Australians are spending more on music than ever before, but less is going to Australian artists. Policy support matters – Australia’s arts funding is among the lowest in the developed world. United States artists dominate Australian charts, but the example of Taiwan shows what better support for the arts can do. 

Musicians in Australia and Taiwan face a similar challenge – they compete with all the singers from a much larger global superpower with which they share a language. Taiwanese artists are successful both within Taiwan and in mainland China. 

If Australians want a robust local music and arts scene, investment and regulation is needed. In the streaming era, Australian artists are not getting the support necessary to break through in online content. The example of Taiwan makes it clear that government choices make a difference to the music heard and the musicians that make it.

Key findings

• Triple J (Australia’s national youth radio station) Hottest 100 featured fewer Australian songs in 2024 than in any year since 1995.
• The decline in the presence of Australian songs in the Hottest 100 corelates to a decline in the amount of Australian music streamed by Australian listeners across the major streaming services.
• Taiwan’s funding for musicians is nearly double Australia’s, as a portion of the economy.