Australia’s next wave of independent artists are already releasing great music. The trouble is that many Australian listeners may never hear it.
New industry data paints a worrying picture. According to APRA AMCOS, consumption of Australian music on streaming services fell by 31 per cent between 2021 and 2025. Separate IFPI data found that Australian artists' share of local streaming dropped from 12 per cent to just 8 per cent between 2021 and 2024.
That decline is not necessarily a reflection of the music being made. It is increasingly a question of discovery.
Streaming platforms have made almost every song instantly accessible, but access and visibility are not the same thing. Recommendation systems often group music by language, mood, listening history and global popularity. An emerging Australian act singing in English is therefore competing directly with the biggest artists from the United States, United Kingdom and elsewhere.
The result is an enormous catalogue in which local releases can disappear almost as soon as they arrive.
What Australian listeners are missing
A look at the current Local Sounds Top 100 Trending Chart offers a very different picture of the independent scene.
At the time of publication, Brisbane artist Georgia Hunter holds the number one position with “Good Enough”. Adelaide’s Adrian J follows with “Oceanside”, while Newcastle artist Lisa Byrne is at number three with “Swagger”.
Melbourne’s Shannon Jade sits at number four with “Engine Trouble”, followed by Brisbane act Sonic Keys with “Better Days”.
The wider chart stretches well beyond the major capitals. Artists from Ballarat, Cairns, Launceston, the Gold Coast and regional New South Wales are appearing alongside musicians from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.
This is only a snapshot of activity on one independent platform, not a measure of the entire Australian market. Even so, it demonstrates something important, the supply of new Australian music is not the problem.
The artists exist. The songs exist. The missing piece is a reliable path connecting them with listeners.
Discovery has become passive
For decades, Australian audiences encountered new music through radio presenters, local venues, record stores, street press and television programs such as Rage. Discovery often involved a person actively deciding that a song deserved to be heard.
Streaming has changed that relationship
Listeners can now find almost anything they search for, but much of what they hear is selected through personalised playlists and automated recommendations. Music discovery has become easier and more passive at the same time.
That convenience matters, but it also creates a feedback loop. Songs with existing momentum are recommended more frequently, which produces more streams and even greater visibility. Independent artists who begin outside that loop face a much steeper climb.
APRA AMCOS says overseas audiences are responding to Australian talent, with international revenue for Australian and New Zealand songwriters reaching a record $98.8 million. Australian artists can connect with listeners around the world, yet struggle to receive the same attention at home.
Local curation still matters
Platforms built specifically around Australian independent music can help restore some of what has been lost.
Local Sounds combines radio airplay with location-based artist discovery and a public trending chart. Instead of asking an algorithm to distinguish Australian artists from an ocean of English-language content, the platform begins wi
That allows listeners to discover who is releasing music in their own city, follow emerging artists and move directly from a song to an artist’s profile, streaming links, shows and press material.
It also creates useful early signals. A track gaining attention in Brisbane, Newcastle or Ballarat may not yet have enough streaming history to surface in a global recommendation engine. Local engagement can reveal that momentum earlier.
The answer is not to abandon streaming platforms. They remain essential tools for distribution, audience development and royalties. The opportunity is to build stronger pathways into them through local radio, editorial coverage, independent charts, live venues and human recommendation.
One local song is a start
Reversing the decline does not require listeners to give up the international artists they love.
It could start with one small change: deliberately adding an Australian independent song to a weekly playlist, following an artist from your city, buying a ticket to a local show or sharing a new release with a friend.
Australia’s independent musicians are not waiting to be created. They are already here, making records in bedrooms, studios and rehearsal rooms across the country.
The challenge is making sure Australians actually hear them.
Explore the latest Australian independent releases on the Local Sounds Trending Chart
SoundVerge Editorial
Independent music journalism
