The Australian Music Association (AMA) has been named as one of 23 music-making organizations around the world to receive a grant from the NAMM Foundation. With this support, the AMA will continue its campaign to celebrate and promote music making, centred around Make Music Day on 21st June.

“Programs supported by The NAMM Foundation, including a grant to the Australian Music Association, advance music learning for people of all ages and abilities,” said Mary Luehrsen, Executive Director of The NAMM Foundation, “Together, we advance a more musical world based on a shared belief that music is a force for good and connections in our world.” The grants serve to underscore the Foundation’s mission to advance participation in music making and offer quality access to all people.

“The AMA and the NAMM Foundation share a commitment to supporting, encouraging and promoting music making, here and around the world,” said Alex Masso, Executive Officer of the AMA, “Make Music Day is about bringing people together to make music and to celebrate, promote and advocate for the value of music in our lives. We are excited to get started on this project with support from the NAMM Foundation.”

Since 1994, The NAMM Foundation and the NAMM Market Development department have reinvested $201 million dollars to fulfill the organization’s vision to support music education and advance active participation in music-making across the lifespan. The grants reflect the generosity of all NAMM members and private donors and their ongoing support for the industry’s annual gathering at The NAMM show.

For additional information about the organization and project, please contact:

Alex Masso, Executive Officer, Australian Music Association

0424 902 321 | alex.masso@australianmusic.asn.au

About the Australian Music Association

The Australian Music Association (AMA) represents and furthers the interests of the Music Products industry which is a network of wholesalers, manufacturers, retailers and associated services for musical instruments, print music,  consumer pro audio & lighting and music technology. Its mission is to be the voice of the music products industry and grow music making in Australia. The AMA is the producer of Melbourne Guitar Show, publisher of Australian Musician, and coordinator of Make Music Day in Australia. For more information about the AMA please visit www.australianmusic.asn.au

About The NAMM Foundation

The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit organization funded in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its 15,000 member companies and individual members around the world. The Foundation’s mission is to advance active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving, and public service programs. For more information about The NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org

Melbourne Guitar Show is back! On 4-5 March 2023 the industry will reconvene at Caulfield Racecourse for the Australian Music Association’s flagship event. After a preferential booking period for members, general exhibitor bookings are now open. Businesses and individuals may exhibit at the show, and exhibits are welcomed by; Brand suppliers and retailers of the world’s top guitar products and technologies, print, video and educational materials Local guitar makers, luthiers and repair services Local manufacturers of amplifiers and guitar products Music Schools, and other services Private Collectors

For more information, download the General Prospectus

To discuss exhibiting at the show, contact us.

Exhibitor registration here

AMA members receive a discount on exhibitor bookings (see the members version of the prospectus for pricing), in addition to the other member benefits. Read more about membership, contact us, or apply for membership.

26th August, 2022

The music products industry received the sad news during the week that James Young, much respected founder of the British microphone company Aston had died from a heart attack. Aston Microphones are famous for their high quality audio products such as the Aston Stealth microphone, which won a NAMM TEC Award in 2020 for Best Microphone. Continue reading →

A new initiative of the AMA this year is a series of Industry Receptions. We are looking at new ways to bring people together after several years without AMA events. Come along for a relaxed evening to catch up with industry colleagues, make contact with your association, and hear from our expert guest speakers.

Damian Smith, Aggregator Group

For our Melbourne event we have Damian Smith, an expert in freight and logistics, to discuss one of the hot topics of the last couple of years and hear about challenges and solutions for our industry. Damian is the sole Director of Aggregator Australia, a boutique domestic transport forwarder specialising in transport and warehousing solutions within Australia. He brings a wealth of experience in strategy and negotiation, supply chain management, process improvement and resource optimisation, entrepreneurialism, business development and promotion.

These events are free for AMA members, $35 for non-members.

MELBOURNE | Wednesday 19th October | 7pm | South Melbourne | BOOK NOW

*Unfortunately our Sydney event has been cancelled*

The Australian Music Association is going through various forms of renewal and review, and having a discussion about each of its activities and priorities. Earlier this year Alex Masso took on the role of Executive Officer, while Rob Walker is continuing to work on projects. The committee is working with Alex through a number of projects including events, memberships, branding, and other activities.

The latest updates are:

• The AMA has a new logo! Say farewell to the map of Australia as a notehead on a quarter note, say hello to the new design adopted by the Executive Committee recently.
• Membership fees have increased by 5%, the first increase since 2019.
• Melbourne Guitar Show is going ahead on 4th-5th March 2023, registrations for exhibitors will open soon.
• The AMA is working on a series of member events to be held this year. Stay tuned for more details.
• The most recent Market Report was released in June and the AMA is considering a number of ways to make this reporting as useful as possible to members and reflect the current needs of the industry.
• The AMA has added to its list of member benefits this year, adding Arts Pay to our existing partners Officeworks, Marsh, Australian Musician, and others.

Something old, something new:

We would like to thank Helen Marx and Jay’C Rivera from Australis Music Group for their work on the AMA logo.

The Australian Music Association’s Annual Market Report for 2021 has revealed strong demand for music products in a year still dominated by the effects of the pandemic. Total value and units had increased compared to 2020 as well as the past five and ten year averages, with a slight decrease in overall Average Unit Value compared to 2020.  Continue reading →

Austrade’s Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) program helps Australian businesses grow their exports in international markets. These grants encourage small to medium enterprises to market and promote their goods and services globally. Continue reading →

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Ian Lindsey, and all at Musos Corner & Foleys Pianos, after the much loved music store owner and piano technician passed away on 18th May, 2022. Continue reading →

19th May 2022

Button batteries, found in many household items, clocks, metronomes, toys and so on, are harmful to children and many accidents and some deaths have occured in Australia. Legislation passed in December 2020 that introduced mandatory standards for securing batteries and providing warnings on products.

Crucial information:

• Mandatory standards take effect on 22nd June 2022, which marks the end of an 18 month transition period
• The legislation applies to all consumer goods with button/coin batteries
• The category of batteries applies to single cell batteries with a diameter greater than their height
• Enforcement action (including fines) will apply for non-compliance

Continue reading →