Australia moves to boost local content on streaming platforms – but not music, for now
Streaming services in Australia will soon be required to invest in homegrown content, opening new opportunities for local creators and storytellers.
Australia is taking steps to ensure streaming platforms invest more in local production. According to an announcement from the Australian Government, it plans legislation requiring any streaming service with more than one million Australian subscribers to spend at least 10% of their total Australian expenditure or 7.5% of their revenue on new domestic content: drama, documentaries, children’s shows, arts and educational programmes.
The change is part of a policy called Revive, which aims to make Australian stories more visible – no matter which screen you’re watching from. There were no such obligations for streaming services before, even though free-to-air TV already has local-content rules.
Tony Burke, the Minister for the Arts, emphasised how important it is for Australians to see themselves on screen: “We should never underestimate how important it is for Australians to see themselves on screen. It helps us to better understand ourselves, our neighbours better and allows the world to see us.” He added that the new rules will help ensure “that no matter which remote control you’re holding, Australian stories will be at your fingertips.”
Anika Wells, Minister for Communications, noted that many shows produced locally have already done well. She said, “Many streamers are already producing great Australian shows like Apple Cider Vinegar, The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Boy Swallows Universe; this announcement makes sure shows like these continue to be part of our national identity.”
This obligation includes post-production work being done in Australia. APRA AMCOS boss Dean Ormston said, “With the ACTTS requirement for post-production to happen in Australia, there is now a huge opportunity for the next generation of local productions to celebrate the extraordinary depth of Australian screen composition talent and sync music, truly ‘Ausifying’ the soundtrack.”
Music Ally views this news from an interesting angle, noting the potential impact on the music industry and community. Although the proposals target video streaming services rather than music platforms, this move raises the question: might similar obligations come for music-streaming in future? Canada has already seen debate around revenue levies and content quotas for music, with tension between supporting local creators and the costs such levies may impose.
Looking further afield, there are also stories about how local artists dominate charts in Europe even when they do not always enjoy global reach. That illustrates how policy, popularity, and local investment intersect to shape what listeners hear.
This push in Australia may not change music-streaming rules overnight, but it’s a signal that governments are thinking more about how streaming contributes to local culture, rather than treating it as borderless by default.