Country music value in Australia doubles in 20 years according to an in-depth study by the Country Music Association of Australia. The Economic and Cultural Value of Country Music in Australia 2018 follows on from the first study into country music in Australia conducted 20 years ago. The report is the result of nine months of industry research including detailed responses from 4,329 country music fans and 582 artists. The key findings reveal that the genre is in robust health and experiencing sustained growth which has seen the sector double in value to a conservative AUS$574 million since 1997.
Like all sectors of the music industry, country was impacted by the dramatic decade and a half decline in CD sales, but thanks to significantly increased live event and radio audiences and growth in streaming revenue driven by the genre’s increasing popularity, country music has not only recovered but all indicators point to a bright and sustainable future.
Highlights from the report
- Country music’s major festivals reported attendance of 202,000 generating box office and patron spending of AUS$281.5 million. In 1997 the figure was AUS$114.6 million
- With audio and video streaming dominating the global and Australian recorded music markets, Spotify reported Australia as the third largest country music territory after the US and Canada, and the world’s fastest-growing country market.
- CDs still play an important role in country music. 82% of fans bought at least one in 2018.
- While ARIA’s Top 50 albums (all genres) recorded a 1% decline in unit sales between 2017 and 2018, country music’s Top 50 albums in the same period recorded sales growth of 24%, increasing country’s share from 15% to 19% of overall sales.
- 14% of APRA’s registered Australian songwriters identified as writing country in 2018. This compares to 6% recorded in 1997.
- AMPCOM, which monitors new-release Australian radio airplay on commercial stations, reported country music’s share at 14%. In 2000, it was 7.9%.
- Australia’s newest international star, Morgan Evans, topped the US and Australian country airplay charts and, by reaching #1 on the Australian all-genre airplay chart became the first country artist to do so since Taylor Swift in 2009.
- Country is a safe place! 85% of male and female artists and fans have rarely or never felt unsafe or uncomfortable at a country music gig.
CMAA President Dobe Newton, said “It was a fascinating and productive exercise, with fans and artists responding to surveys in numbers that make this the most comprehensive sampling of a single genre ever undertaken in Australia. Their willingness to be involved, matched by that of major businesses and organisations in our sector, is indicative of the passion we all have for country music.”
The report is free to download via these links:
