Spotify launches Black Australia playlist to mark NAIDOC Week

To celebrate NAIDOC Week, Spotify has created the Black Australia playlist – a three-hour, 50-song collection that features A.B. Original, Emily Wurramara, Ziggy Ramo, Thelma Plum, Benny Walker, Tiddas, and dozens more leading Indigenous Australian artists.

The list was curated by Emily Nicol, a digital producer at NITV and a freelance journalist as well as Koori Radio’s drivetime presenter.

While the playlist is a well-edited showcase of a broad range of trackscreated by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians, Spotify tells TMN that they’re not just paying lip service to Indigenous creators.

“We are committed to developing an ongoing program that promotes and celebrates Indigenous artists,” says Artist & Label Services Coordinator Marcus Thaine, whohas been one of the driving forces behind this program.

“We are currently working with curators from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island community (like Emily) to create playlists focused on prominent genres reflected in current Indigenous music, which will be released in the coming months.”

“Like the ’Black Australia’ playlist, future playlists will be supported with featured placement, on-platform advertising and paid social media.”

The platform is well placed to use their significant powers – most notably, the potentialto boost artists’ profiles through something as simple as a spot on a key playlist – to put a spotlight on Indigenous artists.

Spotify’s just one of many music-focused NAIDOC Week initiatives. In particular, triple j Unearthed is throwing itself well and truly behind the celebration, featuring Indigenous artists all week, and yesterday announced for TMN spotlight artist Baker Boy as the winner of the NIMA Unearthed competition.

Stream the Black Australia playlist below.