Amrap Funding Extended

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, has announced that the government will provide an additional $250,000 to ensure the Australian Music Radio Airplay Project (Amrap) continues for a further six months.

Amrap is a community radio initiative that distributes and promotes new Australian music to community radio stations Nationwide. Amrap provides vital community radio services that enable community broadcasters to promote new Australian music both on air and online. Amrap gathers up great new Australian music, distributes it to community radio for airplay, empowers broadcasters to promote Australian musicians through station websites and social media, and reports results back to musicians and royalty collection agencies.

"The additional funding will ensure that Australian musicians and community broadcasters can continue to access Amrap's services, pending consideration of the project's long term funding in the 2013-14 Budget," Senator Conroy said. "Amrap has successfully increased the amount of Australian music receiving airplay by working closely with Australian musicians and community broadcasters."

The CBAA remains optimistic that longer term funding for Amrap will be delivered in the next Federal budget.

AMRAP is a program that:

• provides regular and targeted distribution of new Australian music to community radio stations;
• produces and distributes radio content that promotes Australian music;
• provides online resources for artists; and
• undertakes other activities that support Australian music.

Since July 2008 Amrap has:

• Facilitated a 5% jump in Australian music airplay on community radio nationally, to a new average of 37%.
• Provided AirIt and the CD Mailout music distribution services to 1,500+ broadcasters from 300+ stations and 3,000+ Australian musicians.
• Distributed 90,000+ music files through AirIt and an additional 70,000 CD units to stations with limited online access.
• Trained over 900 broadcasters to use the AMRAP Pages to promote Australian music through station websites.
• Launched AMRAP Pages for 700+ radio programs, displaying 150,000 Australian music tracks and 50,000+ Australian music videos.
• Supported 25 community stations to deliver grant funded contemporary Australian music projects including live music recordings.
• Conducted workshops for over 150 community radio stations and thousands of musicians to increase Australian music airplay and online promotions through community radio.