Australian music is pulling in record international earnings, but APRA AMCOS says commercial radio isn't keeping pace with the moment.
The songwriters’ and composers’ rights organisation has voiced frustration at the newly registered Commercial Radio Code of Practice 2026, arguing its local music requirements fall well short of where they should be given the current state of Australian music globally.
International revenue for Australian songwriters and composers reached a record $98.8 million in the last financial year — up nearly 15 per cent on the year prior and more than double what it was in 2019. APRA AMCOS CEO Dean Ormston put it bluntly: “This code is like Jurassic Park and doesn’t reflect the opportunity that’s right in front of commercial radio right now.”
The Commercial Radio Code of Practice
- International revenue for Australian songwriters hit a record $98.8 million last financial year
- The Commercial Radio Code of Practice 2026 has been registered by the ACMA
- APRA AMCOS is offering to work directly with stations on curating local content
- More information at apraamcos.com.au
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Despite that trajectory, APRA AMCOS says the updated code doesn’t meaningfully strengthen local content obligations for commercial radio stations, including for digital radio services — an issue the Convergence Review flagged nearly 15 years ago.
The organisation also took aim at a provision that continues to allow stations to fulfil their Australian music quotas by scheduling local content outside peak listening hours, within a 6am to midnight reporting window.
“We’re here and ready to work with any station that wants help curating local content — we’re not trying to tell anyone how to run their business, but we can connect them to the extraordinary breadth of music being made right now,” Ormston added.
APRA AMCOS pointed to Triple M as an example of what’s possible when a network commits to local content — the broadcaster was named Licensee of the Year at the 2023 APRA Music Awards, with its 49 stations regularly exceeding 30 per cent local content. Research from Music Australia’s Listening In series found that 71 per cent of music-engaged Australians feel pride when they hear Australian music on air, two in three want to hear more of it, and one in four still use radio as their primary tool for discovering new music.
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