Australian contemporary music
Contemporary music is central to Australian culture, reflecting, expressing and shaping our identity and helping successive generations of Australians find their creative voice.
Millions of Australians enjoy music from local artists in their homes and their headphones, on street corners and in stadiums.
Australian contemporary music is an important sector of the creative economy, and the many Australian acts making waves overseas have made it one of our great cultural exports.
Development and support
The Australian Government is committed to supporting the continued development of Australian contemporary music through:
- developing a strategic long-term plan to enhance ongoing cooperation within the industry
- investigating ways to promote private capital investment in the music industry, such as private sector microfinance
- ensuring Australian acts have the opportunity to support international performers on tour in Australia
- investing $17 million in a Creative Industries Innovation Centre to incubate innovative small and medium sized Australian creative businesses, including those in the music industry.
Australia-wide initiatives
The Australian Government is also working with state and territory governments through the Cultural Ministers Council’s Contemporary Music Development Working Group to:
- fund a pilot business skills training and mentoring program for music managers
- boost music industry exports through a more coordinated and consistent approach to international marketing
- address barriers to live music performance and encourage the growth of live music precincts in cities throughout Australia
- develop an Indigenous contemporary music strategy to provide coordinated support for Indigenous artists and music industry professionals.
