Recipients have been announced for Good Music Neighbours - a matched funding program for sound management in Victorian live music venues.

Recipients have been announced for Good Music Neighbours - a matched funding program for sound management in Victorian live music venues.

Twenty-six Victorian music venues are preparing to turn up the volume - without disturbing their neighbours - thanks to grants totalling $279,897 through the Victorian Government's new Good Music Neighbours program.
The inaugural grant recipients for the program were announced today, providing grants to support live music venues to undertake building projects - or seek advice - to manage sound in, and outside, of their premises.  
Grants will enable venues to undertake a variety of projects, from obtaining specialist acoustic advice, to the installation of double-glazing, sound absorbing furnishings or air locked doors, and technology upgrades to improve sound quality at a lower volume.

THE AFTER PARTY NOW SOLD OUT

We're so excited to announce that The After Party for The Age Music Victoria Awards is now officially SOLD OUT!

Thanks to everyone who bought a ticket, it's going to be a special night for Victorian music.

If you want to vote in the awards you can do so at theage.com.au/agemusicvictoriaawards

For more information on The After Party and the performers please click here.

Music Victoria survey ensures music is high on the agenda at local council elections

Does your council do enough to support contemporary music in your local area? Do you know which candidates in your municipality in the 2016 Victorian Local Council elections support music?

Do not fear, music lovers - Music Victoria has done the work for you.

In the lead up to the 2016 Victorian Local Council elections on 22 October, Music Victoria has conducted an online survey of candidates (over 2,000 across 79 municipalities), asking them to outline their awareness of the issues facing the music industry in their municipalities and initiatives to support music and engage with their local music communities.

SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC and VOTE SMART this council election

Thank you to all the candidates who responded with such goodwill to our 2016 Victorian Local Council Elections Candidate Survey!

Music Victoria has once again surveyed around 2000 candidates across 79 electorates to connect potential councillors with music loving communities state wide.

This is your chance to ascertain who gives a damn in your electorate before you cast your vote! Do you know which candidates in your municipality will support initiatives that are good for music?

The survey gave candidates an opportunity to talk a little about music policy and strategies they may be aware of or think would be a good idea, and their knowledge of any local issues affecting their local music community.

We're Hiring: Project Coordinator - Music Industry Development Program

Project Coordinator – Music Industry Development Program

• Position: Project Coordinator – Live Music Industry Development Program
• Organisation: Contemporary Music Victoria Inc. (Music Victoria)
• Hours: Part-time, 19 hours / 2.5 days per week (0.5 FTE)
• Tenure: November 2016 to 30 June 2019 (including a 3 month probation period)
• Working from Music Victoria Office in South Melbourne
• Applications to info@musicvictoria.com.au by 4pm on Friday 21 October 2016

NOMINEES ANNOUNCED AND PUBLIC VOTING NOW OPEN - THE AGE MUSIC VICTORIA AWARDS

The Age Music Victoria Awards celebrates its 11^th year, as part of the Melbourne Music Week program on Wednesday 16 November. Nominees have been revealed and public voting now is open until 4 November.

The Age Music Victoria Awards are one of the largest publicly voted music awards in the country. Nominees in the 11 genre specific awards, including best country, blues and world music, were voted upon by a select panel of industry experts and have also been announced with the full list of nominees available here.

It’s been an exciting 12 months for Victorian Music with festivals, venues, new releases, debut albums, reformations and new artists making outstanding contributions to the strength and diversity of the Victorian music community.  
 
Among this year's nominees, there's some amazingly talented new entries notably in the Emerging Artist category with Cable Ties, Camp Cope, Alice Ivy, Alex Lahey and Loose Tooth, while hip hop, alt-country, blues and post-punk genres have been well represented across several categories, highlighting the state's vibrant music scene.
 
2016, sees the return of regular category favourites Best Live Band, Best Album, Best Song, and a change to the Best Venue category to represent the smaller venues with a capacity under 500, and the larger venues with a capacity over 500.

CEO Report - September 2016

G'day members and subscribers,

Some of you would have returned recently from BIGSOUND in Brisbane, where more than half of the bands showcasing were from Victoria. It was great to catch up with so many of you at our annualVic Music Mixer.

It was also promising to hear - 12 months on from Pitchfork editor Jessica Hopper’s revelatory 2015 BIGSOUND keynote about sexism in the music industry - some of the initiatives being launched to address it.
This year Music Victoria’s Chloe Turner spoke on a panel called Power Hungry: the Call of the Equal Gender representation from Artistry to Industry. She spoke about Music Victoria’s gender diversity statement, where we aspire to a 40% gender target on our Committee of Management (which is currently comprised of 50% women), panels and in other activities. Our Women in Contemporary Victorian Music survey indicated that confidence was an issue for some women in music, so with some advice from our Women’s Advisory Panel we are running a panel at the Northcote Town Hall for the upcoming Darebin Music Feast on 3 November 2016 called You Can’t Be What You Can’t See: Confidence in the Music Industry. See more information on our work with gender diversity here.

Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society announce latest Blues challenge

Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society have announced their latest blues challenge! If you're a blues artist check out all the info via their website: http://www.mbas.org.au/

Forte Mag - This State We're In #2

Great people of FORTE, g’day!  I had a blast putting together the first State We’re In colum in September, thanks for giving #2 a graze.  Things have stepped into overdrive at Music Victoria in the lead up to The Age Music Victoria Awards and The After Party at 170 Russell, Melbourne on 16 November 2016.  There are still some tickets available for what will be a cracking night showcasing Victoria’s over achievers in contemporary music.  Earlier in the night, awards will be dished out to the finest purveyors and hosts of live music in the lands, including Best Regional Act, Best Regional Venue, Best Festival and many more.  Voting opens to the public (including YOU!) on 7 October 2016 and closes 4 November 2016.  Help your fav artist, venue, festival, song or album up by having your say.  And, of course, come along to The After Party for a mid-week boogaloo for the ages. 

The Drunken Poet Celebrates 10th Birthday

Our venue partners The Drunken Poet are turning 10! They have a week long celebration organised beginning Tuesday!

Check out all the details on their website here.

Melbourne Music Week unveil their hub location

HUGE!
We're so excited to be involved with Melbourne Music Week this year withThe Age Music Victoria Awards and The After Party - feat. Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Camp Cope, Tash Sultana + more taking place right smack bang in the middle.

What a stellar first announcement.

More info here.

The Australian Music Consumer Report 2016

Some promising stats in a new report out by Eventbrite.

"Within the live music sector, we are seeing sustained growth in attendance of gigs and music festivals. Between 2008-2014 Australia saw a 42% increase in revenue from live performances and a 17% increase in attendance. Looking at the festivals market, we have seen a shift away from the larger mass market festivals, to more boutique offerings that offer a lot more than just a musical experience."

Read more here.