Sounds Australia
Sounds Australia is the only national organization solely dedicated to music export in Australia, operating under APRA AMCOS custodianship. It provides free international showcase opportunities, networking events, and export readiness programs to Australian artists, funded by government and industry partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersSydney, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sounds Australia does
Sounds Australia, founded in 2009, is the only national organization solely dedicated to music export in Australia. It is operated under the custodianship of APRA AMCOS — a peak music industry body — which provides strategic, administrative, and management support, with governance oversight from the APRA Board. The organization is headquartered in Sydney within APRA AMCOS offices and operates with a small core team of approximately five named producers led by Executive Producer Esti Zilber. Its mission is to accelerate Australian music export by creating additional international performance opportunities, facilitating industry networking, and delivering capacity-building programs for artists and music professionals.
The organization's core products comprise international showcase opportunities at major festivals (SXSW, The Great Escape, Reeperbahn, CMA Fest, AmericanaFest, Jazzahead!, Bangkok Music City), tailored networking events for Australian and international music industry, export readiness workshops delivered domestically across Australian states in partnership with state music organizations, an Inbound Export Program bringing international delegates to Australia, and a Global Gig Guide directory tool. Underlying technology is minimal and operational rather than proprietary: streaming playlists across multiple services, an online application portal for showcases, and online networking portals for conferences.
The business model is a non-profit / government-and-industry funded partnership. Sounds Australia does not charge artists or industry professionals for its services. Funding flows from principle partners including Creative Australia (formerly Australia Council for the Arts), APRA AMCOS, ARIA, PPCA, Music Australia, and the Office For The Arts, with additional state-level contributions from Creative Victoria, Government of South Australia, Arts Queensland, and Create NSW, and federal support from DFAT and the Department of Communications and the Arts. Strategic non-financial partnerships with genre associations (Folk Alliance Australia, Americana Music Australia), industry bodies (AIR, AAM, AMC), and increasingly with platform partners (YouTube Music) and diplomatic partners (ASEAN-Australia Centre, Australian High Commission UK) extend operational reach.
Sounds Australia firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sounds Australia
- Legal name
- Sounds Australia
- Website
- https://soundsaustralia.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Sounds Australia is the only national organization solely dedicated to music export in Australia, operating under APRA AMCOS custodianship. It provides free international showcase opportunities, networking events, and export readiness programs to Australian artists, funded by government and industry partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sounds Australia industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Export Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Other Sound Recording Industries (51229)
- SIC
- Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Production Management & Studio Support Services (Studio Managers, Techs) (MPAIAHAO)
Keywords
Where Sounds Australia is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sydney
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sounds Australia business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Government and Industry Funding: Sounds Australia is funded through a partnership of federal and state government agencies and industry bodies including Creative Australia (formerly Australia Council for the Arts), APRA AMCOS, ARIA, PPCA, and various state music offices. The organization does not charge artists for its services.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Sounds Australia product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sounds Australia provides free music export support services to Australian artists and music industry professionals, including international showcase performance opportunities at major global festivals, tailored networking events with international industry contacts, capacity-building export readiness workshops, and inbound programs bringing international delegates to Australia. All services are funded by a partnership of federal and state government agencies and peak music industry bodies, and are delivered at no cost to participants.
Product overview
Sounds Australia is a service-based organization offering a unified portfolio of music export support services. Its core offerings include international showcase opportunities (International Performance Opportunities, THE AUSSIE BBQ event series), professional networking facilitation (Networking Events), capacity building (Export Readiness Workshops, professional development), and inbound programs (Inbound Export). The organization also provides comprehensive resource services including Export Guidance (funding, visas, carnets, insurance, tax), the Global Gig Guide directory tool, and the Inside Sounds Newsletter. All services work together to advance Australian music sector export success globally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- THE AUSSIE BBQ: Australian music showcase event series, including THE AUSSIE BBQ NYC and THE AUSSIE BBQ CMA Fest
- Sounds Australia Selects
- Australia House
- Taste of Australia
- Made In SA
Products and services
- International Performance Opportunities Showcases at international events that elevate Australian talent, creating opportunities for artists to perform in front of key international industry professionals beyond their official festival slots.
- Networking Events Tailored networking events for Australian and global music industry to connect at international conferences and festivals, facilitating partnerships and business development.
- Export Readiness Workshops In-person and online workshops covering strategic foundations for music export, including data analysis, rights management, showcase preparation, budgets, tax, and visa requirements across Australian cities.
- Inbound Export Program Platform bringing international music industry to Australia, facilitating cultural exchange and providing opportunities for Australian artists to perform for international visitors on home soil.
- THE AUSSIE BBQ Showcase Series Signature showcase event series presenting Australian artists at major international music markets including New York City, CMA Fest Nashville, and other global locations.
- Global Gig Guide Directory tool enabling discovery of Australian artists performing around the world, organized by country and US state, allowing users to explore international shows and submit missing gigs.
- Export Guidance Resources Comprehensive guidance covering funding opportunities, visa requirements, ATA carnets, insurance, tax advice, and performance royalties for international touring.
- Inside Sounds Newsletter Monthly newsletter delivering music export news, events, opportunities, and industry updates straight to subscriber inboxes.
Companies that use Sounds Australia
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sounds Australia technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sounds Australia partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- APRA AMCOScoreAPRA AMCOS serves as custodian of Sounds Australia, providing strategic, administrative and management support. The APRA Board and Board Committees provide governance, and the Sounds Australia team reports directly to CEO Dean Ormston.
- AIR (Australian Independent Record Labels Association)minorNon-financial strategic partnership providing artists and music businesses strengthened support and in-market infrastructure.
- AAM (Association of Artist Managers)minorNon-financial strategic partnership supporting artist managers in the export process.
