Friday, November 30, 2018

Australia’s Labor party pledges AUS$30m investment in music business over the next three years | Music Business Worldwide


Australia’s Bill Shorten-led Labor party has promised to invest around AUS$30 million in the country’s music business over the next three years.

But that’s only if it wins in the upcoming election.

According to the Labor party, it has been consulting with musicians, promoters, managers, and music fans for months ahead of the policy announcement.

The policy has been backed by artists such as Birds of Tokyo (pictured), (Loma Vista/Republic/Universal).

In what is described as “the most comprehensive music policy of any Australian Government”,  the report aims to provide support across various aspects of the country’s music industry.

These include initiatives such as “encouraging more Australian children to learn and play music”, to “assisting young bands reach overseas markets”,  “more support for live music”, to “committing to protect copyright”, and to ensure that fans ‘aren’t being ripped off when they buy tickets”.

“The policies we are announcing today are aimed at boosting every aspect of Australian music,” states the report.

“We want our music to be heard, artists to stay in the industry and the next generation to be inspired.

“And we want to make it easier for music fans to buy tickets to the bands they love.”

“The policies we are announcing today are aimed at boosting every aspect of Australian music.”

Labor

Labour states that of the money pledged, AUS$10m will be spent on local live music and global music exports.

Music organisations that would benefit include Australian Music export agency Sounds Australia, which has recently been revealed as the lead partner country for UK music conference The Great Escape.

“Sounds Australia have showcased over 1, 500 Australian groups at international events across 66 cities and 23 countries,” adds the report.

“Increasing funding for this work will mean Australian artists are being exported overseas and introduced to established markets like the US and EU but also emerging markets for Australian music like South America and Asia.”

Elsewhere in the policy report, Labor pledges AUS$5m to “community centres, schools or local government to refurbish existing spaces to be sound proof music hubs”.

It also pledges AUS$7.6m for youth music schemes such as APRA’s SongMakers program, while AUS$4.2m will go to music charities Nordoff Robbins and Support Act.

On copyright, it pledges to “consult on any changes to copyright reform,” while on the secondary ticketing sector it promises to cap ticket prices at 110% of the cost price, in addition to banning bot software “so professional ticket scalpers can’t rapidly purchase all the best tickets when an event goes on sale online”.

Meanwhile, AUS$250,000 will be made available for the Association of Artists Managers to train new and emerging managers and AUS$100,000 will be allocated to helping emerging artists to record their music via the New Recordings Program run by the Australia Council.

The program has helped artists such as Courtney Barnett and Alex the Astronaut.Music Business Worldwide

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