Parliamentary Inquiry into the Australian music industry : Submission by Music Tasmania Parliamentary Inquiry into the Australian music industry: Submission by Music Tasmania Introduction On behalf of Music Tasmania, thank you for the opportunity to provide input into the Parliamentary Inquiry regarding: Factors contributing to the growth and sustainability of the Australian music industry. Music is the soundtrack to the creative economy in Tasmania. Acts like ASTA, Striborg, Psycroptic, Monique Brumby, The Innocents, The Paradise Motel, The Wolfe Brothers, and Luca Brasi, are all part of a legacy of Tasmanian musicians who have a powerful impact on our national and international reputation. Local music festivals such as MONA FOMA, Dark MOFO, Party in the Paddock, and a festival called Panama, are gaining worldwide attention and putting Tasmania on the music map. Apart from their talent, the people working in the Tasmanian music sector are highly committed and resourceful in an environment where funding is scarce, paid opportunities limited, and the music marketplace is increasingly competitive and globalised. Some of the challenges faced by musicians are endemic to the nature of this evolving artform; others however, are more determined by the local music ecosystem in Tasmania. In August 2016, Music Tasmania, in partnership with APRA AMCOS and the Live Music Office, facilitated a statewide consultation to understand the challenges and opportunities facing the Tasmanian sector. The consultation involved face-to-face sessions with key stakeholders, music industry forums in Launceston and Hobart, and a survey distributed online. This consultation provided us with insights into a rapidly changing regional music industry. Some of the challenges identified were: • Geographic isolation, which acts as both a tangible barrier to touring and an intangible DIY mentality; • Music infrastructure; such as recording studios, rehearsal spaces, and venues; • Lack of ‘industry’, such as managers, labels, and publicists; national distribution channels, including radio airplay and touring networks. The key opportunities identified to support the development of Tasmania’s music sector were: • Skills and industry development; • Festivals, tourism and hospitality; • Networking, connecting and exchange; • Touring and showcasing Challenges Tasmania is geographically isolated, which presents logistical challenges and high touring costs for artists. Navigating the barrier of the Bass Strait to take up performance opportunities is a necessary and expensive activity that usually costs rather than makes bands money. MUSIC TASMANIA Supports, promotes and advocates for Tasmanian music www.musictasmania.org Tasmanian artists also find it difficult to access to local music industry services that would assist them to market and distribute their music such as publishers, radio, record labels, or management. The market for these services in Tasmania is small with few professional suppliers. Once Tasmanian artists and bands reach a level of success they often move to the mainland to be better connected to industry services, touring networks and music markets. There are limited commercially lucrative and/or sustainable employment opportunities for local musicians and music workers, due to a small local market, the seasonal and sporadic nature of work on festivals and events, and weak local demand for services, which drain the talent pool and make it difficult to attract and retain talented artists all year round. Music infrastructure is limited in Tasmania with no rehearsal studios and few professional recording spaces, along with venue constraints. While there has been a massive increase in demand for music stimulated by festivals and events, there needs to be more focus on developing the industry that supports and enables the supply of music in the state. Opportunities Music industry skills and education are critical for the growth and development of viable music industry - 99% of the music industry consists of small and micro businesses that turnover less than $2 million per annum. Audiences also play a vital role in building a community that appreciates the value of music – not only as a product or performance, but also for its intangible benefits. If we are to grow and sustain Tasmanian music, it is important that Government, industry and the community work together to ensure that the right supports and structures are in place to assist musicians realise their potential and to be able to access markets locally and overseas. Music plays a key role in the success of the Tasmanian tourism industry and local musicians are critical to the reputation of our festivals and events, ensuring that Tasmania is recognised as a producer of talent, rather than a simply a presenter of interstate and international talent. Despite the increased market demand for Tasmanian music through festivals and events, the industry itself is nascent and requires investment in infrastructure and skills to realise its full potential. Music Tasmania plays an important role in stimulating and servicing the industry however we are limited by funding constraints. The growth of Tasmanian music A Music Industry Profile, commissioned by the Tasmanian Government and prepared by Dr. Dave Carter identified the following key findings about the Tasmanian music industry: • Live Performance Australia (2017) reported that contemporary music and festivals comprise 71.9% of revenue and 65.29% of attendance in Tasmania. • Revenue for all music events rose by 65.42% and attendance by 43.95%. This was driven by an almost doubling in reported revenue and attendance at contemporary music concerts and festivals. • The National Live Music Office (2015) identified that live music in Tasmania returned $155.8 million dollars of benefit to the community in 2014 at a cost of only $30 million. In addition to these MUSIC TASMANIA Supports, promotes and advocates for Tasmanian music www.musictasmania.org economic benefits, engagement with live music was shown to produce psychological capital, social capital and cultural capital. • Live music in Tasmania returned $158.21 million of benefit to the community in 2016 at a cost of $39.47 million; with a benefit to cost ratio of 4.01:1. • These benefits include 283 Full Time and 254 Part Time jobs in Tasmania, earning $12.58 million in wages and returning $1.81 million in taxation revenue. • Overall the GVA to the Tasmanian economy of the live music sector is predicted to be $25.65 million, with producers across all industries (not just those related to live music production) enjoying $11.26 million in profits. About Music Tasmania Music Tasmania is the peak industry body representing Tasmania’s contemporary music sector and is part the Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN), along with Music Victoria, Music NSW, WAM, Music ACT, QMusic and Music NT. We believe in a community that values music where artists and music businesses can live and create in Tasmania to realise their full potential. Our mandate is to develop, promote and advocate for the music industry, which comprises artists and bands, live music venues, promoters and festivals, music retailers, educators, along with small businesses specialising in areas such as production, management, and other support services. Established in 2009, Music Tasmania represents the interests of over 240 financial members, including individual artists, bands, music businesses, organisations and music fans. Through our online platform Our Music Industry we profile 280 Tasmanian artists, bands, and music businesses, along with 27 live music venues and 17 Tasmanian festivals. We play a crucial role as networker, enabler, and collaborator, to stimulate and support music in Tasmania by proving a national voice for our diverse music culture. Music Tasmania is assisted by funding through Arts Tasmania by the Minister for the Arts and APRA AMCOS. Further Information For further insights and information, please see: Music Industry Profile: Commissioned by the Tasmanian Government and prepared by Dr. Dave Carter The anatomy of a music city: Brian Ritchie, MONA's Music Curator and bass guitarist for Violent Femmes, shares an insider's guide to building a music city prior to his appearance at this year's Music Cities Convention: https://themusic.com.au/article/PrdRUFNSVVQ/guest-editorial-brian-ritchie-music-cities-convention-mona- violent-femmes MUSIC TASMANIA Supports, promotes and advocates for Tasmanian music www.musictasmania.org .