Why It's So Bloody Hard to Be an Original Music Artist in Brisbane
And how we start to fix it....together.....
Let’s not sugarcoat it.
Trying to build a sustainable career as an original music artist in Australia — particularly in Brisbane — can feel like trying to push a grand piano uphill... in thongs... during a drought.
Why?
Because live music venues follow a proven business formula: a tight, energetic covers band will reliably fill the dance floor and drive bar sales more than a brilliant original act playing songs the crowd hasn’t heard before. Thanks to the influence of commercial radio and audience familiarity, recognizable tracks generate faster crowd engagement — and for promoters, that means stronger financial returns and less risk.
Meanwhile, we have a pool of phenomenal artists who can sing, write, produce, perform — yet can’t get 50 people to a show.
So let’s talk about the real reasons behind this broken machine — and the ten-tier strategy we all need to implement if we’re ever going to build a thriving, original live music scene that’s economically and creatively sustainable.
THE HARD TRUTH
The gap is not just talent. Australia has plenty of that.
The real issues?
A lack of professional artist branding and press assets.
Promoters struggling to cultivate consistent audiences for original live music.
Artists resisting marketing themselves through modern tools like paid ads, podcast pitching, and content strategy.
If you're an original artist in Brisbane and feel like you're screaming into the void — you're not imagining it. But the solution isn’t just to yell louder. It’s to build better.
THE 10-TIER STRATEGY TO BUILD A VIBRANT ORIGINAL MUSIC ECOSYSTEM IN BRISBANE
1. Professionalise the Artist Presentation
If you don't have a press pack, you're not ready to be booked.
Artists need:
A high-resolution press image (editorial quality)
A compelling artist bio
A media-ready press release
Spotify & YouTube links
A 60-90 second showreel
Linktree or EPK for easy sharing
Let’s stop normalising underprepared artists asking to headline gigs with nothing but a SoundCloud link.
2. Teach the Business of Music in Real Language
We don’t need more abstract music theory. We need practical, actionable business tools.
The Pushworth Music Means Business(™) system should be part of the artist's journey: branding, audience development, content strategy, pitching, revenue models. You have access to a very real curriculum for the business of being an artist right here.
3. Access Online Hubs for Brisbane Original Music
Collate a database of online hubs for Brisbane Original Music. These are many well curated spaces for:
Upcoming original gigs
Artist features
Venue listings
Playlist drops
Community reviews
Make sure your music brand is across every single one of these spaces.
4. Venue + Artist Partnerships, Not Just Gigs
A venue isn't just a room with speakers. It can be a brand partner.
Artists and venues should collaborate on:
Co-branded event series
Shared marketing plans
Audience data tracking
Stop thinking short-term. Build culture together.
5. Create Micro-Scenes with Niche Playlists and Events
To build a thriving original music culture, consider the curation of scenes instead of showing all genres under the one roof.
Scenes like:
Neo-soul Sundays
Indie Rock Residencies
Hip Hop Rooftop Sessions
Niche first. Scene follows. Culture grows.
6. Pay-to-Play Doesn’t Work. But Pay-to-Grow Might.
Paid ads aren’t evil. They’re tools.
Artists need to get comfortable investing $50–$100 a show in:
IG/Facebook ads for shows
Spotify campaign boosts
Retargeting warm audiences
It’s not selling out. It’s showing up.
7. Normalize Artist-Led Media Pitching
Don’t wait to be discovered. Pitch to be seen.
Artists should:
Regularly pitch to local podcasts
Write opinion pieces or guest columns
Collaborate with community radio
Use platforms like Substack to tell their stories
Be the media — or at least make friends with it.
8. Promoters Need Better Data, Not Just Better Lineups
Booking a lineup of great bands doesn’t matter if no one knows.
Promoters should:
Track audience behavior show-to-show
Collect emails & build CRM lists
Offer incentives for ticket presales
Partner with artists who have engaged online communities (not just followers)
**This is why Promoters must engage a dedicated Publicist to drive and build the original music culture in their venue. Simply booking a band and crossing your fingers isn’t enough. Set up your systems or at least partner with an Agent who offers this service.
9. Artists Must Treat Social Media as a Brand Channel, Not a Diary
Your feed isn’t just for memes and moody shots.
Your social media should:
Consistently reflect your artistic voice
Showcase upcoming events, behind-the-scenes, and fan engagement
Funnel people from follower → listener → ticket buyer
Authentic, but intentional.
10. "The Residency Model": Build a Scene, One Room at a Time
A realistic, artist- or promoter-led event activity.
The Core Idea:
Start with a monthly (or fortnightly) original music residency at one venue. Focus on quality, consistency, and community.
How It Works:
Choose Your Home Base
Partner with a venue that believes in original music and is open to building a loyal crowd over time. A smaller room (50–150 cap) is ideal — intimate, vibe-driven, lower risk.
Feature a Headliner + Support Format
Make it an event. Each show features a core artist (the host or rotating) and 1–2 complementary original acts. This keeps things fresh, collaborative, and community-driven.
Brand the Series
Give it a name. Make it a thing. Design a consistent visual identity (poster template, social assets). Treat it like a mini-festival that lives inside a regular gig.
Build the Audience Slowly
Use grassroots promo tactics:
Email list sign-ups at shows
Weekly short-form content (rehearsals, behind-the-scenes, interviews)
Partner with niche community radio and podcasts to promote each lineup
Shared Investment Model
Instead of chasing large grants out of the gate:
Artists and the venue split small costs (posters, FB ads)
Charge a modest door fee or suggested donation
Seek in-kind sponsorships from local businesses (beer sponsors, pizza deals)
Document Everything
Capture every show (even with a phone) — snippets for social, short live videos, audience reactions. This turns one night into weeks of content and gives future audiences FOMO.
The Goal:
Build a micro-scene with macro impact. When one room is full every month with people who care about original music, the scene begins to grow. You create community, brand equity, and leverage to one day scale into something bigger.
✅ Who Can Do This?
A solo original artist with a vision and some hustle
A group of 2–3 artists pooling resources and audiences
A grassroots promoter passionate about original music
A venue owner or booker willing to invest in culture over covers
FINAL THOUGHT
The problem isn’t the artists.
The problem isn’t the venues.
The problem isn’t the fans.
The problem is the disconnect between the elements that make a music scene sustainable.
We don’t need another open mic night.
We need an ecosystem.
We need artists willing to market like marketers, venues who brand like festivals, and fans who are invited into a story, not just a show.
Brisbane’s original music scene can thrive. But only if we build it like a movement — not just a gig list.
See you at the front.
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Written by Nichola Burton. I work in partnership with Agents, Artist Managers and Event Producers, who juggle a diverse range of relationships in the Musoverse, to curate, manage and measure data in systems, experience, creative and content to support the entire Musoverse operation in my enterpriseA Little Pitchy Copyright 2025
