Aussie music needs a little extra love right now, and some of the country’s biggest artists are asking fans to turn up the volume.
Ben Lee, Missy Higgins, Ruel, Budjerah and a stack of other homegrown talents have thrown their support behind Ausify, a national campaign encouraging Australians to publicly celebrate the local music they love.
“This year it’s about being loud and proud about the music we listen to and love” – Ben Lee
Returning for its second year, the initiative officially launched on Monday, 2nd November, with a simple mission: get more Australians listening to, sharing and championing Australian-made music.
And this year’s campaign has a particularly cheeky theme.
Organisers are calling on music lovers across the country to engage in some good old-fashioned PDA – Public Displays of Ausify.
Think proudly rocking your fave band’s merch, posting about a local artist you’re obsessed with, recommending an Aussie song to your mates or belting out a homegrown anthem at the top of your lungs.
Essentially, it’s about making your love for Aussie music everybody else’s business.
But beneath the campaign’s feelgood messaging lies a sobering reality.
According to APRA AMCOS’ latest Year In Review, Australian-made music now accounts for just 8.5% of audio streaming in Australia, a new low for local artists.
Even more concerningly, that figure is projected to plummet to just 5% by 2030.
The report also found that Australians are streaming local music 31% less than they were five years ago.
Meanwhile, Australian artists’ share of the country’s 10,000 most-streamed acts fell from 12% to 8% between 2021 and 2024, with the number of local acts represented dropping from 932 to 773.
But here’s where things get interesting.
It’s not that Australians don’t love Australian music.
Research from Music Australia found that 84% of Australians associate a defining moment in their lives with an Australian song, while two-thirds could actually name the track.
Yet just 27% of respondents said they’d streamed an Australian artist in the previous 12 months.
Previous research also found that 71% of Australians feel proud when they hear local music, while 66% want to hear more of it.
In other words, the love is there. It’s just not necessarily translating into streams, ticket sales or active support.
Ausify hopes to change that by encouraging fans to become more vocal advocates for the artists they love, helping Australian music cut through the noise of international competition and streaming algorithms.
And the campaign has enlisted an impressive collection of local musicians to help spread the word.
Alongside Ben Lee, Missy Higgins, Ruel and Budjerah, participating artists include Fanny Lumsden, Astrid Jorgensen, aleksiah, Ayesha Madon, Becca Hatch, Georgia Maq, ISHAN, Nooky, Vv Pete and Conor Jacob Smith of Midnight Til Morning.
Australian music legend and Ausify ambassador Ben Lee reckons the country’s extraordinary musical talent has never been in doubt.
“Australia produces some of the best music in the world,” he says.
“We punch well above our weight in terms of international success, global influence and underground artists on the forefront of culture.”
According to Lee, the challenge isn’t convincing Australians that their homegrown musicians are worth celebrating.
It’s encouraging them to make that appreciation a little more visible.
“The Ausify campaign this year isn’t about convincing people that Aussie music is incredible – everyone already knows that,” he explains.
“This year it’s about being loud and proud about the music we listen to and love.”
And Lee has some wonderfully enthusiastic suggestions for how fans can get involved.
“I’m basically a professional music fan in that I can’t help myself sharing what I love with everyone around me,” he says.
“I’m calling on everyone to join me in showing their love for Australian music in whatever way they like – tell a friend, get a tattoo, annoy people on the bus by blasting your favourite local track.”
We’re not entirely sure your fellow commuters will appreciate that last suggestion, but we certainly appreciate the sentiment.
The month-long campaign kicked off with a suitably wholesome celebration, featuring seven Australian artists performing a karaoke rendition of John Paul Young’s classic Love Is In The Air.
Throughout November, artists and fans will be encouraged to share their own Public Displays of Ausify, helping turn individual acts of appreciation into a nationwide celebration of Australian music.
The campaign is spearheaded by Music Australia, a dedicated body within Creative Australia that works to support and promote Australian contemporary music and develop audiences both locally and internationally.
With Australian artists facing increasing challenges around discoverability, streaming algorithms and competition from larger overseas markets, Ausify’s message is refreshingly simple.
You don’t have to work in the music industry to make a difference.
Stream the song. Buy the ticket. Wear the merch. Share the playlist. Tell your mates.
And if there’s an Australian artist who’s soundtracked a defining moment in your life, maybe it’s time to give them a little love in return.
This month, let’s make some noise for Australian music.
Further Reading
Young Aussies Say Live Music Is Vital To Their Mental Health – But Many Are Being Priced Out
Aussie Festival Prices Are Rising Twice As Fast As Inflation, New Study Finds
