Less Than $6,000 a Year: Australian Musicians Fight for a Living Wage

A study of professional musicians in Australia has revealed that nearly half of them earn yearly incomes well below the national poverty line and many also have to cope with abuse while performing.
The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) is a union and professional organisation representing workers in the media, entertainment, and arts industries in Australia. Membership includes journalists, actors, dancers, and musicians.
MEAA advocates for the rights and interests of its members, including fair wages, safe working conditions, and professional standards.
A recently commissioned survey released by MEAA offshoot, Musicians Australia, revealed that half the country’s musicians earned less than $6,000 (US$3,900) a year in 2023, while a 64 percent majority earned less than $15,000 per annum.
MEAA campaigns director, Paul Davies, said the survey paints a bleak picture.
“This confirms that musicians are the face of Australia’s insecure work crisis,” he said, adding that many were struggling to get by in an unregulated industry.
“Our members are telling us that conditions have worsened since the pandemic as converging issues ranging from venues closing or imposing rigid, one-sided fee arrangements, drying up, poor working conditions, and general cost of living concerns which is threatening their viability in the industry,” Mr. Davies said.
“The majority of musicians work multiple jobs and make sacrifices to pursue their music careers, having to fund their projects and artistic development, and that’s on top of supporting themselves and their families.”
The survey does not make for encouraging reading for those looking to forge a music career, with around two-thirds of musicians supplementing their income with work outside of the entertainment business.
Eighty-two percent of those taking the survey also reported not receiving any superannuation, something Mr. Davies said was “a right for all workers.”
Gigs are often unpaid, as a musician may take them on as an avenue to achieve greater exposure.
However, for some, poor working conditions were taking a toll on health and wellbeing. The MEAA reported that 62 percent of those surveyed experienced bullying, discrimination, and harassment when performing a gig.
Award-winning folk musician and federal president of the MEAA, Kimberley Wheeler, said via a media release that she had been forced to pivot to work outside the industry to get by as it only covered half of her annual income.
“It’s a trade-off I wish I didn’t have to make but it’s now harder than ever to make a decent living as a working musician,” Ms. Wheeler said, adding that musicians were often treated with contempt.
“It is not properly acknowledged that what we do is an occupation. Musicians are typically treated as having a lesser right to earn income than other earners in the music industry. We operate as businesses. We need to earn a living wage, not pocket money.
“Most organisations are unwilling to negotiate terms or operation models. I don’t think it has to be this way.”
Arts Minister Tony Burke has initiated an inquiry to look into the industry, something Mr. Davies thinks is pertinent, given the decline of the hospitality sector which is the main platform for professional musicians.
“The announcement of an inquiry, which comes in the wake of venues closing and cancellations of some of Australia’s most established and successful music festivals, is timely,” Mr. Davies said.
In late 2021, Musicians Australia launched a minimum fee scheme whereby a musician is paid at least $250 for a publicly funded gig.
South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory have publicly endorsed the fee. Only Tasmania has yet to impose the regulation, with the MEAA actively campaigning to have it endorsed.
The fee is set out in the “Fair Work Award” and guarantees that an artist is paid at least $150-200 for a three hour  performance plus additional money to cover travel and meal costs and set up time.
Currently, the minimum fee only covers tax-payer-funded performances, but Mr. Davies hopes it will provide the impetus for a rollout across the commercial sector.
“There’s more we can do within the industry to set up win-win scenarios where the venue operator and the musicians can benefit. It’s a matter of public interest that we have a viable live music industry in Australia,” Mr. Davies said.
“A sustainable music industry must support musicians as well as good music businesses.”