Music Australia launches National Songwriting and Recording in Schools & Communities Stimulus
Applications close 3pm AEDT Tuesday 13 October 2026
Between $5,000 and $100,000 in matched funding for contemporary songwriting and recording programs for primary, secondary and tertiary students.
Eligible applicants are government, Catholic and independent schools, school clusters and regional consortia, TAFEs, universities, RTOs, community conservatoria, private music academies, specialist music providers, local councils, and music charities and foundations. The applying organisation must be Australian, majority Australian owned and operating for at least two years.
Fundable activity covers songwriting workshops, artist residencies, recording and production programs, mobile recording studio projects, curriculum-aligned learning, co-teaching models, teacher professional development and programs that connect students with industry knowledge and career pathways.
Priority goes to regional, remote, outer suburban and under-served communities, First Nations-led or First Nations-partnered activity, sustainable or repeatable models rather than one-offs, and paid teaching or co-delivery work for local songwriters, producers and engineers.
Activity must start no earlier than 27 January 2027 and finish by 31 December 2027.
This is the biggest piece of federal youth music money to open in a while, and the eligibility list is broader than it first looks.
Specialist music providers, local councils, music charities and consortia including an educational institution can all apply, which means ALMBC members who run all-ages programs, recording facilities or artist development work can lead an application with a school or TAFE as the partner.
The matched funding requirement and the emphasis on paid local delivery both suit venue and studio operators who already have relationships with their local schools.
