1. Australian live music

About the inquiry

1.1On 25 March 2024, the Minister for the Arts asked the Committee to inquire into the challenges and opportunities within the Australian live music industry.

1.2The inquiry terms of reference included examining the industry’s sustainability, barriers to growth and consumer behaviours.

1.3The Committee received 129 submissions and several supplementary submissions. Public hearings were held from June to November 2024. Details of submissions received, public hearings and witnesses can be found in appendices Aand B. During the inquiry, the Committee received evidence on live music from a range of perspectives and backgrounds. These included:

• musicians, creators and artists
• educators and researchers
• business managers and owners
• technology creators and owners, including streaming services
• broadcasters
• First Nations groups
• Commonwealth, state, territory and local governments and policy makers.
  4. The Committee wishes to thank everyone who contributed to the inquiry and note its appreciation to everyone who contributes to live music in Australia.

Live music in Australia

1.5This section of the report provides some background and context on live music in Australia.

1.6Creative Australia is the Australian Government’s principal advisory body on the arts. In a submission, Creative Australia summarised the value of live music:

The live music industry forms a critical part of Australia’s wider cultural and creative industries which contribute $21.8 billion to Australia's Gross Domestic Product and employ nearly 500,000 people.[1]

1.7Creative Australia surveyed Australian music festivals about their results during the period 2022-23. The reported findings included:

• 535 music festivals were held, mostly in Victoria and NSW
• four out of five music acts who played at music festivals were Australian
• most festivals attracted 1,000 to 10,000 attendees
• 18 to 24 year olds are purchasing fewer tickets now than before the COVID-19 pandemic
• half of festivals made a profit (median $731,579) and around 35 per cent lost money (median $470,000)
• one in ten music festivals have operated for 30 years or more. Most have operated for less than 13 years.[2]
  8. In analysis published in 2023, the Bureau of Communications, Arts and Regional Research (BCARR) found:
• around 41,000 people work in live music. Most (63 per cent) are employed in NSW or Victoria. Most workers are male
• many people (around 78 per cent) work in roles that are supportive or indirectly related to live music
• those who work in live music earn less than average and sometimes have a second job.[3]
  9. The BCARR’s analysis included the following observation:

The live music sector was heavily disrupted by COVID-19 with an 80 per cent fall in the number of promoted events from 35,800 in 2019 to just 7,300 in 2020.[4]

1.10In 2024 in NSW, the value of live music is estimated to be $5.5 billion (direct and indirect) worth of economic activity in that state.[5] The same research included the following findings:

• 90.7 per cent of the NSW public who attend live music agree that live music contributes to the vibrancy of cities and communities
• 90.9 per cent of respondents who work in the live music industry agree that live music can be a powerful form of cultural expression, particularly for marginalised groups.[6]
  11. The Australian Music Association submitted that Australia is the world’s tenth largest consumer of recorded music and the sixth largest consumer of music products.[7] The submission added that ‘Australians value music making and there are economic benefits to participation in music for our industry and the live music industry’.[8]
  12. The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance said that while live music is ‘hugely profitable’, their members, on average, earn less then $6,000 per year.[9]
  13. Other submissions noted the emotional, social and cultural value of live music. For example, Tim Hollo submitted:

Music, as an artistic and cultural practice, has always been about sharing and borrowing; about free exchange; about something that appears and disappears; a gift of a brief moment of transcendence lifting out of the here and now into something bigger than ourselves.[10]

1.14The University of Melbourne’s School of Computing and Information Systems submitted that music’s cultural value ‘cannot be fully reproduced in recordings’ and ‘its emotional value is still intimately bound up with consumption in a live setting’.[11]

1.15Live music was often described as being an ecosystem. For example, Ewen Craig from Cedar Mill Group (now renamed as Winarch Group) told the Committee:

Taylor, Bruno Mars or Coldplay generate huge amounts of spends but then they feed down into Australian production companies… Within the venues or the event or the show itself, the ecosystem in there is all the casual labour—the security companies, the front of house companies, the loaders, the riggers—getting additional work.[12]

1.16Adelaide Fringe, an arts festival, said in their submission:

Live festivals and venues are integral to nurturing new talent. These platforms give musicians, artists, crew and technicians their start, enabling them to launch careers that can thrive both nationally and internationally. The health of this ecosystem directly influences the success of artists and the cultural richness of the music scene.[13]

