About Ozstream
Introducing Ozstream: What’s Going On?
Ozstream was founded with a clear purpose: To empower and support Australia’s creative artists, musicians, performers, venues, industry and audience. Doing so through the development and introduction of technology solutions which provide direct access to opportunities without the need for intermediaries.
Our aim is to create a sustainable digital ecosystem that values and compensates talent fairly, while also fostering strong relationships between performers, venues, industry, and audience. Ozstream seeks to reshape the way the creative arts industry operates by ensuring artists can connect directly with opportunities and opportunity creators to perform, network, collaborate and grow their careers. At the same time, we know opportunities exist for Ozstream to provide assistance to venues and opportunity creators, by providing solutions which overcome some of the structural and financial challenges they face today. We’re also investigating the development of a solution which will enable audience to more readily connect with information about the entertainment, events and performances taking place around them. (Crucial, given the current offering of social media and event management platforms has only gone to dilute the industry’s ability to get this information out to any potential audience!)
Whilst Ozstream’s long game will see us working with the Government to create a safety-net / support program ensuring every Australian artist is supported by a living wage. There is much work for Ozstream to achieve in these early stages, to see us creating the framework and digital foundations which would allow government to even consider providing this level of support to those in the industry.
These lofty goals will require tools, technology and platforms to both connect and support the needs of the industry. At the same time, the offering must also be able to provide government with the data, information and insights allowing them to recognise the participation and value the arts and creative industries are contributing to the economy.
To realise this future requires an appreciation that support and financial investment must be provided from the private sector and it’s from this principled position where Ozstream, operating as a social enterprise, seeks to make a difference.
Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash
GigBridge is a platform designed to bridge the gap between talent and opportunity, making it easier for musicians and live performance venues to connect directly. We’re soft-launching in the corridor between The Southern Highlands and Canberra in mid-October. All going well, we intend to move to our pilot-launch phase focused on South-East NSW from February 2025. At its core, GigBridge is built to simplify the process for venues looking to book talent and for performers seeking work opportunities, while removing the reliance on agents and promoters.
Here are a few key highlights:
- Opportunities and Call Outs: Performers can apply for posted opportunities, while venues can post specific gig openings, enabling efficient and targeted matchmaking.
- Direct Bookings: Venues and performers can connect and make bookings directly through the platform, ensuring transparency and eliminating unnecessary middlemen.
- Tailored Profiles: Performers and venues can create detailed profiles that showcase their talent or venue, allowing for easier discovery and booking.
- User Feedback: We’re keen to listen and learn from our early-adopters, using their feedback to refine and introduce new features to meet the needs of both performers and venues.
Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How?
Our research over the last two years indicates the best way Ozstream can assist artists and the wider creative industries is to identify and remove the areas which are adding unnecessary costs.
The reality is that the industry has more than its fair share of cost-contributing factors which, while necessary, don’t always provide the same level of financial benefit as the costs they impose. Ozstream believes that introducing cost-effective technologies, along with some digital transformation, will go a long way in helping Australia’s arts and creative industries work at an economy of scale.
Let’s revolutionise the way artists, musicians, writers, venues, industry and audience connect, collaborate, network and prosper, let’s work together to shape a new future for Australia’s creative and performing arts industry. Let’s connect audiences with captivating performances and support artists to help them reach their full potential. Let’s create a vibrant arts ecosystem that empowers creativity, sustains artists and enriches the cultural fabric of our nation.
Join us as we become a beacon of creativity, collaboration, and collective growth – a testament to the magic that unfolds when passion meets purpose.