MusicSA chair on 'post-apocalypse' industry ahead of Good Music Month
Algorithms may be squeezing Australian music out of streaming preferences but original bands are filling venues with an edginess fitting of our era and the new MusicSA chair believes the cream will rise to the top.
Australian music is experiencing a paradox: original acts are creating excellent edgy music, yet only 8.5% of what Australians stream is locally produced. Data shows that 91% of streamed music in 2025-26 was imported, a 37.5% decline over five years, blamed on global algorithms favoring music from the US. Despite this, local original music thrives in small venues and mini-festivals across Australia, selling out rooms and attracting diverse audiences.
However, large media outlets often ignore this scene. Adrian Tisato, the new chair of MusicSA, believes Adelaide is experiencing a crucial time with exceptional live music, and aims to promote and support the state's contemporary music sector. MusicSA will host Good Music Month, a series of events featuring local, national, and international acts, as well as the SA Music Awards to celebrate South Australian talents.
Tisato urges people to support local music and not to focus on whether big acts visit Adelaide, emphasizing the importance of nurturing homegrown artists in intimate venues.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
