EXCLUSIVE: Calls For Aus Music Industry To Be Represented When Dealing With Government

The Australian music industry needs a peak body or representative which can speak on behalf of it to Government in times of need, so says some key industry figures. 

Appearing on a special edition of The Green Room with Neil Griffiths podcast, which looks at how the Australian music industry has progressed in the last ten weeks throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, CEO of Select Music Booking Agency, Stephen Wade, says the industry needs to represent itself when dealing with Government and calling for support in the future. 

"We're as much to blame as a sector because we've never been galvanized, we've never been collectively connected and it would be difficult for Government to understand how they reach us," Wade told host Neil Griffiths.

"There's thousands of businesses tied to our sector that don't belong anywhere. No one represents them, no one speaks for them. So in a crisis, how do you get a message to that kind of collective? 

"We have to know what we want as an industry to be able to ask Government to help us make that happen."

Association Of Artist Managers (AAM) Executive Director, Catherine Haridy, has also backed Wade's comments, however believes there are currently "too many variables" to begin forward planning just yet.

"We don't know whether we're going to have a second wave of COVID-19 sweep through the community and what that then means for us... we don't know if the community at large is going to be feel comfortable going to live shows for when they actually do relaunch," Haridy said.

"We have had a really, really good coalition of music industry sector and peak bodies come together through this time to work together and try and find solutions and also advocate for our industry with both state and federal Governments... it would be good to formalise that in some way. 

"It would be amazing to have a peak music industry body that actually represents the broader industry at large."

Listen to the full The Green Room special, which also features Aussie songwriters Alex Lahey and Mick Thomas, as well as Shadow Minister for the Arts Tony Burke, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts (below) or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.