Musicians' Rights in the Northern Territory

The Northern Territory has a small population but a huge musical footprint, and its government arts program is built to create paid work for Territory artists. Here is what is on offer, and where to turn for fair pay and legal help.

The territory funder: Arts NT

Arts NT runs the Arts Grants Program. Its Arts Projects grant supports creating and presenting work, with tiers including: "presentation and promotion, up to $30,000 for the presentation, exhibition, distribution or promotion of NT arts practice" and "emerging artists, up to $15,000 for early career artists to develop or showcase new work."

One eligibility rule to plan around: "at least 50% of your project budget must come from sources other than Arts NT." The territory's peak music body, MusicNT, runs its own artist grants and industry development on top of the government program.

Fair pay: the $250 minimum fee

The national benchmark for what you should be paid comes from Musicians Australia: "A minimum fee is a fee floor, for any musician, playing anywhere, for any audience." The Northern Territory is not currently among the governments that have formally endorsed the fee, though the benchmark still applies to your gigs wherever you play.

Legal help: contracts, disputes and your rights

For anything involving a contract, unpaid fees or a dispute, the Arts Law Centre of Australia is the first stop for most musicians. Their telephone advice service is free for eligible individual artists. Musicians Australia members can also get support chasing unpaid fees.