BriggsOver 150 music industry leaders and representatives gathered at Melbourne Town Hall today (13 August) to argue for the establishment of a permanent Victorian Music Trust.
Gathering for the Victorian Music Assembly – a sector-led advocacy campaign that encourages the public to Vote Victorian Music ahead of this year’s Victorian state election – figures such as Briggs, Public Figures, Robert Baxter, Cash Savage, Nina Las Vegas, UNIFIED Music Group’s Jaddan Comerford and others made arguments today.
Together, they called on every party looking for the public’s votes for this year’s state election to establish a permanent Victorian Music Trust – the key element of the Vote Victorian Music platform.
According to a press release, the Trust – set to be independently governed and legislatively protected – is expected to “reinvest a modest contribution from major live music ticket sales into Victorian artists, venues and the grassroots music ecology.”
Additionally, grassroots venues, alongside smaller operators, low-cost and all-ages events, will be exempt from said modest contributions, and would instead “benefit from Trust investment.”
Music Victoria CEO Fiona Duncan said of the Trust, “Victoria has one of the strongest and most distinctive music industries in the world, but we are relying on short-term programs to support an industry that needs long-term confidence and investment.”
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She continued, “A Victorian Music Trust would create a permanent foundation to rebuild the grassroots, support sustainable careers, protect venues and invest in the next generation of Victorian music.
“It would allow us to invest not only in the challenges facing music today, but in the opportunities ahead in recording, rights, screen, games, technology, export and new audiences.”
Duncan added, “Victoria does not need to create a music industry. It needs to stop taking its success for granted and build the permanent foundation that allows it to thrive for decades to come.”
The Vote Victorian Music platform asks political parties to make four connected commitments for the music industry: creating a permanent source of funding, enabling sustainable careers, safeguarding and strengthening music venues, and expanding audiences, businesses, and Victoria's global reputation as a music state.
The platform seeks the implementation of the Trust in the next term of government, plus further investment in careers, infrastructure, and regulatory reform.
In 2023, the live music industry in Victoria generated $483.9 million, accounting for 31% of live performance revenue and attendance across the country.
However, since 2019, the number of Victorian venues prioritising live music each week has dropped by 19.4%. The state also invests $0.48 per person in contemporary music, compared to $3.10 in New South Wales and $1.46 in South Australia.
You can read the Vote Victorian Music policy paper here.
