See also
- Independent record labels
- List of links at Indie (disambiguation)#Music
| Abbreviation | AIR |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1996 |
| Founders | Ed Jonker, Michael McMichael, Sebastian Chase, Graeme Reagan [1] |
| Founded at | Sydney, Australia |
| Type | Trade association |
| Legal status | Australian public company [2] |
| Location | |
| Website | AIR |
The Australian Independent Record Labels Association (commonly known as AIR), formerly Association of Independent Record Labels, is a non-profit trade association which supports the growth and development of Australia's independent recording industry. It represents Australian-owned record labels and independent artists based in Australia who function without the backing of major record labels.
AIR was founded in 1996 in Sydney and is now located in Melbourne. In 2000, it founded the Independent Music Charts, also known as AIR Charts, which track the sales of Australia's highest-selling independent artists on a weekly and monthly basis, and since 2006 the annual Independent Music Awards, or AIR Awards, have been run to celebrate the year's highest-charting independently released Australian singles and albums.
AIR was started by a group of Sydney and Melbourne music industry professionals and labels, who began meeting regularly to formulate ideas on how to start an industry association that would assist the ongoing development of Australia's independent record industry. The association was incorporated in 1996 thanks to a small donation from Phantom Records, and received its first operation funding grant from the Australia Council for the Arts in 1998.[ citation needed ]
Additional Australia Council funding was received in 2000, and in this same year, members also voted to change AIR's legal status from Incorporated Association to Company Limited by Guarantee. [3]
AIR moved its base from Sydney, New South Wales, to Brisbane, Queensland, in 2004 when Stuart Watters (formerly of Q Music, Queensland's state music council) took over as its chief executive officer. In 2007 AIR moved its operations from Brisbane to Melbourne, Victoria, where it is now based in the Rubber Records and Media Arts Lawyers building in North Melbourne.[ citation needed ]
In 2009 it registered a collective bargaining notification to bargain on behalf of 63 participating members, with each of Telstra, Optus, Foxtel, Austar, MTV, XYZnetworks, Fuel TV (Australia) and Bigpond, regarding the licensing of sound recording rights in respect of public performance and transmission of music videos. [4] The application, which would last for three years, was approved. [5] The collective bargaining power brought a number of benefits to members. [6]
AIR began as a small association with 25 members to a company with over 200 financial members across all sectors of the Australian music industry. [3] AIR's membership of significant Australian Independent Record Labels includes but is not limited to Head Records, Shock Records, Elefant Traks, Obese Records, Dew Process, Liberation Music, Plus One Records, Remote Control Records, MGM Distribution, UNFD – We Are Unified, Ivy League Records, Vitamin Records, Eleven: A Music Company, Red Cat Records, Illusive Sounds, Future Classic, Casadeldisco Records and Jarrah Records. [7]
AIR is the national industry association representing "indie labels" in Australia, which aims to represent their members' interests both in Australia and elsewhere. With this sector of the recording industry representing about 85% of all Australian recorded music, AIR's primary role is growing the marketplace for this music. Representing their members individually and collectively is done through advocacy, negotiations, and helping with access to new markets internationally. It services businesses of all shapes and sizes, battles copyright violations and helps to develop artists' careers. [1] [3] AIR represents the Australian industry internationally as a member of Worldwide Independent Network (WIN), a coalition of independent music bodies from countries throughout the world. [8]
On 4 July 2008 AIR took part in WIN's Independents Day initiative, the first annual coordinated celebration of independent music across the world. As a major part of these celebrations AIR conducted an online poll for Australia's greatest independent records of all time. [9] [10]
In 2017, AIR commissioned Deloitte Access Economics to produce AIR Share: Australian Independent Music Market Report, the first market analysis of the industry, which showed that indie labels represented 30% of revenue generated by the Australian recorded music market. It also showed that 57% of independent sector revenue is from Australian artists, which put the Australian sector in the Top 10 global list of mainly English-speaking indie music markets. [11]
The report valued the Australian recording industry as worth A$399.4 million, sixth largest music market in the world in terms of revenue and ahead of countries with higher populations such as Canada and South Korea. Digital revenue, at 44%, had overtaken that coming from physical sales, at 33%. A spokesperson from the company Unified Music Group said that governments were beginning to recognise the financial and cultural worth of a thriving music industry, but there was still a big challenge for the independents to compete with well-funded tech companies that have an anti-copyright agenda. [12]