1.17Bluesfest Byron Bay said:

We see so much investment in sport, and yet, with culture, unless it's investment primarily in government institutions or events, investment doesn't seem to occur at the levels that those people… who have contributed to our community for decades feel we should receive.[14]

1.18Kicks Entertainment, whose events include the Spilt Milk festival, submitted that live music events could take ‘decades to repair’ if allowed to collapse.[15] The submission added:

A collapsed live music industry will result in billions of dollars in lost economic benefit, tens of thousands of jobs lost and unmeasurable hurt to the ecosystem that has created Australian icons such as Kylie Minogue, Powderfinger, AC/DC, Troye Sivan, Flume and countless others.[16]

1.19The Australian Music Association submitted:

We think that there are economic benefits to widespread participation in music… There are plenty of other reasons to have more music making. It's great for human connection. It's great for cognitive development, audience development and mental health.[17]

Challenges and possible solutions

1.20During the inquiry, some issues were consistently cited as being challenges and barriers to live music in Australia. While witnesses each had their own unique experience, in general terms, issues discussed in the evidence included the following:

• increased costs – such as insurance and travel – and risks of doing business, as well as unpredictable ticket sales and low or declining earnings
• many artists, live music venues and festivals struggling to make money and attract audiences
• new technology (such as algorithms) changing how audiences access and consume music, which in turn has disrupted business models and impacted on how revenue is generated and shared.
  21. Other themes and issues in the evidence included:
• economic conditions, global competition and market dynamics potentially displacing or impacting on Australian artists, businesses and live music events
• adverse weather – such as big storms or heatwaves – deterring ticket sales, raising insurance risks and adding extra complexity to event planning
• the live music industry was severely impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, when events could not be held due to restrictions on large gatherings
• during the pandemic, younger audiences missed the chance to experience live music now have limited money for discretionary spending on entertainment
• experiences relating to live music in regional communities, First Nations musicians, government grants, gender equality, attracting skilled staff, music education, teaching, careers in music and research and data collection
• workplace conditions and culture
• access to music education and skills.
  22. The Australian Festival Association submitted:

The success of songwriters, record labels, artist managers, booking agents, promoters, and festivals is interconnected. …despite the recorded music sector growing in Australia, the benefits and earnings are not being spread equally amongst local and international artists. Opportunities for local artists to perform on festival stages is therefore even more important for an Australian artist to build their own audience… with the current challenges they are facing there is a risk that further opportunities for local artists will disappear.[18]

1.23Annabelle Herd from the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) summarised the challenges and opportunities in Australia. She said:

Live performance is an absolutely critical means for recording artists to connect with fans and grow their audiences; small venues are a critical starting point for new artists; big venues, arena stages and festival stages featuring major local and international artists are critical discovery platforms… and touring and live performers drive streaming and vice versa.[19]

1.24She said that ‘the biggest challenge… is that fewer Australians are listening to local music, whether live or recorded, via streaming, radio or physical formats’.[20] Ms Herd discussed a range of other challenges:

…the COVID hangover, the sheer volume of music available on streaming platforms, the dominance of catalogue music or older music, the rise of foreign-language music, media fragmentation, cost increases, skill shortages in touring, the rental crisis and cost of living, and even societal impacts on young audiences from lockdowns in COVID, as well as climate change.[21]

1.25However, the evidence included many positive reflections on live music in Australia, its future potential and value to Australian society.

1.26During the inquiry, a range of possible strategies (or measures) aimed at improving live music sustainability in Australia were suggested. This included:

• more government grants and financial support
• support for Australian artists, such as a voucher scheme
• reserving time for local support acts when international tours are in Australia
• support for live music venues and festivals to help make events viable
• support for audiences and communities, which could include creating new spaces or finding ways to reduce costs
• possible policy or legislative changes.

