In the last few years, Australia has started taking its music business a little more seriously.

It is not just limited to campaigns encouraging audiences to support local artists. As more Aussie acts dominate charts and top festival bills overseas (like Tash Sultana, Dom Dolla or Parkway Drive), more people than ever have access to music through different means and since Australians basically love festivals, measuring the music industry’s economic impact and the broader role it plays in Australian society has become inevitable.

This is not just my personal opinion. It’s a statement based on stats and research presented in a comprehensive publication prepared by Music Australia – the country’s peak body for music. Here are a few findings from it.

PART 265 OF “AM I EVER GONNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN?” A RANDOM COLLECTION OF UNKNOWINGLY OBVIOUS FACTS ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE

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Before you ask: Yes – I’ve gone over the entire 2nd edition of “The Bass Line” report. So you don’t have to.

Saying that it’s a fascinating read might be an exaggeration (it’s full of numbers, after all), but it does highlight several trends worth further exploring. Not only does it analyse the readily available data, but it also includes results of a survey conducted among nearly 1000 people working in some capacity in the Australian music industry. That always helps translate the numbers into a more tangible and realistic perspective. 

After reviewing all 116 pages, I’d summarise that overview in one word: a paradox. So let me put that in context for you.

Australia’s music industry contributed an estimated $10.76 billion to the country’s economy in 2025. For comparison, a year earlier, mining generated $455 billion, healthcare – $252.5 billion and agriculture – $62.45 billion. While it doesn’t sound like a “wow” result exactly, the music business in the Land Down Under shows a 5.2% increase year-on-year. So no, it won’t outgrow the other sectors any time soon. But it’s an indication that it’s becoming a more mature economic player.

Yet, that decent figure doesn’t necessarily mean hearts and butterflies for the Australian music industry. It turns out that, despite the slow but steady growth, the biggest hurdle is retaining that value locally. So let’s look at the strengths and weaknesses of the local music business to try and grasp where that disparity comes from.

The good stuff

The stats are scattered throughout the report, but I compiled them here as a broader “how music is perceived in Australia” category. 

-> First things first: 62% of Australians state that music is really important to them. 71% of music-engaged Australians feel a sense of pride when they listen to Australian music. Clearly, there is strong support for local acts, proven, for example, by Keli Holiday scoring the no.2 spot on the latest Hottest 100 countdown with his banger “Dancing2”.

-> There are 35 companies licensed as National Event Promoters, including the major players TEG Live or Frontier Touring, bringing in billions in revenue. Plus, an estimated 15.8m people attended a contemporary music event or festival in 2024, with some $2.56b in tickets sold. That is a pretty good statistic for a country with a population of only about 28.5 million. 

-> NSW (where Sydney is) and VIC (where Melbourne is) might still generate the most live music revenue. But they’re no longer the places where the biggest growth happens. Surprisingly, it’s NT (probably in Darwin), TAS (surely in Hobart), and ACT (as in Canberra) – by 41%, 33% and 30% respectively. This is great news for regional scenes and regional artists. 

-> Australian artists earned approximately $877m last year, with almost half of that figure contributed to their earnings from live music performances. Told ya Aussies love their gigs and festivals, didn’t I?

-> VIC (so Melbourne and the surrounds) is the leading market for independent vinyl sales, beating London, Paris, Berlin and Tokyo when it comes to the world’s highest per capita density of independent record stores (5.9 per 100,000 residents). Additionally, national wholesale vinyl sales reached $44.5 million in 2024, representing a 5.6% increase. And it means the income generated from those sales goes to artists, bypassing the streaming giants, which often pay peanuts for streams. (This is in line with my conversation with Suitcase Records about vinyl pressing last year.)

-> The previously overlooked music education in Australia (including private tuition, school-based specialised programs, and tertiary training) is a major economic powerhouse that generated $1.79 billion in revenue last year. Who would have thought, right?

-> Music education is also one of the key elements “shaping shared culture, strengthening communities, and contributing significantly to national wellbeing and prosperity.” Stats don’t lie here: 56% of arts-educated Australians attend music events as adults (compared to just 36% of those who received no arts education). 29% of arts-educated Australians attend music events at least monthly (compared with 24% of those without an arts education background). And 21% of arts-educated Australians actively participate in music as adults (more than double the rate of those without arts education – 8%). 

-> Local governments play a significant role within Australia’s music ecosystem, supporting the hugely underestimated grassroots music activities. A few councils have established special programs to that effect, one example being the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s (VIC) Music Plan. Their Peninsula LIVE initiative provides performance opportunities for local artists across the region. Gold Coast (in QLD) has its own Music Office, whose Live Music Fund provides targeted grants for promoters and musicians. 

