Question mark still over Federal funding for Sounds Australia

Five months after the Australian music industry angrily protested cuts to the music export body Sounds Australia, its Federal funding continues to be under threat.

In May Arts Minister Mitch Fifield told TMN that the Government was evaluating its investment in the body and that it may receive Catalyst funding in the future.

“The Catalyst fund supports arts and culture projects,” Fifield said. “Some elements of Sounds Australia may be eligible for Catalyst funding, however, the current funding for Sounds Australia is program funding.

“As with all Government investments in fixed period programs, the outcomes from Sounds Australia funding will be evaluated and inform any future funding decisions.”

At the time he reiterated: “The funding for Sounds Australia covers work until January 2017.”

However Sounds Australia did not receive Catalyst funding after all.

Additionally, it does not seem the situation with further funding after December 31 has changed at all in the last five months.

Shadow Minister for the Arts Tony Burke this week has revealed that “In Senate Estimates last night it was confirmed that the Turnbull Government is planning to axe the funding for Sounds Australia at the end of this year.

Burke added, “Sounds Australia has been responsible for a massive increase in opportunities for Australian artists around the world. The figures speak for themselves. In 2009, Australian 49 artists were appearing at international events. In just 5 years Sounds Australia took that to 263 – an increase of 437 per cent.”

This comes in the wake of the Federal Government’s plans to increase visa application costs which tour promoters and festival organisers warn will see less tours and higher ticket prices.

Sounds Australia was set up in 2009, co-funded by APRA AMCOS and the Australia Council for the Arts. Most of its funding comes from the Ministry of the Arts.

It has helped 619 acts at 48 trade events in 52 cities in 19 countries.

It reveals at least 1593 business outcomes in the form of record, booking agency and sync deals off their showcase opportunities in trade festivals as South By Southwest, The Great Escape and Music Matters.

Recent international breakthrough as Flume, Courtney Barnett, Chet Faker and Vance Joy all played Sounds Australia showcases in their first year of export.

Earlier this year, Barnett’s manager Nick O’Brien took to Facebook to point out the importance of Sounds Australia’s work.

“Sounds Australia is a program which taught us “how to fish” – they’ve provided support and relationships all over the world so we can keep investing in Australian music,” he wrote. “[…] Meanwhile – The Turnbull Government has promised millions to major performing arts companies without increasing the capacity or self-sufficiency of the arts-sector at all. It’s really stupid and short-sighted but frankly not surprising.”

Millie Millgate, Sounds Australia’s chief and Export Music Producer told TMN, “There’s no doubt that many of the Australian artists that have showcased through Sounds Australia wouldn’t have achieved the current level of success they are experiencing.

“However the speed and capacity in which this was expedited is absolutely a result of the platforms and infrastructure that has been created, developed and established through Sounds Australia and the investment made to date in to Fast-Tracking Australian Music Success Globally.”