Australian songs' streaming share drops to 8.5% in 2026
Australian music's share of all streams fell from 9.5% to 8.5% despite total streams rising 640 million.
Apra Amcos, which represents Australian songwriters, released its yearly review showing a disconnect between how much music Australians stream and how much of it is local. The proportion of Australian songs streamed dropped to its lowest in four years.
At the same time, live music venues fell from 206 per million citizens in 2018 to 182 per million today. User-generated content featuring Australian songs, when platform users post videos with a song, nearly halved even as the overall UGC market grew 28 per cent.
Apra Amcos is now pushing streaming platforms to adopt minimum local music requirements, like radio stations have, with levies for non-compliance. Tasmania started trialling a 30 per cent tax rebate for live music to help venues and artists cover costs.
- 640 million
- Additional streams 2025 to 2026
- 8.5%
- Australian music share 2026
- 9.5%
- Australian music share 2025
- 182 (down from 206 in 2018)
- Live venues per million citizens
Why it mattersIf Australian musicians don't get heard on the platforms where people listen now, the funding and pathway for the next generation of artists shrinks.
AustraliaAustralian artists struggle to reach local audiences while competing globally. The policy push could reshape how streaming platforms treat local music.
