Queensland Music Industry Basics: People, Businesses and Markets

Abstract

'Creative industries' is a new category in academic, policy and industry discourse. It can claim to capture significant 'new economy' enterprise dynamics that such terms as 'the arts,' 'media', and ‘cultural industries’ do not. The United Kingdom’s Creative Industries Mapping Document (Creative Industries Task Force, 1999 & 2001) defined creative industries as 'activities which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have the potential for wealth and job creation through generation and exploitation of intellectual property'. These activities include: Advertising, Architecture, Arts and Antique Markets, Crafts, Design, Designer Fashion, Film, Interactive Leisure Software, Music, Television and Radio, Performing Arts, Publishing, and Software. This is a useful starting point, but further work is required in order to inform R & D strategies and policy settings suited to Australia. Academic research has placed the economic and social benefits of creativity on the policy agenda. This theme has been developed into cultural policies, typically entailing the application of neoclassical economics to the arts. An historical shift away from subsidised 'public arts' and broadcast-era media, and towards creativity, is under way. In order to understand this transition — and provide a basis for evidential policy making and evaluation — empirical data at national and state levels is essential. The Music Industry Development and Brisbane’s future as a Creative City report, by Flew et al. (2001) was a preliminary attempt to quantify the creative industries in a geographical area. Based on secondary data and selected structured interviews, it highlighted planning and, in particular, zoning issues as the barriers to development. However it is worth noting that the focus of the study was Brisbane and popular music. Building on that work, the current report has examined a range of functions in the Queensland music industry, including music performance, recording, publicity, venues, record production and distribution, recording studios, manufacturing, distribution and retail. It has also looked at Queensland music venues and othersites for the production and distribution of music, such as festivals. The primary focus of the project was upon music activities taking place with the geographical region of Queensland, although it was recognised that the music industry is networked regionally, nationally, and internationally. It is part of an ongoing wider study to map the creative industries in Queensland1 (see Appendix B for a description of the sample database and questionnaire). The current report provides, for the first time, a definitive empirical basis for policy making and evaluation at local regional and state levels. It also provides an insight into the interrelationships in the industry in Queensland. 'Queensland's Music Industry: The Basics' is the first of a series of publications to support the general understanding and development of the creative industries in Queensland.2 1 The study, 'Creative Industries in Queensland: Cluster mapping and value chain analysis', by S. Cunningham, J. Hartley, G. Hearn and J. Radbourne, is funded by an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant. 2 The two additional reports are: 'Queensland Music Industry Value Web: From the Margins to the Mainstream' by I. Rogers, A. Ninan, G. Hearn, S. Cunningham and S. Luckman. CIRAC, Queensland University of Technology, 2004; 'Queensland Music Industry Trends: Independence Day?' by A. Ninan, K. Oakley and G. Hearn. CIRAC, Queensland University of Technology, 2004.

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