Australian Music Touring Network opens national venue registrations

A new national database of live music venues is taking shape in Australia, and venues are now being asked to add themselves to it. The Australian Music Touring Network (AMTN) is a free, web-based platform that aims to map every original live music venue in the country, built for artists and tour managers planning tours.

The project comes from the Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN), the alliance of the eight state and territory peak bodies for contemporary music. It evolved from the Regional Touring Network, originally developed by MusicNSW, and has been supported by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia.

At this stage the focus is on venues. Each listing is a profile the venue manages itself, and registration takes around 10 to 15 minutes. Operators are asked for booking contacts, stage size and capacity, photos of the performance space, accessibility information and the name of the Traditional Country the venue sits on, with the AIATSIS map of Indigenous Australia suggested as a guide. Optional fields cover preferred genres, regular performance days and times, and local knowledge for visiting acts.

The network is specific about who qualifies. A music venue is defined as “a physical establishment that presents original contemporary music on a regular basis”, with regular meaning daily, weekly, monthly or any other consistent interval. Contemporary music is defined as new, original work in any genre. Venues that programme music once or twice a year, with no intention of doing more, are advised it is unlikely to suit them.

Registration also carries commitments. Venues must agree that they support fair pay for artists through a business model that allows for it, that they provide a safe, welcoming environment for performers and audiences, and that they promote their shows, with an exception for dry hire spaces such as community halls. On pay, AMIN backs Musicians Australia’s call for a minimum of $250 per musician, while acknowledging that figure is not always achievable.

For electronic music, a definition covering any genre is broad enough to take in clubs and smaller rooms presenting original work, although operators will need to consider how DJ-led programming sits against the requirement for live original music.

For touring artists, the platform’s usefulness will depend on how many venues register and how accurately listings are maintained. Venues also agree to periodic contact from AMTN to keep profiles current. The platform is free for all users and venue registration is open now at australianmusictouringnetwork.com/venues

by Decoded Magazine

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