In 2000, AIR inaugurated the Independent Music Charts, which track the sales of Australia's highest selling independent artists. The top 20 independent singles and albums were published on a weekly basis, but genre charts for jazz, hip hop, blues and roots, hard rock/punk and country music were published once a month. [16]
When Jägermeister took over as major sponsor of the AIR Awards in 2008, they announced that AIR Charts would undergo some changes, including a new website, aimed at developing new audiences for Australian music, both in Australia and worldwide. [17] In 2010 a further three-year deal for sponsorship by Jägermeister was announced, with the awards renamed the Jägermeister Independent Music Awards and the charts Jägermeister Independent Music Charts. [18] When Carlton Dry took over the sponsorship in 2013, the charts were renamed the Carlton Dry Independent Music Charts. [19]
As of 2019 [update] , the AIR Charts include four categories and include the top 20 in each: 100% independent singles; 100% independent albums; independent label singles; and independent label albums. The lists are created by AIR from data supplied by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). [20] [21]
The AIR Charts differ from the ARIA Charts in that they focus on Australian artists represented only by Australian independent labels. As of 2019 [update] the monthly genre categories are no longer published The weekly charts, published on each Monday, feature the top 20 in each of the following categories: 100% Independent Singles; 100% Independent Albums; Independent Label Singles; and Independent Label Albums. [20] The distinction between the "100%" and "Label" categories were described in 2009 as follows: [22]
The top 50 of the AIR singles charts are also published by online industry magazine The Music Network, along with various other charts. [23]
Beginning in 2006, the AIR commenced the annual AIR Awards, celebrating the success of Australian independent music. [24]
The inaugural "Indie-Con Australia" music industry conference took place in July 2017 in Adelaide, to coincide with the 11th AIR Awards. [25] The conference has continued until 2019, with the support from the South Australian government. [26] (One article describes it as an "offshoot" of the Indie-Con UK conference, which is organised by Association of Independent Music AIM, but it appears to be independently run in Australia.) [25]
The conference was held at Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute in 2017, [27] at The Hindley (then part of the HQ complex in Hindley Street) in 2018 [28] and at Lot Fourteen in 2019. [25]
As of 2019 [update] , the City of Adelaide, the South Australian Tourism Commission and the South Australian Government through the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and the Music Development Office (MDO, in the Department of Innovation & Skills [29] )) are major sponsors of the Awards and Indie-Con. Supporting partners include the Australia Council, Moshtix, APRA/AMCOS, radio stations Fresh 92.7 and Radio Adelaide and others. [30]
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers (AARM) which was formed in 1956. It oversees the collection, administration and distribution of music licences and royalties.
The John Butler Trio are an Australian roots/rock band led by guitarist and vocalist John Butler, an APRA and ARIA-award-winning musician. They formed in Fremantle in 1998 with Jason McGann on drums, Gavin Shoesmith on bass and John Butler on vocals. By 2009, the trio consisted of Butler with Byron Luiters on bass and Nicky Bomba on drums and percussion, the latter being replaced by Grant Gerathy in 2013. After both Luiters and Gerathy exited the trio in early 2019, bassist OJ Newcomb and drummer Terepai Richmond joined the band, accompanied by touring musician Elana Stone on keyboards, percussion and backing vocals.
The Association of Independent Music (AIM) is a non-profit trade body established in 1998 by UK independent record labels to represent the independent record sector, which in 2016 constituted approximately 23% of the UK market. Its members include record labels, self-releasing artists and distributors.
Boomtown Records was an independent record label founded by Jaddan Comerford in October 2002 and based in Melbourne, Australia. In 2011 the label was rebranded with Staple Management to new company, UNFD.
Sneaky Sound System is an Australian dance music group formed in late 2001 by Angus McDonald on guitar, MC Double D on vocoder and vocals, Damien Hesse (DJ) and Nick Broadhurst on saxophone. They were joined in 2004 by Connie Mitchell (ex-Primary) on vocals; Downey left the band in September 2009, Hesse in 2005 and Broadhurst in 2006. On 12 August 2006, they released their self-titled debut studio album, which peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart in mid-November 2007 and was certified 3× platinum by December 2011, denoting shipments of 210,000 copies. The group's breakthrough single, "I Love It", which was issued on 8 July 2006, peaked at No. 24 on the ARIA Singles Chart and spent 73 weeks in the Top 100 – this broke the record as the longest charting single previously held by The Living End's 1997 hit, "Second Solution / Prisoner of Society", at 69 weeks. Their second studio effort, 2, which appeared on 16 August 2008, became their first number-one album. On 7 October 2011, From Here to Anywhere was released and reached at No. 11. At ARIA Music Awards ceremonies they have been nominated fourteen times winning twice in 2007 for Best Dance Release and Breakthrough Artist – Album for their eponymous album.
