Why You Need australian music in your spotify rotation

In Ben Eltham’s latest opinion piece, “Spotify is silencing Australian music, but it’s not the only culprit”, he raises some crucial points in the wake of an abysmal Hottest 100, which featured just 18 Australian acts—the lowest number in the countdown’s history.

Eltham highlights a stark decline in the presence of Australian and New Zealand artists in the top 100 singles charts since Spotify’s rise. Between 2000 and 2016, local artists made up an average of 16% of the charts. By 2023, that figure had plummeted to just 2.5%. Coincidence? Hardly.

At its core, Spotify is a business built to maximise profit. Just look at the negligible per-stream payouts compared to its annual revenue—it’s clear where the priorities lie. But Eltham also points to another key issue: the dominance of three major labels—Warner, Sony, and Universal—which were responsible for 95% of the music on Australia’s top-100 charts in 2023. 

Our obsession with global pop stars, combined with zero local content requirements on streaming platforms, means Australian artists are being pushed further into the background. Instead of local pop stars like Peach PRC or Vera Blue, we’re served algorithmic recommendations for international acts like Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter—artists signed to major labels with lucrative distribution deals. Just recently, on 26 January 2025, Spotify and Universal Music Group (UMG) announced a new multi-year agreement to “advance the next era of streaming innovation,” reinforcing their dominance. 

So, what happened to government intervention to protect local culture?

To ensure Australian artists get the visibility they deserve, we need domestic content quotas on platforms like Spotify—and even on social media platforms like TikTok. Josh Barnett from The West Report does a fantastic job of comparing our current policy with international standards like Canada and what can be done to fix this issue.

While we wait for this, it’s up to us to actively support homegrown talent. A simple first step? Follow and listen to Australian-focused playlists. Not only will you discover some incredible music, but you’ll also help send a message that there’s a demand for local artists.

We’ve compiled a list of playlists below—dive in.