Predatory booking practices, budget fallout and more: Australian music industry news

Union calls out “predatory” booking practices targeting Aussie musicians

The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) is pushing for regulation in the Australian music industry to stop “predatory” practices where gigging musicians are not paid or owed money by booking agencies.

MEAA Musicians Director Paul Davies said, “Musicians should not have to fight to be paid for their work and members are calling for significant reform to an industry that has long been unregulated.

“MEAA’s most recent survey of musicians has revealed that more than half are earning less than $15,000 a year in an industry where non-payment, underpayment and broken contracts are rife.”

The solution, he said, is to work collectively to establish an industry code of conduct and minimum standards like the musicians’ minimum fee.

Members who have experienced non-payment, exploitation, bullying or unsafe working conditions should contact the union at 1300 656 513 or [email protected].

Catch up on all the latest news here.

Did the federal budget shortchange musicians?

The response from the creative, performance and cultural sectors was divided over last week’s Labor Budget for 2026/27, which provided it with $1.1 billion.

Creative Australia got a $14 million boost, from $312 million in 2025–26 to $326 million, to “support Australian artists and arts organisations to create and present art that is accessed by audiences across Australia and overseas.”

It supports development and investment for contemporary music, touring opportunities abroad, partnerships, First Nations self-determination and research.

Associations receiving funding include Festivals Australia, The International Cultural Diplomacy Arts Fund (which finances artists and associations presenting abroad; the latest was Delta Goodrem heading to Eurovision), Regional Arts Fund, Visions of Australia, The Australian Film, Television and Radio School and the Australian National Academy of Music.

The Government’s promise to look into alleviating the nightmare of escalating operating and insurance costs for the live sector was not taken up in this Budget.

Australian Live Music Business Council (ALMBC) Chair Howard Adams advised “Australia’s live music sector has dodged an immediate crisis, but everything hinges on what the Albanese government does next with national cultural policy.

“Federal music funding will hold through 2026/27, with Revive Live confirmed at $12.5 million and Music Australia continuing through Creative Australia’s base appropriation. But both programs expire on 30 June 2027, and the budget contains nothing beyond that date.”

Small businesses, which make up much of the music and arts industries, benefit from $3.5 billion in new business tax relief measures. The permanent $20,000 instant asset write-off will provide greater certainty to invest, increase cash flow support and save hours in record keeping.

Chamber of Arts and Culture WA’s Executive Director Rick Heath told ArtsHub that the Budget was “a clear sign of the work we as a sector need to do to better communicate how arts, culture and the creative industries contribute to government priorities, such as social inclusion, productivity, wellbeing, liveability and broadening opportunity.”

He added: “With headline inflation forecast to vary between 5% and an optimistic 2.5%, the $14 million increase to Creative Australia’s bottom line is positively indicative of investment that is, at a minimum, not regressing (setting aside 1.2% population growth).

“There’s little doubt in my mind that the Minister and the Office for the Arts value arts and culture. The challenge now is less about whether culture matters, and more about building deeper understanding across government of how investment in arts and culture contributes to the outcomes governments are trying to achieve.”

“You can value a garden because it’s beautiful. But understanding a garden means recognising everything it contributes – shade, habitat, cooling, food and wellbeing – while also understanding what it needs to thrive over the long term: water, healthy soil, sunlight, care and time. The same is true of arts and culture.”

Report: community radio delivers $153m to Aussie music

A report issued this week (May 15) found that 292 community radio stations deliver $153m in value to Australian music by playing double the local content of commercial networks and discovering and nurturing grassroots talent.

The report, Community Radio And Australian Music: Building The Music Media Ecosystem, took three years to compile and was led by Associate Professor Shane Homan, Professor Susan Forde and Professor Heather M Anderson from Monash University and Griffith University.

Prof. Homan noted that the critical role of community radio came at a time when streaming algorithms made it difficult for Australian music to rise above the chatter.

“Our findings prove that community radio is not just a broadcasting platform; it is the vital infrastructure holding up the broader Australian music industries,” he said.

“As digital streaming platforms dominate and local music struggles for visibility, these stations act as the ultimate champions for grassroots talent. They are the essential link connecting local artists with passionate audiences who are eager to discover new music and actually show up to support it.”

The report found that in 2023, 30% of weekly listeners (1.6 million) found local or emerging acts through community radio. 28% of listeners then chased up the act on platforms like Spotify, 19% recommended them to friends or shared them online, and more than 1.3 million listeners went on to buy merch, music or gig tickets.

Prof. Homan noted that more than one million Australians say community radio is the only place they can find the music they want.

“These listeners aren’t just passive consumers; they are a dedicated audience that the commercial platforms are failing to serve. Community radio is filling a gap, providing the essential support for Australian artists that is increasingly absent elsewhere in the industry.”

The report also stresses the vital role of First Nations community radio, which makes up one third of the top 39 most music-intensive stations.

It noted: “This high volume of local content fosters a sense of ownership and belonging to Indigenous community radio stations among First Nations listeners, with 60 per cent of weekly listeners reporting that the music directly enriches their cultural experience and deserves financial support.”

The study’s 10 case studies found they logged 136,687 volunteer hours in an average year.

In last week’s Budget, community broadcasting got $28.638 million, up from $27.827 million in the current 2025/26 financial year.

BMG expands Jet deal

BMG has expanded its deal with Aussie band Jet. Following the acquisition of their recording catalogue in 2023, the company has bought the publishing interests of three of the four original Jet members: Nic Cester, Cam Muncey and Mark Wilson.

