A Triple Lock Guarantee for Australian Music: Why the Government Must Act Now (Op-Ed)

This year’s triple j Hottest 100 was a wake-up call for Australian music and one of the most contentious in its 37-year history. The top ten was dominated by international artists. Only three Australian acts made the cut and of those, two were covers of overseas songs.

Let that sink in.

Australia is home to some of the most innovative, world-class songwriters, and performers on the planet. Yet, our own music is increasingly being edged out – on radio, on streaming platforms, in film and television, and in public spaces.

The Hottest 100 wasn’t an anomaly, it was a symptom of a much bigger problem. Australians are no longer hearing Australian music, and if we don’t act fast, our next generation of artists won’t have the chance to be heard at all.

Hottest 100

This isn’t about blaming triple j. The ABC has been one of the few consistent champions of Australian music, playing over 40% local content across its networks. The Hottest 100 reflects what Australians are listening to and right now, the problem is that local music isn’t being given the same visibility, priority and algorithmic push as international acts.

It’s simple: if broadcast networks and streaming platforms aren’t actively promoting and playing Australian music, how can we expect audiences to vote for it? To love it? To invest in it?

At the same time Australian artists are finding massive success internationally. From stadium tours to chart domination, our homegrown talent is making a mark on the world stage. Yet here at home, local audiences are almost completely cut off from this success story. We celebrate our Olympians when they win a medal, but when our musicians achieve global recognition, they struggle to get airplay on commercial radio or be promoted by streaming services. It’s a bizarre disconnect that needs to be addressed.

Every time an Australian song is played, whether live on stage, on the radio, streamed online, placed in a film or ad, or piped into a café or gym, it fuels jobs, drives local industries, strengthens communities, and enriches our cultural identity. Australian music is not just art, it’s an economic powerhouse and a national asset.

The establishment of Music Australia was a crucial first step towards building a sustainable future for our industry, but without strong policy intervention, the gains will be hamstrung. We need to shift a gear and get serious about securing a thriving future for Australian music. We must implement a Triple Lock Guarantee to restore local music to its rightful place.

The first lock, Music Australia, was created to develop and implement long-term strategies for the Australian music industry. Its establishment is a major milestone, but its success depends on complementary policies that ensure Australian music is heard and supported across all platforms.

(Photo by BULENT KILIC/AFP via Getty Images)

That means implementing a second lock – renewed Australian content quotas across broadcast and streaming services.

Quotas have long been in place for traditional media, but as music consumption shifts online, the same principles must apply to streaming and algorithm-driven platforms. Without this, Australian artists will remain buried in global playlists, out of sight and out of mind.

The third lock needs to be a tax rebate for live music.

Live music is the lifeblood of our towns and cities, generating billions for the economy and breathing life into venues, festivals and communities. A tax rebate for venues that invest in live Australian music would supercharge the sector, making it more viable for venues and festivals. This is the same principle that revitalised the Australian screen industry with the producer and location offsets. It’s time for music to receive the same targeted support.

Women and gender diverse songwriters, composers and producers remain underrepresented in the industry. Programs like APRA AMCOS’s 23% mentorship mentorship program and Equalize workshops are making inroads, but without industry-wide commitment, too many amazing and talented voices will go unheard. The industry has a responsibility to step up with stronger initiatives to ensure that First Nations artists, culturally diverse musicians, and artists from all backgrounds have a fair shot at success.

This isn’t just about the music industry, it’s about who we are as a nation. Australian music tells our stories, shapes our identity and is one of our most powerful global exports. Investing in Australian music now will pay dividends for generations. Without intervention, we risk becoming a country that consumes but does not create.

Government and industry have an opportunity to put the final pieces in place. The Triple Lock Guarantee – Music Australia, real local content quotas, and a live music tax rebate – would not just revitalise Australian music; it would cement our place on the world stage.

The question is no longer should we act. It’s will we act before it’s too late?

Dean Ormston is CEO of APRA AMCOS, the music rights management organisation. It represents over 124,000 members who are songwriters, composers and music publishers; licenses organisations to play, perform, copy or record members’ music; and distributes royalties to members.