INTHEBLACK July 2026 - Magazine - Page 24
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24 INTHEBLACK July 2026
THE TOPIC OF AI
Analysis from Creative Australia shows
that just 8 per cent of the top 10,000 artists
streamed in Australia in 2024 were local.
At the same time, Australian artists are
achieving strong global reach, with 80 per cent
of Spotify royalties in 2023 coming from
overseas audiences.
AI is the new force reshaping the industry
in two opposing ways. It enables faster,
more efficient music production, but also
raises concerns about increased competition,
intellectual property theft and rights
management.
Ormston says musicians have long
embraced new technologies and are already
using AI to improve production quality.
However, concerns persist that AI-generated
music could displace human creators.
In response, APRA AMCOS is advocating
for stronger regulation to safeguard copyright
and intellectual property, drawing parallels
with earlier technological shifts such as radio,
television and the internet. “In every one of
those disruptions, the copyright framework
has actually worked,” he says.
While streaming platforms have generally
adopted licensing models, Ormston is
concerned that generative AI companies may
take a different approach. “They are coming
from a tech perspective, rather than being
in the music industry. And they have already
ingested the world’s commercial music,
the world’s literature, the world’s artwork.”
The industry is now grappling with
this tension, with numerous legal cases
underway globally.
Despite these copyright and intellectual
property threats, Wiltshire remains
optimistic, arguing that AI could ultimately
expand the industry by amplifying creativity,
rather than replacing it.
“AI is a highly valuable tool for ideation.
Certain artists will be suited to using it as
a tool,” he says. “But there will be those artists
who will not want that, and rightly so, because
what they make is pure in its own sense.”
Wiltshire hopes to use Songtradr and
Bandcamp, a site it recently acquired,
to find ways to make more money for artists
and the wider music industry. “There is
so much opportunity in the music industry
to expand its value. It is about building
the right tools and technology to do that,
and to open up markets.”
THE NEXT PHASE
Resilience and adaptation will be a key
theme for musicians in the coming years.
At APRA AMCOS, Ormston says the
focus must be on increasing the visibility
of local artists outside streaming platforms,
including being played on community and
commercial radio, and performing
at international festivals.
“Every time an Australian song is
performed internationally, whether live
or on television, that is returning dollars
back through us,” he says. “We are
seeing Australian artists headlining big
international festivals around the world,
getting streamed around the world and
performing live around the world. That is
also a cause for excitement.”
Ormston believes a play-local campaign
is crucial for the music industry. “The same
way that you want people to ‘buy local’,
you should ‘play local’ as well.”
Caruana will continue to engage with
music promoters and fans, especially
live-music enthusiasts in regional areas such
as the Margaret River in Western Australia
and Bowraville in New South Wales.
“For emerging and mid-career artists, the
importance of regional centres and how
that plays into the bigger picture of viability
is crucial.”
As she contemplates the music landscape
in Australia, she wants to see greater
leadership through legislation to prevent
the “algorithmic de-prioritising” of Australian
artists and copyright, as well
as a minimisation of AI interference.
“Everybody needs to dare to be leaders.” ■
