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Community radio is the backbone of new Australian music. Now, community radio has been backed to continue and grow their great work for new Australian music with a significant new investment from Music Australia.

450 community radio stations are powered by up to 18,000 volunteers who love sharing Australian music with more than 5 million listeners every week. Between them, stations broadcast over 390,000 hours of Australian music a year — more than any other media in the country.

The recent Community Music Radio: Building the Music-Media Ecosystem (2023–2026) study by Monash University and Griffith University found community radio generates an estimated $38.9 million in airplay value each year, plus a further $14.7 million in flow-on ticket, merchandise and music sales for Australian artists.

Music Australia is backing stations to build on this work, with $1.71 million in small grants now available through the new Community Radio Hubs program.

The grants are designed for stations with a strong track record of supporting local musicians and promoting new Australian music. Successful stations will use the funding to deliver six music development events or activities, giving local artists more opportunities and audiences more ways to discover new Australian music.

Up to 35 stations can receive funding, helping grow their role as local music hubs and strengthening connections between artists, audiences, live music venues and the wider community.