Australia and New Zealand's songwriter society had its biggest year ever, and it is worried anyway. APRA AMCOS released its FY26 Year in Review on October 20, 2026, reporting record group revenue of A$857.4 million, up 8.8% on the previous year, alongside a warning that local music is getting harder to find on the streaming platforms where fans discover it.
The money
Net Distributable Revenue, the money actually paid out to members and rightsholders, grew 10.6% to A$755.7 million, up from A$683.4 million, outpacing revenue growth, according to the society. Music Ally put the headline revenue figure at about US$599.8 million at current exchange rates. APRA's own revenue reached A$557.2 million in its centenary year, and its international income hit an all-time high of A$103.2 million. Group international revenue has grown from A$47.3 million in FY19 to A$107.3 million in FY26.
APRA AMCOS credits that overseas growth to the global reach of Australian and New Zealand music, citing Ninajirachi's international festival run and the TV series Bluey, which topped Nielsen's US most-streamed programs in 2025 and was the No. 2 show halfway through 2026.
Digital was again the largest revenue source, at 53% of the total and up 12.5%. Subscription video services such as Netflix, Disney+ and Apple TV+ grew 25.7% to A$113.8 million. Public performance revenue through OneMusic rose 10.9%, helped by concerts, fitness and restaurants, with restaurants up 75%. The report also says fans are spending on big, high-priced events like AC/DC, Ed Sheeran and Oasis, leaving softer sales and more price sensitivity for mid-tier tours and smaller festivals. The society's expense to revenue ratio fell to 11.86% from 13.26%.
The warning
“More than 91% of the music Australians streamed in FY26 was imported,” APRA AMCOS reported. Local content has fallen 37.5% in five years to 8.5% of streaming, and to 3.6% on user-generated content platforms. In New Zealand, 96% of streaming went to international creators, and local members held 1.7% of user-generated content consumption. Actual streams of local members' music on those platforms fell about 28% year on year, even as overall consumption grew, The Music Network reported.
“If the current trend continues, Australian members’ share of streaming is on track to fall to close to 5% within the next five years. It’s a devastating statistic,” said CEO Dean Ormston, citing a 2025 report from The Australia Institute. “If audiences cannot discover local music on the platforms they use every day, we break the chain that takes an artist from their first listener to community radio, the live stage and an international career.”
Ormston said the society has been pushing for a federal live music tax incentive and “minimum Australian music requirements for every platform.” On AI, he restated its line to government on the Copyright Act: “Our position remains clear and simple: permission and payment.” APRA AMCOS represents more than 135,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers.