The Music Development Office (MDO) facilitates the development of South Australia’s original contemporary music industry.
South Australia has led the way in relation to music policy and was the first state to develop a dedicated strategy to support the music industry in 2014 through the establishment of the Music Development Office (MDO). In its initial stages the MDO sat across both the arts and economic development portfolios of government recognising the sector’s role in driving a vibrant, prosperous and cultural contribution to our State.
This holistic approach has resulted in targeted investment and support for the music sector for more than a decade and has informed the development of similar entities around the country.
Today the South Australian Government’s MDO is a specialist area within CreateSA in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Led by industry experts, the remit of the office is to support the sustainable development of the original contemporary music industry.
South Australia is fast becoming a creative hotspot for music industry entrepreneurs to create and thrive.
The MDO is proud to celebrate Adelaide being Australia’s only designated UNESCO City of Music.
Adelaide was recognised internationally as a UNESCO City of Music in 2015, a designation which places the city into a network of creative cities around the world. This is an acknowledgment of the breadth, depth and vibrancy of the city’s music culture, its international reach, its history and its aspirations. In 2025, the MDO is proud to help celebrate the 10th anniversary of the designation, an outstanding milestone for the dynamic music culture of South Australia.
Adelaide supports a diverse range of independent musicians, a developing and entrepreneurial music industry, a series of world-class music and arts festivals, the world-renowned Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and leading music education and performance institutions.
