ARIA Collab is a groundbreaking initiative by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) that aims to create global hits by bringing internationally renowned producers to Australia to collaborate with local artists and their teams in intensive week-long recording workshops. The program is supported by Music Australia and aims to enhance the global visibility of Australian music and forge connections between local artists, producers and their teams and high profile international counterparts.
The program aims to:
- Foster collaboration between Australian and international music professionals.
- Create high-quality recordings for commercial release.
- Leverage the profile of the Executive Producer to create more awareness of participating artists.
- Develop the skills of local producers and teams.
- Enhance the global profile of Australian music.
The program is open to ARIA Members who:
- are members of ARIA and have paid their annual 2024/2025 Membership Fee in full (Not a member? You'll need to complete your application by 24th January to be eligibile for this program. Find out about becoming a member here - Membership - ARIA)
- have an artist or artists with a ready-to-record demo
- have an artist or artists who are in an active recording cycle with plans for a commercial release and have a local producer and team ready to collaborate
Note that individual artists who are ARIA Members, and meet all the criteria elements, are also eligible to apply.
Please see clause 3 of the Terms and Conditions for the eligibility requirements and exclusions.
Applications will only be received by ARIA Members on behalf of their eligible artists. Applications must include:
- Artist bio and headshot;
- A demo of the track(s) to be worked on;
- A marketing plan for the final recording;
- Details of the artist’s team, including their local producer;and
- A proposed budget and royalties’ plan; and
Applications, incorporating all of the materials listed above, should be emailed to Collab@aria.com.au
The Executive Producers are internationally acclaimed music producers invited by ARIA -
WondaGurl is primarily known for her work in hip-hop, trap and soul. She is the 27-year-old Canadian multi-platinum, GRAMMY-nominated producer and record executive behind hits from the likes of Travis Scott, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Drake, Eminem, and more. She has accumulated over 10 billion streams and has been listed in Forbes’ 30 Under 30.
WondaGurl has worked with brands including Nike, Sprite, Beats by Dre, Red Bull and is truly one of the industry’s female trailblazers. She continues to dominate the production space and encourages young female producers to do the same.
In 2020, she also co-founded a publishing Joint Venture with Sony/ATV and Cactus Jack in 2020, which has amassed billions of streams and an array of platinum-accredited songs and albums.
Tommy Brown also known as TBHits, is an American record producer, songwriter and entrepreneur from Pittsburgh, PA whose work spans multiple genres, including pop, R&B, hip-hop, and trap.He has scored multiple chart-topping albums while working with Ariana Grande on all six of her studio albums.
As an ASCAP-Award-winner and GRAMMY-winning producer, he has produced and written tracks for established stars and new acts like Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, BTS, Selena Gomez, BLACKPINK, Juice Wrld, Chris Brown, Travis Scott, and more.
In 2018 Brown teamed up with industry titan Lucian Grainge and created his music label, Champagne Therapy Music Group under Universal Music Group. Brown also created a team of his own and launched his independent publishing company Champagne Therapy Music Publishing.
CTMG has had multiple Billboard Hot 100 records charted at #1, and has scored chart topping songs with Bad Bunny, Ariana Grande, Drake, The Weeknd, BTS, John Legend, and more.
The first stream (WondaGurl) focuses on the genres of Hip Hop, Soul and Trap.
The second stream (Tommy Brown) will focus on the genres of Pop, Soul, R&B, Electronic and Dance.
A total of up to 10 artists will be selected across two streams. Each stream will include approximately 4 - 6 artists working with the Executive Producer in a professional recording studio.
Workshops will be held in state-of-the-art recording studios in Melbourne (for the WondaGurl stream) and Sydney (for the Tommy Brown stream).
Final locations to be advised.
ARIA provides:
- Studio hire and local sound engineers
- Mixing and mastering $5,000 per track
- Catering during workshops
- Marketing and promotional support for the program totalling $5,000 per track
The artist’s label (i.e. the ARIA Member/applicant) must cover:
- Payment to the artist and their team
- Local producer fees
- Travel and accommodation for the artist and team
- Marketing rollout expenses (in addition to the $5k project contribution)
Artists are selected by a panel of music industry specialists, comprising representatives from ARIA, Music Australia, and the Executive Producer. Selection criteria include:
- Artistic merit
- Career trajectory and impact potential
- Team structure and diversity alignment
- Strength of the marketing plan
The workshops are intensive 5-day sessions where the Executive Producer collaborates with selected artists, their teams, and local producers to create high-quality, market-ready recordings.
ARIA does not claim or own any copyright in relation to any recordings created during the recording workshops.
The ownership of the recordings will be agreed between the ARIA Member, the artist and the Executive Producer in accordance with their arrangements (note that ARIA is not involved in these arrangements).
Yes, selected artists must participate in promotional activities for the program, including social media posts and potential interviews.
Yes, independent artists can apply if they meet the eligibility criteria, have a supportive team structure in place and are current paid members of ARIA.
Visit the ARIA website and subscribe to updates. Information will also be shared via ARIA’s social media channels.
ARIA Collab: https://www.aria.com.au/aria-collab
For inquiries, contact:
- Email: collab@aria.com.au
- Phone: (02) 8569 1144
All questions will be directed to the ARIA Collab Project Manager, Milly Petriella.
The ARIA Collab program follows this timeline:
- 9 December, 2024: Applications open 9am (AEDT).
- 31 January, 2025: Application deadline 5pm (AEDT).
- 17 February, 2025: Selected artists announced.
- 3-7 March, 2025: Stream 1 workshops in Melbourne (Hip Hop, Soul, Trap).
- 31 March – 4 April, 2025: Stream 2 workshops in Sydney (Pop, R&B, Electronic and Dance).
