Australian Independent Record Labels Association#Awards

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| name = Australian Independent Record Labels Association

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| abbreviation = AIR

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| formation = 1996

| founders = Ed Jonker, Michael McMichael, Sebastian Chase, Graeme Reagan{{cite web|website=Music in Australia Knowledge Base|publisher=The Music Trust|url=http://musicinaustralia.org.au/index.php/Australian_Independent_Record_Labels_of_Australia_Ltd|title=Australian Independent Record Labels of Australia|access-date=14 August 2019|archive-date=14 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814024943/http://musicinaustralia.org.au/index.php/Australian_Independent_Record_Labels_of_Australia_Ltd|url-status=usurped}}

| founding_location = Sydney, Australia

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| type = Trade association

| status = Australian public company{{cite web|url=https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View?abn=86089877476|website=Australian Business Number|publisher=Australian Government| title=ABN Lookup:Current details for ABN 86 089 877 476|date=November 2014 |access-date=14 August 2019}}

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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.

History

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|date=August 2019}}

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.{{cite web| url= https://www.air.org.au/about-air| title= About AIR| website=AIR|access-date= 10 August 2019}}

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|date=August 2019}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.accc.gov.au/public-registers/authorisations-and-notifications-registers/collective-bargaining-notifications-register/australian-independent-record-labels-association-ltd-collective-bargaining-notifications-cb00073-cb00080|website=ACCC|title=Australian Independent Record Labels Association Ltd – Collective Bargaining Notifications – CB00073 – CB00080|date=24 November 2009 |access-date=18 August 2019}} The application, which would last for three years, was approved.{{cite web|url=https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-allows-independent-record-labels-to-collectively-licence-music-video-broadcast|website=ACCC|title=ACCC allows independent record labels to collectively licence music video broadcast rights|date=9 January 2009|access-date=18 August 2019}} The collective bargaining power brought a number of benefits to members.{{cite web| url= https://www.air.org.au/industry/member-benefits/| title= Membership benefits| website=AIR|access-date= 17 August 2019}}

Members

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. 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.air.org.au/index.php?apply=&webpage=default&cID=2197&PHPSESSID=&menuID=614|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120728225140/http://www.air.org.au/index.php?apply=&webpage=default&cID=2197&PHPSESSID=&menuID=614 |archive-date=28 July 2012|title=Australian Independent Record Labels Association Ltd (AIR): List of Members}}

{{As of|2019}} it has about 350 members.

Purpose and function

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.

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.{{cite web|website=Worldwide Independent Network|url=http://winformusic.org/win-members/|title=WIN Members|access-date=16 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816023304/http://winformusic.org/win-members/|archive-date=16 August 2019|url-status=dead}}

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.{{cite web |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080608062218/http://www.independentsday08.com/australia/|url=http://www.independentsday08.com/australia/|title=Independents Day Australia|archive-date=8 June 2008|access-date=9 December 2008}}{{cite magazine |url =https://www.wired.com/2008/05/labels-declare/|magazine =Vanity Fair|title=July 4: 'Independents Day'|date=27 May 2008|first =Eliot |last=Van Buskirk|access-date =27 August 2019}}

2017 market analysis

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.{{cite web|url=https://themusicnetwork.com/new-report-puts-aussie-indie-labels-at-30-revenue-share-in-top-10-of-global-indie-markets/|website=The Music Network|title=New report puts Aussie indie labels at 30% revenue share, in Top 10 of global indie markets|first=Christie|last= Eliezer|date=4 September 2017|access-date=15 August 2019}}

The report valued the Australian recording industry as worth {{AUD|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.{{cite news|work=Sydney Morning Herald|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/australian-music-industry-the-sixth-largest-in-the-world-as-indie-sector-thrives-20170925-gyol2v.html|title=Australian music industry the sixth largest in the world as indie sector thrives|first=Andrew|last=Taylor|date=26 September 2017|access-date=18 August 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130221642/http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/australian-music-industry-the-sixth-largest-in-the-world-as-indie-sector-thrives-20170925-gyol2v.html|archive-date=30 January 2018}}

