‘Vote Music’: Australian Music Industry Calls For The ‘Futureproofing’ Of Local Music

Today, 19 leading Australian music organisations have launched Vote Music 2025.

The initiative is a national call to action that urges the country’s political parties to commit to a stronger future for Australian music. It seeks more jobs, the establishment of stronger communities, and further support for Australian music to be heard and celebrated.

Wherever the upcoming federal election goes, Vote Music calls on the next Parliament to build on recent progress and take another big step to ensure Australian music is heard, valued, and supported in Australia and abroad.

Recent governments have made moves to support Australian music, such as investing in COVID-19 crisis support, establishing Music Australia, and launching initiatives like Live Music Australia and Revive Live. But support for Australian music can’t stop there.

Despite those support systems, Australians are hearing less and less local music due to outdated regulations and policies, declining airtime, and a fragile live music ecosystem that’s been affected by festival cancellations and numerous venue closures.

With Vote Music 2025, Australian music organisations are calling for the “futureproofing” of Australian music. They’ve detailed five priorities to secure the future of Australian music, and they are:

1. Supercharge Investment in Live Music & Industry Growth

Vote Music 2025 urges securing Music Australia’s future by increasing funding to develop and promote artists, grow exports, drive innovation, collect research, and install songwriting and recording initiatives in schools. It also calls for tax rebates for venues, festivals, and touring artists, as well as the expansion of Revive Live to support festivals, regional touring, venue infrastructure, all-ages shows, and new music pathways for young people.

2. Strengthen Creative Rights & Innovation

Vote Music 2025 seeks to strengthen copyright and AI transparency to protect artists and ensure fair compensation. It also calls for Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property protections for First Nations music and culture and for adjusting radio royalties by removing outdated caps.

3. Amplify Australian Music Locally and Globally

This is a big one. Vote Music 2025 recommends the modernisation of content quotas, prominence of Australian music on DSPs, the reviewing of Significant Australian Content (SAC) test and Australian Content and Children’s Television Standards (ACCTS) guidelines, commitment to a quota of Australian content on streaming video/demand platforms, ensuring Australian artists support international acts (following Michael’s Rule), and the introduction of an arena ticket levy to support grassroots music.

4. Strengthen Communities and Audience Growth

Vote Music recommends securing investment for Support Act, ensuring Australians can access music and creative opportunities through digital inclusion programs, public liability reform to help venues operate sustainably, and workplace safety initiatives to create respectful workspaces.

5. Expand Global Exports & Cultural Diplomacy

Last but not least, Vote Music 2025 calls for reciprocal cultural programs that strengthen ties with Indo-Pacific music markets, diplomatic and diaspora engagement, and export grants and visa support to make it easier for Australian artists to tour and build careers on an international scale.

You can watch the Vote Music 2025 campaign video below.

The 19 Australian music organisations that have thrown support behind Vote Music 2025 are:

Association of Artist Managers (AAM)

Australasian Music Publishers Association Limited (AMPAL)

Australasian Performing Right Association and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (APRA AMCOS)

Australian Festival Association (AFA)

Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC)

Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR)

Australian Live Music Business Council (ALMBC)

Australian Music Centre (AMC)

Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN)

Australian Music Venue Foundation (AMVF)

Australian Recording Industry Association and Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (ARIA PPCA)

CrewCare

Live Music Office

Live Music Venues Alliance (LMVA)

Music Producer and Engineers’ Guild (MPEG)

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music Office (NATSIMO)

Sounds Australia

Support Act

The Push