The Australian Government’s latest report into the state of live music – “Am I Ever Gonna See You Live Again?” – makes some great recommendations, including for:

• tax offsets to be given to venues that host live music;
• training and education programs to help foster a love of music among young people;
• a rebate or voucher scheme to incentivise younger audiences to attend live music (which, as Australia Institute research has shown, is an approach that has been successful in Europe).

But, for these recommendations to have any weight, they’ll need to be backed up with adequate funding; the March budget is an opportunity for just that.

As Australia’s once healthy festival circuit collapses, the report highlights Triple J’s “One Night Stand” as an example of what success looks like. It notes that, when the event was held in Mt Isa in 2017, it brought a $3 million dollar boost to the local economy. Crucially, it goes on to point out that the ABC (i.e. the public) pays for these events and, therefore, its success “is likely unattainable for commercial festivals.” Where private business can turn a profit, monopolistic behaviour has become a problem, which is why the report recommends consumer law be amended to protect people from “dynamic pricing”, and why it calls for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to monitor the Australian music industry for anti-competitive conduct.

The inquiry is attuned to how much has changed since The Angels sung the song after which the report is named. It recommends that comprehensive research be conducted “into changes in audience behaviour and generational attitudes and behaviours that have affected demand for live music” and, relatedly, “on business models for live music that do not require dependence on the sale of alcohol.” Going to a pub to see a band is not the social staple it once was. More people are spending more time online, which is the source of another problem: Australians are unlikely to be streaming Australian music, and when they do, streaming services don’t pay artists enough. To this end the committee recommends that “legislation be strongly considered to mandate and enforce higher proportions of Australian music on these services.” But that would only address half the problem. If the music business model is broken, who is going to pay to fix it?

People – young and old – now expect to get as much recorded music as they like for free; so it won’t be them. Streaming services haven’t filled the pockets emptied by the terminal illness afflicting the record industry; so not them either. And, despite the band t-shirts and selfies with Swifties, our Commonwealth representatives have yet to put their money where their mouth is. It is worth remembering that the Australian Government (albeit one of a different party) held a different inquiry into live music in 2019. That was just six years ago, before the pandemic laid waste to public gatherings. Between their two inquiries, the two major parties are singing from the same song sheet when it comes to supporting the Australian music scene. But the funding is still falling well short of where it needs to be.

Last year, the Albanese Government announced new spending of $8.6 million for its ‘Revive Live’ program, intended to help live music venues and festivals. This is a start, but funding the recommendations of the inquiry will cost a lot more. A tax offset to encourage live music would cost somewhere between $60 and $230 million a year (but it would also bring benefits to government of $90 to $120 million). A rebate or voucher scheme would cost about $66 million a year. A live music event-related training program for young people would cost about $7 million over four years. If the major parties are serious about addressing the situation that both have acknowledged, they’ll need to fund the solutions they say will work.

This wouldn’t be unprecedented. Back in 1972, the Whitlam Government was elected with a firm commitment to invest more in Australia’s cultural sector. It made good on that promise, boosting funding to the Australia Council for the Arts (as it was then called) threefold in two years. The rich cultural output of the era –which included the inception of Triple J – speaks for itself. It’s telling that the title of the report comes from a song that was first released in the same era. If the Commonwealth is serious about revitalising our music scene, they must recognise the generational change – in tastes, values, technology, and social habits – that has already taken place. Triple J’s Hottest 100 used to be the red letter day of the Australian music calendar, but this year it included the fewest Australian artists since its inception.

Last week the Albanese Government confirmed that it will release a budget in March, before an election in May. If it weren’t for Cyclone Alfred, this probably wouldn’t be happening. The Commonwealth now has an opportunity to back up the recommendations of its own inquiry by funding the solutions it says will help the Australian music industry. And when a night out can set you back as much as your car rego, this too is a cost-of-living issue.

Inquiries are good at putting the spotlight on a particular issue. With its latest one into the Australian music scene, the Commonwealth has asked “Am I Ever Gonna See You Live Again?” But unless it’s recommendations are funded, the answer might as well be “no way, get f***ed.”