Following the ABC’s announcement of a $5 million Fresh Start Fund to provide urgent support for the arts during the COVID-19 pandemic, the broadcaster has released further details about its Australian Music Fund. Providing support to emerging, underrepresented and professional Australian musicians and composers through scholarships and in conjunction with existing initiatives across the network, it will also see new music commissioned for ABC Classic and ABC Jazz.

Putting the call out for original compositions appropriate for extensive airplay on ABC Classic and ABC Jazz, the fund is now open to both individuals and companies. Each successful commission consists of a total fee of up to $6,000 to cover the creation of a new work and recording musicians; a studio session at the ABC with an engineer and producer; airplay for the completed recording on ABC Classic or ABC Jazz; and commercial digital release of the work via ABC Music, with a royalty return.

The creative brief allows the length of the work to be at the composer’s discretion, with longer works to have standalone segments or movements that can be broadcast within high audience programs. If the submission is an arrangement...