Formed in Melbourne in the late 1990s, Jet released three studio albums and sold more than 6.5 million records worldwide, says BMG.

Heath Johns, President of BMG Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia, said: “There are few Australian bands with songs as internationally recognisable as Jet. (They were) the Australian export story of the early 2000s, carrying the torch for a new generation of rock ‘n’ roll storytellers.”

2SER funding model rejected

There should be some interesting news emerging from the bunkers of influential Sydney community radio station 2SER in the next week or so. Word is, according to Central News, a proposed emergency funding model was rejected at a board meeting. It would see the station operate on $500,000 a year, half coming from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and the other half raised by 2SER.

On Monday night (May 18), the issue was discussed, along with a program that highlighted its importance in discovering new music, artists and media presenters. One-time triple j stars Richard Kingsmill and Robbie Buck, who got their starts at 2SER, were part of the program.

Aussie denied entry at US customs

Major US conferences and showcase events such as SXSW and FanFair have been advising international artists and delegates to take extra care when entering the US, following several high-profile incidents involving Homeland Security.

The guidance includes filling out visas carefully and using agents and lawyers where needed. Entry forms have grown significantly longer, and officials are advising complete transparency about past incidents, including minor charges, which new technology is increasingly able to detect.

Artists are also being cautioned about casual conversations with Customs officials regarding any unplanned performances, as this could affect visa conditions. Overstaying a visit can result in a ban of up to ten years.

There have been reports of artists with Muslim or Latino names facing additional scrutiny at the border. Border Security has also been noted as only recognising two sexes, and at least one trans Canadian singer-songwriter was reportedly stopped at the border. Artists who have made public political remarks have also reported difficulties, including the UK Subs and Canadian-born Neil Young. Visitors are now required to provide a five-year history of their social media postings upon entry.

Australian artist Adam Hyde / Keli Holiday was among those recently refused entry into the US at the Canadian border, with Border Protection citing “national security.

Entries open for 2026 Diana Torossian Emerging Songwriter Award

Entries have opened for APRA AMCOS members based in Australia to enter the 2026 Diana Torossian Emerging Songwriter Award. First prize is $3,000 cash and $20,000 worth of mentoring sessions.

The sessions include five songwriting sessions with Andrew Lowden (Thrones), Ben Oldland, David Musumeci and Anthony Egizi (DNA), Evie Irie and Gary Pinto, plus five mentoring sessions with Andi Sherry (styling/art direction), Layne Buckley (publishing), Lorrae McKenna (grants/management), Peter Karpin (A&R) and Sammie Walsh (PR).

Second prize is a 12-month, one-on-one Music Career Coaching program with Lisa Butler of the Australian Songwriters Conference, valued at $6,000, offering expert guidance in career strategy, skills development and industry navigation to support a sustainable music career.

For further information and the full criteria to apply, visit apraamcos.com.au/dianatorossianemergingsongwriteraward.

Jono Harrison joins Sound Story

Strategic communications and reputation consultancy Sound Story has appointed Jono Harrison as General Manager, strengthening its senior leadership capabilities for clients.

After senior roles at Spotify, Mushroom Group and triple j, Harrison was most recently General Manager, Media & Audience at Universal Music Australia, where he led media and audience strategy.

Unified expands into NZ

UNIFIED Music Group has expanded into the New Zealand market, appointing veteran artist manager Matt Harvey to the role of Senior Artist Manager. According to the company, the move “signals a long-term commitment to the New Zealand music industry, focused on providing infrastructure and development opportunities to help local artists grow and thrive on a global scale.”

Harvey was a founding member of pioneering NZ drum and bass outfit Concord Dawn, moving to Vienna to work on his career. After ten years, he returned to Auckland in 2016 and set up a management company, Southeast, with clients such as Shapeshifter, former Shihad front person Jon Toogood, Daily J, Mim Jensen and Māori beatmaker and DJ world champion Spell.

Vale (those we lost in the last six weeks)

• A public memorial will be held for James Valentine at Sydney Town Hall on Friday May 29, from 12.30pm. Passing in April aged 64, two years after being diagnosed with cancer, Valentine had a 30-year career at the ABC (best known for hosting Afternoons on 702 ABC Sydney) and played sax with The Models and Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons.
• Herb Wharton AM was a First Nations musician, author and poet. He left school at 12 and spent many years driving across inland Australia. The rhythms of stock work, the relationships formed along the routes, and the vastness of the country led to his work grounded in deep connection to country and lived experience.
• Brisbane artist and music director Kim ‘Busty Beatz’ Bowers was creative director of international hit show Hot Brown Honey. She signed her first record deal at 16 and, according to the Australian Women In Music Association, leaves a legacy “as loud, fearless and transformative as she was.” She was diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2022.
• Damian Johnstone was a Melbourne-born writer who wrote three essential biographies – The Wild One about Johnny O’Keefe, A Race To Remember about Peter Norman, and The Yvonne Barrett Story about the Melbourne singer.
• Stuart Pearce was an NZ musician who arranged or played on many of NZ’s most iconic songs and lived in Australia as a member of Hello Sailor.
• Adelaide drummer John Freeman in the early ’70s played with Fraternity (featuring Bon Scott), accompanying them to London, and was in Jimmy Barnes’ first solo band after Cold Chisel’s first breakup.
• Barrie McAskill was a blues-rock singer, band leader and songwriter, best known for his band Levi Smith’s Clefs, popular around Sydney and Adelaide.