Most Australians love the idea of home-grown music, but not many are proactive in seeking out local talent.
New research from Music Australia found 71 percent of music-engaged audiences felt pride when they heard Australian music, and 66 percent said they wanted to hear more, but less than a third (33 percent) actively sought it out.
Music Australia Director Millie Millgate said the report, the final of a three-part investigation into live music attendance, music discovery and consumption in Australia, echoed the findings of the first report on live attendance, which found audiences were more likely to turn up for international acts.
“Australian audiences are telling us they want more local music,” Ms Millgate said.
“(But) if we want a thriving and sustainable music industry, then we all really need to seek out and support local artists.”
She said through this research, Music Australia was working to build the evidence base to strengthen pathways for Australian artists, and ensure audiences could access the music.
Ms Millgate said other key findings from the three-part Listening In series were:
- Streaming provides access to a world of music choices: 98 percent of music engaged audiences discover music on streaming services, but Australian artists weren’t always front of mind, even among engaged audiences. More than half (51 percent) didn’t consider whether an artist was Australian when looking for music to listen to.
- Australians were engaging with international acts, both on stage and online: Streaming was the main way music-engaged audiences were finding music. Luminate data showed only eight percent of the top 10,000 artists streamed in 2024 were Australian (56 percent were from the US). Similarly, live music audiences were prioritising big international acts.
- Radio still played a role in discovery: One quarter of music-engaged audiences still listened to the radio to find new music (25 percent). Focus groups highlighted triple j – especially triple j Unearthed – as a key source for discovering emerging Australian artists.
- Appetite for dedicated Australian music platforms: 42 percent of music-engaged participants said they would pay for a dedicated Australian music streaming service – with the strongest demand coming from First Nations, regional and younger Australian.
