Fair pay for those working in the music industry and the need to tune into the next generation of festival-goers were among the challenges raised by a forum in Wodonga.
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In response to the rapid changes and challenges impacting the industry, Murray Arts joined MusicNSW and Wodonga Council to host State of Play: Smart Arts Creative Forum and Networking Event at Church St Hotel on Wednesday, June 26.
About 40 people attended despite Australian Rock Collective's tribute to Led Zeppelin almost selling out Albury Entertainment Centre on the same night.
Hosted by Julien Bonnel, formerly of Select Music agency Sydney, and featuring MusicNSW regional co-ordinator Kayne Mills and Yackandandah Folk Festival's Chris Smith, the panel discussed the state of the Australian music industry and what support was available to sustain a thriving music scene.
A manager at Select Music during the pandemic and now Murray Arts executive support and grants officer, Mr Bonnel said COVID was a massive disrupter to everything in the music industry.
"One thing that it changed was the predictable behaviour of young people attending live music events," he said.
"The industry is now playing catch-up as to how to get youth back into the habit of supporting local live music events, and ultimately those youth becoming the next generation of festival-goers and patrons of Australian musicians.
"Being part of live music you fall in love with the format and you create a habit in your late teens or early 20s; the pandemic youth didn't have the chance to form those habits.
"It's a matter of really targeting their interests; there may be opportunities for discounted tickets for certain age groups."
Mr Bonnel said another theme that came out at the forum was fair pay for musicians and entertainers.
"Murray Arts is interested in ensuring artists receive fair pay for their effort," Mr Bonnel said.
Border entertainer, events specialist and promoter Sharyn Bilston said the forum was timely in view of the tough economic climate.
She said the turnout of new and established Border artists was encouraging.
"Times are tough because of the cost of living and also coming out of COVID," she said.
"We have a pool of budding new artists so there's an appetite for direction from people starting out.
"Money needs to be pumped into smaller venues which are hanging on by a thread.
"We need more festivals too."
Ms Bilston said she hoped the event would be the first of many for musicians on the Border.
This Smart Arts event was a cross-border collaboration between Murray Arts, MusicNSW and Wodonga Council.
It coincided with The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts hearings for its inquiry into the challenges and opportunities within the Australian live music industry.
Some of the key challenges offered by contributors included exponentially high increases in insurance premiums relative to the quantum of increase in other inputs; costs and impediments in meeting state, territory and local government regulatory requirements; and changing audience preferences and behaviour.
The committee also got evidence about the changing modes of discoverability of artists, the royalties regime and the revolution in production and dissemination of recorded music, which impacted the livelihood of live music professionals.
