Streaming Algorithms Pose a Growing Threat to Australian Music
Last weekend, music enthusiasts across the nation tuned into Triple J for the 33rd annual Hottest 100 countdown. This event, often dubbed "the world's largest musical democracy", saw over two million votes cast for favourite songs from the past year. While Australian artists secured five spots in the top ten, this achievement was partly influenced by a new voting filter allowing selections exclusively from local talent.
Declining Presence on Charts and Streams
Despite this radio success, the broader picture for Australian music is concerning. On the national ARIA charts, not a single Australian song reached the top 20 in 2025. In fact, Taylor Swift had more entries in the top 40 than all Australian artists combined. Research from The Australia Institute indicates a significant drop in streams for local music between 2021 and 2024.
Among the top 10,000 streams on major platforms, the presence of Australian artists fell by approximately 25 percent, with stream counts declining by about 30 percent. Of the top 100 artists streamed in Australia in 2024, only five were Australian, many being established acts like AC/DC and The Wiggles from pre-streaming eras.
The Algorithmic Challenge for Local Talent
Streaming services operate fundamentally differently from traditional radio. Instead of local DJs curating playlists, algorithms determine what users hear based on data from masses of listeners with similar tastes. These algorithms filter for language but ignore geography or culture, placing most Australian listeners into an English-language pool dominated by the United States.
This system benefits countries with unique national languages, such as Germany or Italy, where algorithms promote domestic artists. Denmark, with just 5.5 million Danish speakers, sees local-language music dominate its charts. However, for Australia, the sheer volume of American content means English-language algorithms overwhelmingly recommend US favourites, squeezing out Australian artists.
Economic Impacts and Policy Considerations
The research also highlights that while the Australian music industry's overall revenue has grown, the share going to local artists has decreased. Although streaming offers unprecedented reach, success stories remain rare, with many new artists struggling to gain traction even in lower streaming tiers.
Current regulations require top 40 radio stations to play at least 25 percent Australian music, with Triple J exceeding its self-imposed 40 percent quota. Yet streaming services face no such mandates. This disparity raises questions about whether policy intervention is needed to support local content on digital platforms, similar to past government actions like the News Media Bargaining Code or social media age restrictions.
Without such measures, global tech companies will continue to shape musical tastes, making it increasingly difficult for Australians to access music that reflects their unique cultural identity.
