MusicSA Calls for $12 Million Boost Ahead of South Australian State Election

South Australia's peak body for the contemporary music industry, MusicSA, is calling on the state government to invest $12 million to secure the future of its music sector.

As the 2026 South Australian state election approaches, MusicSA is urging the government to invest this money over four years into Play It LOUD, its contemporary music action plan, offering a clear, evidence-based investment framework to support growth.

Play It LOUD recognises Adelaide’s designation as Australia’s only UNESCO City of Music and champions the sector as a critical economic, cultural and employment driver within the state. According to MusicSA, the sector already contributes $490 million to gross state product and supports more than 5,000 full-time equivalent jobs (9,207+ jobs) annually.

The action plan proposes a coordinated package of initiatives and building blocks that deliver outcomes across the full music ecosystem - from emerging artists to established professionals, metropolitan live music venues to regional communities, and from First Nations leadership to career pathways and audience development for young people.

The proposed new investment delivers funding across six key priority areas: artist and industry grants; First Nations industry development; regional industry development; SA music industry sector development; audience development for local original music; and music career pathways for young people.

“South Australia is a small but powerful music industry. We have some of Australia’s most talented artists and bands, but they need to be nurtured to be industry-ready, and they need sustainable pathways to connect to national and international networks and industry," MusicSA CEO, Christine Schloithe, said.

"Play It LOUD delivers the solid building blocks the local music industry needs to grow and thrive right now.”

Chair of MusicSA, John Glenn, added: "While we value the investment the South Australian contemporary music industry receives, the reality is music industry funding is very small and has not been adjusted in over a decade. Our local industry is falling behind other states and jurisdictions because it’s under-funded.

"South Australian music contributes significantly to the state’s economy – we have proven that. We are asking for a fairer playing field for an industry that was hardest hit during the pandemic and it still doing it just as tough.”

The policy has been developed through extensive consultation with metropolitan and regional artists, music businesses, venues and festivals, and is grounded in industry surveys, economic modelling and state and federal policy reports. It aligns closely with the South Australian Government’s 10-year cultural policy, A Place to Create, and reinforces contemporary music’s role in delivering South Australia’s aspirations for the future.