1.27In terms of opportunities, ARIA said:

…what makes me feel positive and confident that we can turn this around is the incredible talent that we have in this country across so many genres of music. From indie to country, hip hop and R&B, our talent is diverse. We have seen some incredible success… Australians need to know that our music is world class and celebrated… when we talk about artists, we're not just talking about those individual artists but we're talking about the whole teams around them.[22]

1.28A second Creative Australia survey considered festival operations and found:

…measures to address rising insurance and user pays policing costs would be especially beneficial for commercial festivals. The report also shows that changing ticket-buying behaviour is not only creating uncertainty for festival organisers regarding whether they will sell enough tickets to break even; it is also creating additional costs and risks. These include additional marketing costs, the ability to secure insurance against cancellation and impacts on other income streams such as food, beverages and merchandise.[23]

1.29Furthermore, the report said that it is ‘critical… to gain a deeper understanding of how ticket-buying behaviour is likely to continue to develop’.[24]

1.30Challenges and barriers relating to live music are discussed in more detail in Chapter 2. Possible strategies (or actions) to improve live music’s sustainability in Australia is discussed in Chapter 3.

Case study: triple j’s One Night Stand and the 2024 More Than a One Night Stand Sessions

1.31In April 2024, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) announced the return of triple j’s festival event, One Night Stand. The festival previously occurred annually from 2004–2019, with COVID-19 regulations leading to its cancellation in 2020 and a subsequent 4-year hiatus.[25]

1.32Regarding the festival series, the ABC submitted:

…this event gave regional communities the chance to enjoy a free, all-ages concert featuring some of Australia’s biggest music acts, and encouraged Australians – in particular young people – to travel to, explore and support some of the country’s more remote regional areas.[26]

1.33One Night Stand has been hosted by various regional communities including Alice Springs, Northern Territory in 2010, Mount Isa, Queensland in 2017 and St Helens, Tasmania in 2018.[27] When discussing the impact of the event in regional areas, Emily Copeland from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation told the Committee that ‘it's an incredibly important way for triple j to continue to engage with young audiences, particularly in regional Australia’.[28] The event has often amassed large crowds in attendance and generated economic benefits for the hosting communities. The ABC reported to the Committee that the 2017 event in Mount Isa ‘was estimated to have generated a $3 million economic boost to the local economy’.[29]

1.34Furthermore, One Night Stand festivals platform local Australian performers to a wider audience. The event has often included winners of triple j’s Unearthed competitions in its lineup. These competitions are hosted by the ABC’s all-Australian radio station, triple j Unearthed, and act as a music discovery program for small, local artists.[30] In 2017, local Launceston artists and winners of a triple j Unearthed competition, The Sleepyheads, opened the St Helens’ event which garnered a record-breaking attendance of 20,000.[31] Since this performance, The Sleepyheads have gone onto tour nationally and release their debut album.[32]

1.35The 2024 return of One Night Stand was in partnership with Australian music industry peak bodies, Music Australia and Support Act. Tickets for the event went on sale in September 2024 at a cost of $10 each. Ms Copeland said ‘over 15,000 [tickets] were purchased in less than a day, leading to it being a sell-out event. This really demonstrates the appetite for live music by local artists in regional areas at an accessible price point.’[33] This appetite was also evident through the 2,057 entries made to triple j by participants requesting the event be held in their communities.[34]

1.36In conjunction with the return of the event, Music Australia facilitated a series of capacity building and skills development programs called the More Than A One Night Stand Sessions. These sessions included training programs, information panels, forums and workshops delivered by a variety of industry organisations including APRA AMCOS, youth music organisation The Push, and First Nations consultants Kennell&Co.[35]

1.37The success of the 2024 One Night Stand and the associated More Than A One Night Stand Sessions was in contrast to a number of festival cancellations in the recent years. According to Music Australia, recent data trends are showing that Australian music content accounts for 9.2 per cent of what Australian audiences are listening to. Furthermore, ticket-purchasing behaviour has changed, and consumers are purchasing tickets closer to events.[36]

1.38The anticipated return of One Night Stand, accessible ticket pricing and positive reputation of the event may have contributed to the event’s success. However, the success of this event is likely unattainable for commercial festivals. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that they carried the cost of the 2024 festival and the revenue generated from ticket sales went to music charity Support Act.[37] One Night Stand’s successful return has indicated that despite a pause in live music events due to COVID-19 and multiple recent festival cancellations, Australian audiences, especially young people, still have an appetite for Australian music festivals.

Case study: Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers

1.39Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers are a four-person punk-rock band based in Canberra. The group began performing together in 2016 and have performed at major festivals like Groovin’ The Moo and Laneway, opened for large artists such as the Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam, toured internationally, and won an ARIA award in 2024.[38]

1.40Jaida Stephenson and Scarlett McKahey from Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers discussed the challenges facing Australian musicians. Ms Stephenson said:

‘I think we averaged about 50 or 60 shows last year, which is quite a lot… we're still having to work other jobs on the side of our music careers.’[39]

1.41The band found that touring domestically can be particularly costly, given the large distances between major cities. This is a sentiment shared by many in the music industry including Evan Saunders from Artback NT, a touring company based in the Northern Territory. Mr Saunders told the Committee:

…accommodation costs are a lot more. The travel costs, the airfares, are extremely expensive in the NT. Qantas, Airnorth and Virgin all have exceedingly high prices. It's sometimes cheaper to go overseas than fly to Alice Springs from Darwin. That's not an exaggeration.[40]

1.42Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers have found financial support through government grants that have allowed them to tour domestically and internationally. However, the group noted that these grants can be inaccessible for musicians. Many emerging artists are unaware of the grants available to them, and if they are, do not have the experience writing grant applications or do not have funds to hire grant writers.

1.43Alongside advocating for more accessible grants, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers also voiced their support for the enforcement of Michael’s Rule. This rule requires international artists include an Australian artist among their opening acts to provide valuable opportunities for local musicians.[41] Ms Stephenson elaborated:

Last year, we had the privilege of opening for the Foo Fighters. That did really amazing things for us royalty wise and exposure wise. We gained a lot of new fans and got a lot of opportunities from that.[42]

1.44Despite achieving many successes as young, emerging artists, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers highlighted the difficulty of maintaining a viable music career. Factors such as small streaming royalties, and the recent cancellations of festivals and venue closures have only made it more difficult for musicians to stay afloat. Ms Stephenson elaborated: ‘I also feel that even the music industry views it as not a proper profession a lot of the time.’[43] However, the group asserted that music can be a career and discussed the importance of representation of and exposure to the live music industry. Ms McKahey concluded:

The whole reason we started was that we were looking at people such as Courtney Barnett and bands like L7 and stuff. We were like, “Wow, if they can do it, we can do it.” Definitely just slip them in front of it and be like, “Look, you can do it.”[44]

Case study: The Zoo

1.45The Zoo is a popular live music venue located in Brisbane. It is a 500-capacity venue that has been operating since 1992, making it one of the longest standing live music venues in Brisbane.[45] During its 32 years of operation, The Zoo hosted a variety of sold-out shows and provided a space for many grassroots musicians.

1.46In early 2024, The Zoo announced it would be closing its doors due to rising operational costs. This announcement followed a rising trend of festival cancellations and closures of small to medium venues. Shane Chidgzey, owner of the venue since 2020, told the Committee:

Being the custodian of The Zoo since end of December 2020 has been both the most fulfilling and enjoyable and the most sad and difficult times of my life. Venues aren't run for profit. We don't even have any chance whatsoever of getting anywhere near towards a profit…I have personally funded over $3 million out of my own pocket of loss since I bought the place.[46]

1.47Mr Chidgzey emphasised that the current model based on food and beverage consumption is no longer viable for smaller live music venues. Despite reaching its highest ever year of ticket sales in 2024, costs of licences, equipment and staffing were too high for The Zoo to make profit, much less break even. Furthermore, the decline in alcohol consumption at venues like The Zoo has caused a decline in total income. Mr Chidgzey discussed how many other small venues are experiencing the same struggles. He said:

We get eight days of poor trade right now for venues. There are going to be another 20 or 30 [venues] that close. We're not months away; we're literally minutes away from closing every day.[47]

1.48In late 2024, it was announced that The Zoo would be re-opening as The Crowbar. Once another live music venue in Brisbane, The Crowbar had to close in 2020 due to COVID-19. One of the new owners discussed his hopes for the future of the venue. He told ABC News: ‘Crowbar intends to honour the amazing path laid before us and continue offering great events for years to come.’[48]

Footnotes

[1]Creative Australia, Submission 74, p.1.

[2]Creative Australia, ‘Soundcheck: insights into Australia’s music festival sector’, September 2024, p.5.

[3]Bureau of Communications, Arts and Regional Research, ‘Australia’s Live Music Sector: an occupation-based analysis’, March 2023, pp.2-3.

[4]Bureau of Communications, Arts and Regional Research, ‘Australia’s Live Music Sector: an occupation-based analysis’, March 2023, p.3.

[5]Sound NSW, ‘State of the Scene 2024’, p.4.

[6]Sound NSW, ‘State of the Scene 2024’, p.10.

