The West Australian government wants to trumpet the state as the home of live music with grants offered to homegrown musicians.
A $3 million contemporary music fund spread over four years will be included in next month's budget, and follows a McGowan government election commitment to grow jobs in the arts.
Premier Mark McGowan said the state's isolated location had bred a "magnificent, creative" music industry including some of the world's best musicians.
"People love live music, they love to get out there and experience it ... and that creates jobs and opportunities, it creates a hospitality scene and ensures our bars, pubs and nightclubs can remain vibrant and continue to employ West Australians," Mr McGowan told reporters on Monday.
The funds will be administered in collaboration with peak industry body West Australian Music.
The grants will go to individual musicians trying to break into the national and international market, Arts Minister David Templeman said.
WAM chief executive Mike Harris declared the city of Fremantle, not Melbourne, was the live music capital of Australia.
"That will get me in a fight with my eastern states contemporaries no doubt," Mr Harris said.
He said the organisation had developed an audience plan which it would be rolling out to help attract more music fans to live venues.
Australian Associated Press
