Why Broadcasters and Artists Alike Need amrap.org.au

Australia's music punches above its weight on the world stage, but at home it can be hard for new acts to be heard amongst industry titans.  

Community radio provides a place for up-and-coming artists to be heard, broadcasting around 37% Australian music, well above the required quota of 25%. 

Some community radio stations perform better still, for example Brisbane's 4ZZZ averages 60% of Aussie music content, and Sydney's FBi often exceeds both its 50% Australian music goal and its 25% Sydney music goal. 

Over 4.9 million people listen to community radio a week. Over a third are tuning in to hear music they can't hear elsewhere, and over a quarter are tuning in specifically for Australian music. That's a huge audience that might not be able to find their new faves on big streaming services or the more mainstream broadcasters. 

Community broadcasters can be strong advocates for Aussie music too, with 78% of volunteers saying they want to share their love of music, culture and the arts. 

Of course you can hear some chart-topping Aussies on commercial radio, and the ABC features an admirable proportion of local acts, ranging from 29% on ABC Jazz to 100% via Triple J Unearthed. 

But no plan to promote Australian artists can ignore community radio. Revered indie label Spunk Records, which has been in operation for over 25 years, put it perfectly in a recent interview with The Music, 

“Without community radio, Spunk wouldn’t have lasted five years. Anyone who works in public radio or runs a show, they don’t know how much they have helped artists/labels like mine.” 

That's where amrap.org.au (AMRAP) comes in. AMRAP is a website designed to make sure that Australian acts of all sizes, especially newcomers, can reach ears across the nation via community radio by giving broadcasters access to high quality audio and artist information that helps them to decide who to air. 

For Alice Springs station 8CCC, known for its dedication to airing local talent, AMRAP is an essential part of that commitment and a massive quality-of-life boost for volunteer broadcasters. Station Manager Benjamin Erin had this to say, 

“AMRAP creates a simple platform to connect with a huge amount of artists - without it we would not be able to engage at the same level. (It also) allows our presenters to access broadcast quality music while discovering and championing Australian artists.” 

All this is available for free to artists, regardless of their background or the size of their profile, and community broadcasters. 

Award-winning singer, songwriter and producer Jen Cloher spoke to APRA AMCOS and said that AMRAP was a must for anyone trying to be heard on community radio. 

“It can save you a lot of time and put your music in front of the people you need to hear it the most.” 

What can community broadcasters do? 

Sign up for a Broadcaster account on amrap.org.au and start searching for the genres and acts your listeners want to hear. 
 

What can artists do? 

Sign up for an Artist account on amrap.org.au, fill out your profile, upload your music and get in touch with broadcasters who can get your music out there.