Australian Music Streaming Increases While Domestic Song Share Declines

Data from a yearly market review published by Apra Amcos indicates that overall music streaming figures in Australia grew by approximately 640 million streams in 2026 compared with the previous year. Despite this general increase in digital consumption, the share of streamed music attributed to Australian songs experienced its largest annual drop in four years, declining from 9.5% in 2025 down to 8.5% in 2026.

The findings also highlight a contraction in the physical sector. According to the report, the number of live music venues in the country has decreased from 206 per million citizens in 2018 to 182 per million citizens.

Furthermore, user-generated content, involving platform users uploading personal videos set to musical tracks, expanded by 28% over the preceding 12 months to reach 746.2 billion streams. However, the proportion of this user-generated content that incorporated Australian songs declined by nearly half during the same timeframe.

In response to these trends, Apra Amcos has put forward several proposals. The organisation advocates for the establishment of minimum local music content requirements for streaming services, mirroring regulations applied to commercial and community radio stations, accompanied by financial penalties for non-compliant platforms.

Additionally, the organisation is lobbying the federal government to introduce a 30% tax rebate for live music to assist venues and performers with the expenses associated with staging live events. The state of Tasmania has initiated a trial of a similar rebate program.