APRA AMCOS has welcomed the Albanese Government’s 2025-26 Federal Budget, while urging the “next Parliament to finish the job – and lock in the future of great Australian music for good.”
In a statement released yesterday (March 25th), APRA AMCOS urged all parties to commit to the next phase: a Triple Lock Guarantee for local music, which the music rights management organisation’s CEO, Dean Ormston, wrote about extensively here.
As part of the Albanese Government’s Budget, Creative Australia’s appropriation for the continued implementation of the National Cultural Policy, Revive, increases by $17 million, which includes a forecast increase for Music Australia. APRA AMCOS has also welcomed $8.6 million to renew the Revive Live program, supporting live music venues, tours, and festivals, as well as $11 million to continue the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Partnership Program.
In yesterday’s statement, Ormston said the Government has shown a clear vision for the future of the Australian music industry.
“This is a welcome and timely Budget that recognises the growing role music plays in our national identity, economy and global reach,” he said.
“Music Australia has already made a powerful impact in its first two years by supporting emerging and established artists, strengthening our national industry infrastructure, and building new international pathways for Australian music.
“The increased investment in the Budget means Music Australia can move into its next phase with confidence, and so can our creators and industry.”
Ormston added that “Australia now has a once in a generation opportunity to finish the job.”
As outlined in his recent TMN op-ed, Ormston and APRA AMCOS advocates for a Triple Lock Guarantee to secure the future of Australian music, with the three locks being as follows:
- Increased investment in Music Australia, delivered in this Budget and ready to be built upon;
- A new Australian music quota across digital platforms, to ensure Australians can hear Australian stories, no matter where or how they listen;
- A live music tax rebate, to incentivise venues, festivals and artists to keep live music on stage and audiences coming back.
“Streaming services are now the number one way Australians discover music. But without updated local content rules, Australian music risks being drowned out by global algorithms,” Ormston said in yesterday’s statement.
He called the third lock, a live music tax rebate, a “game-changer.”
“Just like film and television, our live sector deserves structural support that reflects its cultural and economic impact. It’s about keeping venues open, tours on the road, and jobs in the industry,” he added.
APRA AMCOS has also called on the Albanese Government to introduce urgent transparency regulation for AI platforms using creative works to train generative models.
“AI is already reshaping the way music is created, consumed and monetised, often without the consent or knowledge of the people who make it,” Ormston said.
“We need clear, enforceable rules around the training of AI models, including transparency about what content is being used. Without this, Australian creators risk being exploited, their works devalued and their voices erased.”
Ormston’s statement concluded: “This Budget shows what’s possible when government works in partnership with industry. Now we need the next Parliament to finish the job – and lock in the future of great Australian music for good.”
