The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts is holding hearings this week for its inquiry into the challenges and opportunities within the Australian live music industry.

Media release issue date: Tuesday, 25 June 2024

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts is holding hearings this week for its inquiry into the challenges and opportunities within the Australian live music industry. Industry stakeholders, including peak bodies, government agencies and statutory authorities, have been invited to speak with the Committee. The Chair, Mr Brian Mitchell MP, said ‘live music has significant cultural, social, and economic value, and so the Committee looks forward to discussing the operational and regulatory challenges that have been raised in the many submissions to the inquiry’. ‘The Committee hopes to gain insights into what uniquely frames the current Australian live music environment—beyond post-COVID-19 supply chain issues and inflationary pressures which do continue to significantly impact the sector; but also challenge most sectors of the economy,’ Mr Mitchell said. Some of the key challenges offered by contributors include exponentially high increases in insurance premiums relative to the quantum of increase in other inputs; costs and impediments in meeting state, territory and local government regulatory requirements, and changing audience preferences and behaviour. The Committee has also received evidence about the changing modes of discoverability of artists, the current royalties regime and the revolution in production and dissemination of recorded music which impacts the livelihood of live music professionals. Details of the public hearings are below, with the full programs and terms of reference available on the inquiry webpage. More information about the Committee, including membership, may be found on the Committee’s website. Public hearing details Date: Wednesday, 26 June 2024 Time: 12.45pm – 1.30pm Location: Committee Room 1R6, Parliament House, Canberra Date: Friday, 28 June 2024 Time: 9.00am – 1.20pm Location: Committee Room 1R2, Parliament House, Canberra These hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live. Media inquiries Mr Brian Mitchell MP, Committee Chair Brian.Mitchell.MP@aph.gov.au 03 6398 1115 For background information Committee Secretariat Communication.reps@aph.gov.au 02 6277 2126

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts will inquire into and report on the challenges and opportunities within the Australian live music industry.

Media release issue date: Thursday, 28 March 2024

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts will inquire into and report on the challenges and opportunities within the Australian live music industry. The Australian Government committed to initiatives in The National Cultural Policy, Revive, to revitalise Australia’s live music industry following the impacts of COVID-19. However, in the wake of numerous venues closing and cancellations of some of Australia’s most established and successful music festivals in recent years, it is timely the Committee considers the industry-wide issues facing the sector. Chair of the Committee, Mr Brian Mitchell MP, said ‘Australia’s live music industry is currently facing considerable operational challenges. In the last couple of years, after the reopening of live music venues and festivals post COVID lockdowns, we have seen the sector face new and unprecedented issues.’ Mr Mitchell explained ‘Some common struggles include the rising costs of presenting live music, shifting consumer behaviours, the loss of skilled workers in the industry, and cost of living ramifications. We will be exploring sustainability and growth in the Australian music industry into the future, domestically and internationally.' ‘The Committee would like to hear about barriers to industry growth, including to export, the impact of current grant and support programs, and capacity building in the sector. The impacts of emerging audience behaviours and mechanisms for audience development will also be explored, along with the suitability and location of venues and artist development and career pathways.’ Mr Mitchell stressed ‘The industry sits on the cusp of transformation, and it is important that opportunities are harnessed while the traditional community nature of experiencing a live event is retained.’ The Committee welcomes submissions from interested organisations and individuals by 30 April 2024. Further information on the inquiry, including the terms of reference and how to contribute, is available on the Committee’s website. Media inquiries Mr Brian Mitchell, MP Brian.Mitchell.MP@aph.gov.au 03 6398 1115 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 4386 Communications.Reps@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track this Committee’ button in the bottom right hand corner of the page.