Independent Music Charts

{{hatnote|The AIR charts are not to be confused with the AirCheck National Radio Airplay Charts, which are charts of all singles based on radio airplay across 54 commercial radio stations in Australia.{{cite web|website=AirCheck|url=https://www.aircheck.net.au/company/charts/|title=Charts: National airplay|access-date=26 August 2019}} (These used to include a category for Australian independent artists whose songs were played on Australian national, community and commercial radio stations including Triple M, Triple J, ABC Radio and Nova network, representing only Australian indie songs that had been uploaded for fingerprinting with the D-Star Spins service.{{cite web|url=http://www.aircharts.com.au/about-the-charts/air-play-charts|title=D-Star Spins|publisher=Australian Independent Record Labels Association Ltd (AIR)|year=2009|access-date=2 July 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090622232328/http://www.aircharts.com.au/about-the-charts/air-play-charts|archive-date=22 June 2009|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dstarspins.com/about.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091023053959/http://www.dstarspins.com/about.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 October 2009 |title=About D-Star Spins – D-Star Spins |work=shootingstar.com.au/ |access-date=2 July 2009 }})}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.air.org.au/index.php?apply=&webpage=default&cID=1966&PHPSESSID=&menuID=210|title=About the AIR Charts|access-date=9 December 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205061440/http://www.air.org.au/index.php?apply=&webpage=default&cID=1966&PHPSESSID=&menuID=210|archive-date=5 December 2008|url-status=dead}}

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.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/1300311/jagermeister-sponsors-air-charts|magazine=Billboard|title=Jagermeister Sponsors AIR Charts|date=15 December 2008|first=Lars|last=Brandle|access-date=26 August 2019}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://tonedeaf.thebrag.com/jagermeister-sponsors-air-charts-awards/|website=Tone Deaf|title=Jagermeister Sponsors AIR Charts & Awards|date=25 August 2010|first=Jim|last=Murray|access-date=26 August 2019}} When Carlton Dry took over the sponsorship in 2013, the charts were renamed the Carlton Dry Independent Music Charts.{{cite web|website=speakertv|url=https://www.speakertv.com/arts/arts-culture/carlton-dry-independent-music-charts-week-30th-june/|title=Carlton Dry Independent Music Charts|first=Sarah|last=Guppy|date=7 July 2014 |access-date=26 August 2019}}

{{as of|2019}}, 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).{{cite web|url=https://www.air.org.au/charts|title=Independent Music Charts|website=AIR|access-date=16 August 2019}}{{cite web|website=AIR|url=https://www.air.org.au/charts/chart-eligibility/|title=How to be eligible to chart on AIR's independent music charts|access-date=26 August 2019}}

The AIR Charts differ from the ARIA Charts in that they focus on Australian artists represented only by Australian independent labels. {{As of|2019}} 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. The distinction between the "100%" and "Label" categories were described in 2009 as follows:{{cite web|url=http://www.aircharts.com.au/about-the-charts/aircharts |title=AIR Chart Categories |publisher=Australian Independent Record Labels Association Ltd (AIR) |year=2009 |access-date=2 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090806005048/http://www.aircharts.com.au/about-the-charts/aircharts |archive-date=6 August 2009 }}

100% Indie: Independent releases distributed through an independent distributor
Indie Label: Independent releases distributed through any distributor, including a major distributor.

The top 50 of the AIR singles charts are also published by online industry magazine The Music Network, along with various other charts.{{cite web|website=The Music Network|url=https://themusicnetwork.com/charts/|title=TMN charts|access-date=26 August 2019}}

Australian Independent Record (AIR) Awards

Beginning in 2006, the AIR commenced the annual AIR Awards, celebrating the success of Australian independent music.{{cite web|url=https://www.air.org.au/awards|title=AIR Awards|publisher=Australian Independent Record Labels Association Ltd (AIR)|access-date=16 August 2019|archive-date=27 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827061527/https://www.air.org.au/awards|url-status=dead}}

Indie-Con Australia

The inaugural "Indie-Con Australia" music industry conference took place in July 2017 in Adelaide, to coincide with the 11th AIR Awards. The conference has continued until 2019, with the support from the South Australian government.{{cite web|url=https://www.air.org.au/assets/uploads/2019-07/2019%20INDIE-CON%20SCHEDULEv3.pdf|title=Lot Fourteen, Adelaide: Indie-Con Australia, Thursday 25th and Friday 26th July 2019|access-date=27 August 2019|author=AIM}} (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.){{cite web|url=https://theindustryobserver.thebrag.com/indie-con-coming-australia/|website=The Industry Observer|title=Indie-Con is coming to Australia|first= Lars|last= Brandle|date=27 June 2017|access-date=27 August 2019}}

The conference was held at Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute in 2017,{{cite web|url=https://www.air.org.au/indie-con-australia-2017|title=Indie-Con Australia|date=2017|access-date=27 August 2019}} at The Hindley (then part of the HQ complex in Hindley Street) in 2018{{cite web|url=https://www.air.org.au/2018-indie-con|title=Indie-Con Australia|date=2017|access-date=27 August 2019}} and at Lot Fourteen in 2019.