[7]Australian Music Association, Submission 83, p.3.

[8]Australian Music Association, Submission 83, p.3.

[9]Paul Davies, Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, Committee Hansard, 26 July 2024, p.14.

[10]Tim Hollo, Submission 93, p.2.

[11]University of Melbourne School of Computing and Information Systems, Submission 89, p.4.

[12]Craig Ewen, Cedar Mill Group, Committee Hansard, 5 July 2024, p.40.

[13]Adelaide Fringe, Submission 2, p.1.

[14]Peter Noble, Bluesfest Byron Bay, Proof Committee Hansard, 17 October 2024, p.22.

[15]Kicks Entertainment, Submission 23, p.1.

[16]Kicks Entertainment, Submission 23, p.1.

[17]Alexander Masso, Australian Music Association, Committee Hansard, 25 July 2024, p.37.

[18]Australian Festival Association, Submission 75, p.2.

[19]Annabelle Herd, Australian Record Industry Association and Phonographic Performance Company of Australia, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2024, p.47.

[20]Annabelle Herd, Australian Record Industry Association and Phonographic Performance Company of Australia, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2024, p.47.

[21]Annabelle Herd, Australian Record Industry Association and Phonographic Performance Company of Australia, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2024, p.47.

[22]Annabelle Herd, Australian Record Industry Association and Phonographic Performance Company of Australia, Committee Hansard, 27 July 2024, pp.47-48.

[23]Creative Australia, ‘Soundcheck 2: analysis of Australian music festival models and operations, September 2024, p.5.

[24]Creative Australia, ‘Soundcheck 2: analysis of Australian music festival models and operations, September 2024, p.5.

[25]Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Submission 22, p.5.

[26]Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Submission 22, p.5.

[27]Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 9 April 2024, triple j’s One Night Stand returns, https://www.abc.net.au/about/media-centre/press-releases/triple-js-one-night-stand-returns/103715174.

[28]Emily Copeland, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Committee Hansard, 26 July 2024, p.42.

[29]Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Submission 22, p.5.

[30]Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Submission 22, p.2.

[31]Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 1 September 2018, Watch the highlights from our biggest One Night Stand ever!, https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/news/one-night-stand-highlights/10174526.

[32]Music Tasmania, The Sleepyheads, https://musictasmania.org/connect/artists/sleepyheads.

[33]Emily Copeland, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Committee Hansard, 26 July 2024, p.42.

[34]Millie Millgate, Music Australia, Committee Hansard, 8 November 2024, p.27.

[35]Millie Millgate, Music Australia, Committee Hansard, 8 November 2024, p.26.

[36]Dr Christen Cornell, Creative Australia, Committee Hansard, 8 November 2024, p.22.

[37]Emily Copeland, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Committee Hansard, 26 July 2024, p.43.

[38]The Sydney Morning Herald, 13 October 2023, Inspired by School of Rock, these Aussie punks are making music their way, https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/inspired-by-school-of-rock-these-aussie-punks-are-making-music-their-way-20231009-p5eavx.html.https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/inspired-by-school-of-rock-these-aussie-punks-are-making-music-their-way-20231009-p5eavx.html

[39]Jaida Stephenson, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Committee Hansard, 25 July 2024, p.11.

[40]Evan Saunders, Artback NT, Committee Hansard, 8 November 2024, p.18.

[41]ARIA, 10 May 2024, ARIA welcomes Michael’s Rule, https://www.aria.com.au/industry/news/aria-welcomes-michaels-rule.

[42]Jaida Stephenson, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Committee Hansard, 25 July 2024, p.12.

[43]Jaida Stephenson, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Committee Hansard, 25 July 2024, p.14.

[44]Scarlett McKahey, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Committee Hansard, 25 July 2024, p.17.

[45]ABC News, 1 May 2024, The Zoo, one of Australia’s most revered live music venues, to close down in July, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-01/the-zoo-closing-down-brisbane-music-venue-valley-stranded-bar/103789330.

[46]Shane Chidgzey, The Zoo, Committee Hansard, 24 July 2024, p.37.

[47]Shane Chidgzey, The Zoo, Committee Hansard, 24 July 2024, p.42.

[48]ABC News, 8 October 2024, Brisbane music venue The Zoo to reopen as The Crowbar after takeover, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-08/the-crowbar-takes-over-the-zoo-brisbane-music-venue/104434852.