AMCOS Calls For 'Triple Lock Guarantee' To Secure The Future Of Australian Music

APRA AMCOS is calling for a “Triple Lock Guarantee” to secure the future of the Australian music industry.

The announcement comes after the Albanese government unveiled its 2025-26 federal Budget last night (25 March), which outlined further support for the industry and delivered on the vision of the Revive arts policy.

The 2025 federal election is expected to be called in the coming weeks, and with it, APRA AMCOS is looking to the future and urging all parties to commit to local music. Last night’s Budget announcement included an additional $22 million investment in Creative Australia, which will also increase funding for Music Australia.

The Budget announcement also included an additional $8.6 million to renew the Revive Live program, which supports live music venues, tours, and festivals, as well as $11 million to continue the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Partnership Program.

With the Triple Lock Guarantee, APRA AMCOS has outlined the need for more support in the following categories:

• Increased investment in Music Australia – already delivered in the Budget, the initiative can be built upon

• The introduction of a new Australian music quota across digital platforms to ensure local listeners can be exposed to Australian stories

• The introduction of a live music tax rebate to incentivise venues, festivals, and artists to keep live music on stage

In addition to the Triple Lock Guarantee, APRA AMCOS calls on the federal government to introduce urgent transparency regulation surrounding artificial intelligence platforms that use creative works to train generative models.

The introduction of the Triple Lock Guarantee builds on the recommendations of the recent Parliamentary Inquiry into Australian Live Music, which highlighted that the industry needs long-term investment, regulatory reform, and structural support.

“Australia now has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to finish the job,” APRA AMCOS Chief Executive Dean Ormston said in a press release.

“We need a Triple Lock Guarantee to secure the future of Australian music. This begins with all parties committing to it as part of their election platforms.”

Of the proposed Australian music quota, Ormston added, “Streaming services are now the number one way Australians discover music. But without updated local content rules, Australian music risks being drowned out by global algorithms.”

He said of the live music tax rebate, “A live music tax rebate would be a game-changer.

“Just like film and television, our live sector deserves structural support that reflects its cultural and economic impact. It’s about keeping venues open, tours on the road, and jobs in the industry.”

Ormston continued, “AI is already reshaping the way music is created, consumed and monetised, often without the consent or knowledge of the people who make it.

“We need clear, enforceable rules around the training of AI models, including transparency about what content is being used. Without this, Australian creators risk being exploited, their works devalued, and their voices erased.

“This Budget shows what’s possible when government works in partnership with industry.

“Now we need the next Parliament to finish the job – and lock in the future of great Australian music for good.”