The not-so-good stuff

This part is in direct dialogue with the good news, often showing a human aspect of a specific data point.

-> Yes, Aussies are keen on supporting their homegrown acts. But when they have to save up on a ticket, they prioritise international stars. This is not only Australia’s problem. But it is another reason why initiatives like “Michael’s Rule” are vital to promoting local musicians. Its recommendations are often taken into consideration, but it’s far from being officially implemented.

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-> While festivals are one of the favourite pastimes in Australia, many events have been cancelled, postponed or discontinued in the last few years. While there are some external circumstances the organisers cannot predict long term (like the weather) or control (like the weather), one of the structural factors influencing the production process is the insurance and stringent security requirements. And I don’t mean it in a good way because they significantly raise operating costs.  

-> That financial adjustment, to call it diplomatically, is usually pushed onto the final consumer, meaning that ticket prices are becoming more expensive. Add the cost-of-living crisis and the global tensions in the world these days to the picture, and you’ve got a recipe for imminent cancellation. Recently, it happened to FISHER’s Out 2 Lunch event, postponed till next year. 

-> Let’s also not forget that these impressive live music figures are mostly attributed to larger events, though. Local venues, pubs and bars don’t boast such promising results. Actually, in their case, the numbers are declining. And here’s the thing – they are mostly the ones absorbing skyrocketing supplier and insurance costs. Because – surprise, surprise – it’s much more difficult to score (local) government funding if you’re not a major festival. So isn’t it ironic? 

-> On that note, let me quote something directly from the report: “Access to government funding remains a significant friction point for nearly a third of industry survey respondents, with support systems described as accessible in theory, but difficult and resource-intensive in practice to navigate.” Sounds familiar? The red tape is famous for killing creativity, so there’s urgent work to be done in that area, Australia.

-> Regional scenes are getting more attention, that’s for sure. But two places are still ahead in that revenue-generating game, creating a huge gap in between. While NSW and VIC contribute 36% and 33%, the next state on the list is QLD, with 16%. And then the figures fall to one-digit numbers for all the other states and territories. So clearly, something is still not right in this aspect. 

-> Here’s a simple question about how the money is distributed. If Australia’s music industry contributed $10.76 billion to the economy and the artists’ revenue sits at $877m, where does the rest of the money go? I mean, I get that there are middlemen everywhere, and to record an album, manufacture a T-shirt or organise a gig, more parties are involved besides the musos themselves. But the share (less than 10%) of those who are the sole reason this business even exists in the first place is ridiculously small. Wouldn’t you agree? 

-> Another shocking fact is this: Australian artists’ income grew by just 0.9%, which is behind the inflation rate. Let me translate that for you: musicians are on the verge of losing money. The median artist income makes me wanna cry as well ($14,800). And the fact that the top 25% of earners capture roughly 82% of all artist revenue is not what anyone wants to hear, either. So I have nothing but respect for those who still wish to pursue this creative career in the Land Down Under. 

-> And then, AI enters the conversation. There’s a whole segment on how it impacts the music business in Australia. Not all of it is negative, but a lot of it balances on the verge of infringing on copyright. Despite the government ruling out a text and data mining exemption for AI in creative industries a few months ago, the threat still remains. Because tech advancements are implemented much faster than policies and regulations ever will. 

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-> Vinyl’s back big time, no doubt about it. Still, two-thirds of the surveyed establishments selling it admit their financial situation is not a bed of roses.

So there you have it. On paper, it looks good – the music industry in Australia is growing. But perhaps it’s not heading in the direction all parties involved would like it to go? And blaming it constantly on external factors is getting old. Just saying…

Actually, the report comes to the same conclusion. The only way to elevate Australian music is to “consume” it at home. And that indicates a radical change in attitude towards local music. “Loving it” is not enough. Actions need to back that statement. Whether it’s through proactively discovering more local artists on the radio or following the #AUSIFY your algo campaign, choosing pub gigs of emerging Aussie acts over arena tours headlined by global heavyweights or showing up for domestic artists in other ways… 

So if you need a little inspo to help make “The Bass Line” report present less paradoxical news in the future, follow this blog. It’s fully dedicated to the music from the Land Down Under. Because, like you, I’m a fan of Aussie music first and foremost. 

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If you prefer a different format of absorbing stats and numbers, watch the report’s break down in the recording below:

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