- AMC (Australian Music Centre)minorNon-financial strategic partnership providing support for Australian music businesses.
- Folk Alliance AustraliaminorNon-financial strategic partnership for folk music genre support.
- Americana Music Australia (AMA)minorNon-financial strategic partnership for Americana music genre support.
- MusicNSWminorState music organization partnering on Export Readiness Workshops delivery in New South Wales.
- MusicSAminorState music organization partnering on Export Readiness Workshops delivery in South Australia.
- Q MusicminorState music organization partnering on Export Readiness Workshops delivery in Queensland.
- Victorian Music Development OfficeminorState music organization partnering on Export Readiness Workshops delivery in Victoria.
- West Australian MusicminorState music organization partnering on Export Readiness Workshops delivery in Western Australia.
- ASEAN-Australia CentreminorSupporting Sounds Australia's AXEAN Festival Trade Mission and Indonesian Market Workshops.
- ASEAN-Australia CentreminorSupporting Sounds Australia's activity in Singapore for Music Matters Live 2026.
- Australian High Commission UKminorPartnering with Sounds Australia on The Great Escape 2026 showcases.
- Tourism AustraliaminorPartnering with Sounds Australia on The Great Escape 2026 showcases.
- QantasminorSupporting THE AUSSIE BBQ NYC 2026 event as airline partner.
- The SeaportminorPresenting partner for THE AUSSIE BBQ NYC 2026 event in New York.
- Box Sociaal JordaanminorVenue hosting Australia House activation at Amsterdam Dance Event 2026.
- Association of Artist ManagersminorPartnership on MUSICMEX Trade Mission delivery.
- ARIAminorPartnership with Sounds Australia and AIR on A2IM Indie Week 2026 delegation.
- PPCAminorPartnership with Sounds Australia and AIR on A2IM Indie Week 2026 delegation.
- YouTube MusicminorJoint presentation of Indonesian Market Workshops with Sounds Australia, providing insights on the Indonesian music landscape and streaming strategies.
- SuneaterminorIndonesian label and publisher director Kukuh Rizal Arfianto joining YouTube Music and Sounds Australia workshops.
- MDO SAminorSupporting Made In SA Showcase alongside MusicSA, Sounds Australia, and AIR/Indie-Con.
- AIR Indie-ConminorHost venue for Made In SA Showcase at the final night of AIR Indie-Con.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sounds Australia competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Iceland Music Export (IMX): Iceland's national music export initiative. Operates showcases at international events and provides industry development programs — directly comparable in mandate, structure, and funding model to Sounds Australia.
- Music Norway: Norwegian national music export organization. Runs showcase programming and export readiness support with mixed public/industry funding — same structural model as Sounds Australia targeting a different national roster.
- NZ Music Commission: New Zealand's national music export development agency, funded by government and industry. Directly comparable in scope: national-scale, government-backed, focused on placing local artists at international showcase festivals and trade missions.
- Music Finland: National export body for Finnish music. Closely comparable mission and structure: government/industry-funded, runs international showcases (e.g., at SXSW, The Great Escape), trade missions, and export readiness programs for Finnish artists.
- Wide Days: Scottish music export conference/showcase organizer. Comparable as a publicly-supported music export show that connects international industry with local Scottish talent — a smaller-market analogue of Sounds Australia's showcase format.
Broad incumbents
- IMPALA (Independent Music Companies Association): European association of independent music companies, with cross-border export and development programs. Operates at a pan-European level rather than Sounds Australia's single-country focus, but covers analogous export-facilitation activities.
- UK Music: UK industry's umbrella body that advocates for and develops the British music sector, including export-related activity. Larger and broader than Sounds Australia, but covers overlapping export-development territory within a much bigger market.
- Canadian Music Association / Music Canada: Canadian music industry trade association with international export programming. Larger and broader mandate than Sounds Australia, but operates with comparable federally-supported music export objectives.
Emerging players
- Bangkok Music City: Southeast Asian showcase festival modeled after Western formats (e.g., The Great Escape). Increasingly a destination Sounds Australia's artists are sent to (source showing Sounds Australia showcase at Bangkok Music City 2027). Similar export/showcase function for a different geography.
Regional players
- South Australian Music Industry Development Office (Music SA): State-level Australian music industry body that actually partners with Sounds Australia. Sub-national peer operating in the same Australian ecosystem with a smaller geographic scope.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sounds Australia social profiles
Digital presenceSounds Australia financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sounds Australia leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Sounds Australia funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sounds Australia M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sounds Australia
What does Sounds Australia do?
Sounds Australia provides free music export support services to Australian artists and music industry professionals, including international showcase performance opportunities at major global festivals, tailored networking events with international industry contacts, capacity-building export readiness workshops, and inbound programs bringing international delegates to Australia. All services are funded by a partnership of federal and state government agencies and peak music industry bodies, and are delivered at no cost to participants.
Is Sounds Australia a public or private company?
Sounds Australia is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Sounds Australia founded?
Sounds Australia was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Sounds Australia based?
Sounds Australia is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Sounds Australia make money?
One revenue line is on record: government and Industry Funding.
Who are Sounds Australia's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Iceland Music Export (IMX), Music Norway, NZ Music Commission, Music Finland and Wide Days. Broad incumbents are IMPALA (Independent Music Companies Association), UK Music and Canadian Music Association / Music Canada. Bangkok Music City is listed as an emerging player. South Australian Music Industry Development Office (Music SA) is listed as a regional player.
Does Sounds Australia have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sounds Australia.
What industry is Sounds Australia in?
Sounds Australia's product category is Music Export Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAHAO, Production Management & Studio Support Services (Studio Managers, Techs). Its NAICS code is 512 and its SIC code is 8744.