Spotify shines a light on how Australians discover new music

New research shows Aussies love discovering new music, and how Spotify is helping local artists get heard.

A focus on Aus

Spotify is putting the spotlight on Australian artists as part of a local music initiative. Called Turn Up Aus, the initiative is all about celebrating homegrown through various campaigns, fan events, education sessions, and more. 

As part of the campaign, Spotify teamed up with consumer research group YouGov to survey over 4,000 Australians about how they discover music, especially new and local artists. It offers an insight into how discovery works for Australians and how engaged they are in finding the next homegrown talent.

Key findings

From the survey, Spotify found a number of things about Australians and their listening habits:

Discovery is easy

Australian listeners are actively discovering new artists, and the numbers paint a pretty upbeat picture:

• 85% of Australian listeners are satisfied with their ability to discover new music on streaming platforms.
• 85% also feel good about the variety of artists and songs available, with almost half (47%) saying they’re very satisfied.
• Among daily listeners, that number jumps even higher- 52% say they’re very satisfied.

Australian artists reach worldwide

Local music isn’t just resonating at home, but also on the global stage. Spotify highlights that this kind of discovery doesn’t just boost streams, but helps artists build long-term careers thanks to their global fanbase.

Here’s what the study found:

• 81% of Australians say it’s easy to find Australian artists on Spotify.
• That rises slightly for younger listeners: 83% for Gen Z and 84% of millennials.
• Meanwhile, 61% of Australians are happy with the amount of local music available on the platform.

“The data tells a positive story: that 81% of listeners feel Australian music is visible, accessible, and easy to explore on streaming platforms. We know that when we support the discoverability of new music, we’re supporting the entire Australian music ecosystem- for artists, venues, labels, and fans- and through this new research, fans have told us what’s working.”

Alicia Sbrugnera, Spotify’s Head of Music Development for Australia and New Zealand

Discovery on their own terms

Many listeners actively seek out new artists too, rather than relying on algorithms.

According to YouGov Profiles, 42% of Australian adults say they actively look for independent or lesser-known music and film artists. These are the fans that enjoy discovering upcoming artists and perhaps stumbling on the next global superstar.

This appetite for taking discovery further creates a huge opportunity for emerging Australian acts, particularly those still building visibility.

Spotify’s discovery tools help artists get heard

Of course, Spotify isn’t shy about its role in all this either. The streaming giant is always looking for new ways to enhance music discovery on its platform. In the last few months alone, Spotify has refreshed its shuffle feature, added text support for its AI DJ, partnered with ChatGPT, and added many more ways to discover.