ARIA welcomes the Andrews Labor Government’s support of Victorian music

Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) welcomes the $35.4 million budget announcement by the Andrews Labor Government to support Victorian Music and Community Broadcasting.  

ARIA CEO, Annabelle Herd, said: “The Victorian music community was hit hard by extended lockdowns leading to live performance cancellations, so a strong focus on live music was always going to be crucial during recovery. This acknowledgement from the Andrews Government is an important step in repairing the Victorian music ecosystem, and our artists’ chance of being able to establish a sustainable music career at home – something that has a proven to be a powerful economic contributor to our national GDP. 

“For a number of months now, ARIA has been vocal about the fact that Australian music is facing a crisis of discoverability, and our most successful artists are being forced to move overseas as investment in Australian recording artists becomes increasingly financially unviable for both major and independent labels. The solution to this begins by repairing the industry’s ecosystem, to make the investment in promotion, music videos, travel and other essential support viable. 

“If we want to see more Victorian artists take the stage, we will need this whole-of-ecosystem approach taken so the establishment of a New Music Industry Advisory Council is very welcome. It is exciting to see a renewed focus on the commercial potential of Australian music at both the state and federal level, we look forward to working with the Andrews Government and seeing the recorded industry well represented.”