INTHEBLACK July 2026 - Magazine - Page 21
John Butler performing at Bluesfest
in Perth, Australia in April 2023.
Subscription-based streaming services
such as Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube,
or Joox and Tencent Music in Asia, are now
the main distribution channels of music.
Global recorded music revenues hit
US$31.7 billion (A$43.83 billion) in 2025,
with paid streaming accounting for
52.4 per cent of all revenue.
Dean Ormston, CEO of Australia and
New Zealand’s music rights management
organisation APRA AMCOS, says the music
industry is well placed, despite challenges.
“It is a fast-growing, fast-moving sector that
is seeing strong growth in a variety of areas,
in particular, digital.”
Ormston notes that more Australians are
doing well both locally and internationally
than ever before. Nevertheless, poor
earnings through streaming platforms
and user-generated content platforms,
plus the copyright risks associated with
the rise of artificial intelligence (AI),
present a headache. APRA AMCOS wants
governments and regulators to forge stronger
partnerships with music industry leaders
and provide greater business, taxation and
copyright support for a “superstar” industry
that, according to Ormston, can drive
enormous economic and cultural value.
ENTREPRENEURIAL MUSICIANS
In a complex commercial ecosystem,
acclaimed Australian singer-songwriter
John Butler is in many ways the epitome
of the modern musician.
Butler has assembled a dedicated team
of professionals behind the scenes, including
his accountant Kylie Thompson FCPA,
intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au 21
