The Value Of Australian Music Export

The economic and cultural value of Australian music export will be determined in a new study that is the first of its kind. Funded by the Australian Research Council, APRA AMCOS and the Australia Council for the Arts, the research project is an exciting collaboration between the music industry and academics from the University of Newcastle and Monash University. The research will be completed over three years and arrives at a time when Australian artists like Sia, Tame Impala, Courtney Barnett, Flume, Vance Joy, Troye Sivan and 5 Seconds of Summer are dominating the world stage.

Field work and interviews for The Economic and Cultural Value of Australian Music Exports project commenced in May this year at music events The Great Escape (UK), Classical:NEXT (the Netherlands), MIDEM (France) and A2IM Indie Week (USA).

The project intends to measure the economic contribution Australian music export makes to GDP; the impact and return on investment of Sounds Australia; and less tangible elements of music export such as cultural experience, practice and identity and their integration with public policy.

“This is a great opportunity to study the workings of a global industry which has been neglected by most international business and management researchers,” says one of the chief investigators, Professor Stephen Chen of the University of Newcastle.

“It promises to bring a fresh perspective on exporting in the creative industries, and should be useful for artists, companies in the industry as well as policy makers.”

APRA AMCOS Head of Member Services, Dean Ormston, expects the data to highlight Australia’s music export potential: “With the right investment, Australia could set its sights on becoming a net music exporter. This research will seek to provide evidence of the far-reaching economic and cultural benefits generated by Australian music export.”

Australia Council for the Arts, Arts Practice Director, Music, Paul Mason, says the research will demonstrate the impact of cultural funding on music export:

“The project will deliver empirical results that can be used by government and industry to plan and support the Australian music sector well into the future.”

Source: APRA