Christopher William Stoneking is an Australian blues singer-songwriter, guitarist and banjo player. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2009 Jungle Blues won Best Blues and Roots Album; he was also nominated for Best Male Artist, Breakthrough Artist – Album, Best Independent Release and Best Cover Art. Gon' Boogaloo peaked at No. 17 on the ARIA Albums Chart and won at the 2015 ARIA Music Awards for Best Blues & Roots Album.
Birds of Tokyo are an Australian alternative rock band from Perth, Western Australia. Their debut album, Day One, gained them domestic success, reaching number three on the AIR Independent Album charts and spending a total of 36 consecutive weeks in the top ten.
British India are an Australian rock band from Melbourne. The band is made up of lead vocalist and guitarist Declan Melia, guitarist Nic Wilson, bassist Will Drummond and drummer Matt O'Gorman. In 2019, Jack Tosi replaced Nic Wilson as a touring member of the band. They have released six studio albums.
Hermitude is an Australian electronic-hip hop duo, originating from the Blue Mountains, New South Wales.
Graeme Connors is an Australian country music singer, songwriter, and performer. Connors has released seventeen studio albums and has received fourteen Golden Guitar awards among other prestige Australian country music awards.
Lowrider was an Australian soul-indie band, formed in 2003 when brothers John and Paul Bartlett (drums) joined with bassist Scott Duncan and singer Joseph Braithwaite. Lowrider draws influences from Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, the Roots, Mos Def and Erykah Badu. After 10 years of performing, they called it quits in August of 2014 and performed their last show in November of that year.
"Rock It" is a song by Australian rock band Little Red and is the fourth track on their 2010 album, Midnight Remember. The song was released as the first single from the Midnight Remember album on 4 June 2010 by Liberation Music in Australia and New Zealand. The song was certified Platinum and later placed at number 2 on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2010. The song was used during the opening montage of the "Hope for the Hopeless" episode of Grey's Anatomy.
The Rubens are an award winning 5 piece alternative rock band from Menangle, Australia. The band comprises the three Margin brothers, Zaac, Sam and Elliott, and friends Scott Baldwin and William Zeglis. Their debut self-titled album The Rubens gained them domestic success with it reaching number 3 on the ARIA Charts and being nominated for a J Award for Album of the Year.
Nicholas James Murphy, known professionally as Chet Faker, is an Australian singer and songwriter. In 2012, as Chet Faker, he issued an extended play, Thinking in Textures, and signed to Downtown Records in the United States. In October 2012, he won Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Thinking in Textures won Best Independent Single/EP at the Australian Independent Records Awards. In January 2013, the work won Best Independent Release at the Rolling Stone Australia Awards for 2012.
Rüfüs Du Sol, stylised as RÜFÜS DU SOL and formerly known as simply Rüfüs from 2010 to 2018, are an Australian alternative dance group from Sydney, that consists of Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George and James Hunt. Their debut album Atlas peaked at number one in Australia, while their second album Bloom debuted atop the Australian albums chart in early 2016. Their single "You Were Right" won the ARIA Award for Best Dance Release in 2015. While still known as Rüfüs elsewhere, they performed as Rüfüs Du Sol in the United States because Rufus was already taken. In 2018 they changed their name to Rüfüs Du Sol internationally.
Oh Mercy were an Australian indie rock band formed by Alexander Gow. The band released five studio albums, Privileged Woes (2009), Great Barrier Grief (2011), Deep Heat (2012), When We Talk About Love (2015) and Café Oblivion (2018).
An independent record label is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented by trade associations in their country or region, which in turn are represented by the international trade body, the Worldwide Independent Network (WIN).
Georgia Claire Flipo, now going by the name G, known professionally as G Flip, is an Australian singer, songwriter, producer, drummer, and musician from Melbourne, Victoria. Their debut studio album, About Us, was released on 30 August 2019.
The Teskey Brothers are an Australian blues rock band from Melbourne, named after the two brothers who formed the group in 2008: Josh Teskey and Sam Teskey. In 2019 they signed with Glassnote Records and Ivy League Records. They have released three albums: Half Mile Harvest (2017), Run Home Slow (2019) and The Winding Way (2023). At the 2019 ARIA Music Awards, The Teskey Brothers were nominated for seven awards. They won three categories for the album, Run Home Slow, Best Group, Best Blues and Roots Album and Engineer of the Year.
The Australian Independent Record Awards is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
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