APRA AMCOS Releases National Cultural Policy Submission

APRA AMCOS has outlined an ambitious vision for the future of Australia's music industry, calling for major government investment and policy reform to help position the country as a global music powerhouse over the next decade.

The organisation this week released its National Cultural Policy submission, Made Here. Heard Everywhere., a wide-ranging blueprint covering live music, streaming, education, Indigenous music infrastructure, copyright, exports and artist development.

Among its recommendations are a refundable tax incentive scheme for live music venues, festivals and touring artists, a government review into streaming platform algorithms, the creation of a National Song Academy, a permanent National Songbook, and a $180 million funding commitment to Music Australia over four years.

APRA AMCOS CEO Dean Ormston said the submission arrives at a critical moment for the sector.

“Australian music is extraordinary, and the opportunity in front of us matches it. We are living through a moment of profound change and that is precisely why this matters,” he said.

"Music teaches children to think, to collaborate, to make something from nothing. It holds communities together. It carries Australian culture to every corner of the world. It earns for this nation long after it is first made. Contemporary music can be the foundation of Australia's creative century. This submission is the blueprint."

The proposal builds on a vision first outlined by APRA Chair Jenny Morris during a 2020 address to the National Press Club, when she urged the industry to look beyond the immediate challenges of the pandemic and imagine a future where Australia became a net exporter of music, music education was available in every school and local music remained visible across all platforms.

Since then, the industry has seen significant policy developments, including the establishment of Music Australia under the Federal Government's Revive cultural policy and Australia's decision to reject a copyright exception for AI training. According to APRA AMCOS, the local music sector now contributes almost $11 billion annually to the economy, including more than $1 billion in exports, while supporting over 40,000 jobs.

A major focus of the submission is addressing the challenges facing Australian music discovery on streaming platforms. APRA AMCOS noted that Australian music now accounts for just 9.5% of streams domestically, representing a 31% decline over the past five years. The organisation is calling for an urgent Green Paper examining algorithmic discoverability and how local music can be better surfaced to Australian listeners.

The submission also proposes a live music tax incentive for venues, festivals and touring artists, alongside national adoption of 'Michael's Rule', which would require major international touring artists to include local support acts on Australian tours.

On creator rights and artificial intelligence, APRA AMCOS is advocating for a voluntary licensing framework based on transparency, consent and remuneration. The proposal includes protections for Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), a Cultural Provenance Register and a dedicated ICIP Protection Fund.

Education is another key pillar, with recommendations including a National Song Academy housed at Australian Film Television and Radio School, mandatory sequential music education in primary schools and expanded investment in the SongMakers program.

International growth also features heavily in the roadmap. APRA AMCOS is calling for a National Music Export Strategy focused on India, Asia-Pacific markets, Latin America and Mexico, while urging Austrade to treat music as a high-value export industry. The organisation is also proposing a music-focused development program through Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to share Australia's music infrastructure expertise across the Pacific region.

The submission further recommends the creation of a National Songbook in partnership with the National Film and Sound Archive, establishing a permanent collection and annual ceremony recognising Australia's most significant songs and songwriters.

Ormston said the industry's long-term aspirations are now within reach. “Jenny Morris's vision is no longer aspirational; it is a credible vision. We now have the opportunity to finish the job. This submission is our answer,” he said.

“Every recommendation passes a single test: does it serve the artist, and does it serve the audience? The songwriter who needs to know her work will be protected. The kid who needs to hear a live show. The First Nations musician whose songs carry his community's lore across generations. The teenager in a regional town who has never had a music lesson but can hear something in herself that needs to come out.”