Melbourne has one of the most respected electronic music scenes in the world. What it
doesn't have much of is infrastructure — the boring, essential scaffolding that lets
artists keep making work when the gigs are quiet and the rent isn't.
That's the gap VEAEA — the Victorian Endowment for the Advancement of the Electronic Arts —
exists to fill. We're a registered Australian charity with
DGR status, which means donations are tax-deductible. Here's
what that actually buys, in plain terms.
1. Grants and programs for Victorian artists
The endowment funds the unglamorous things that keep careers moving: gear, studio time,
mentorship, and direct grants. Not stadium money — the few hundred or few thousand dollars
that turns "I can't afford to finish this" into a finished release. See what's currently
open on our programs page.
2. A music store where artists keep more
Volt is our music store, built on one principle: the artist keeps
as much as possible. Our platform cut is a fraction of what the big marketplaces take — and
every Victorian Music Friday (that's every Friday), it drops to zero. Buy a local
release on a Friday and more of your money reaches the artist than almost anywhere else
online.
3. Harm reduction that doesn't lecture you
SafeGuide is our free harm-reduction resource for the Victorian
scene. No login, no judgement — just clear information on staying safe at events and looking
after the people you go out with. Because a healthy scene is one where everybody gets home.
4. It's member-led, and that's the point
VEAEA isn't a top-down institution handing down grants. Membership
is how the scene keeps the endowment accountable and independent. Members shape the programs
and get first access to opportunities. It starts at a few dollars a month.
How to be part of it
- Make electronic music in Victoria? Look at programs and
put your music on Volt.
- Want to give back to the scene that made you? Join or
donate — it's tax-deductible.
- Just going out this weekend? Bookmark SafeGuide.
The scene has always looked after itself. VEAEA is just a way to do it on purpose.