Editorial Charter

The Tape is a digital music journalism masthead covering Australia's independent music industry. We launched in April 2026 and we publish at thetape.distrosub.com.

This is our editorial charter. It's also the policy our Editor refers to when a decision is hard.

About The Tape

We write about Australian music that isn't well covered elsewhere. Emerging artists, independent labels, regional scenes, grassroots venues, First Nations music, and the working economics of being a musician here. We're particularly interested in what happens away from the Sydney to Melbourne axis, and we work hard to commission contributors outside it.

The Tape is operated by Distrosub Pty Ltd, an Australian music distribution and streaming company. The relationship between The Tape and Distrosub is set out below. The short version: we cover Distrosub when it's newsworthy, we disclose the connection, and editorial decisions are not subject to override by Distrosub's commercial leadership.

Free to read

The Tape is permanently free to read. We will not run a paywall, a paid subscription, a paid membership, or any other reader-fee model.

This is a deliberate choice. Most of the people we cover and the people who read us are working musicians, low-income artists, independent music workers, and people in regional parts of Australia. A paywall would shut out exactly the audience this masthead exists to serve.

If you want to support us financially, you can do so through the voluntary patron module on our site. It's donation-based, with no content gating: supporting us doesn't unlock anything, and not supporting us doesn't lock anything away. We also accept sponsor support for clearly labelled editorial series, under the rules set out below. The rest of our funding comes from grants and parent-company underwriting.

Editorial independence

The Editor of The Tape decides what gets published, when, and how. That includes coverage of Distrosub, coverage of Distrosub-released artists, and the answer to any sponsor-related question. The Editor's decision is final on editorial matters.

When we cover Distrosub

The Tape will report on Distrosub when there's something to report. When we do, we tell you. A piece that covers Distrosub itself carries a line at the top noting that The Tape is operated by Distrosub, with a link back to this charter.

When we cover Distrosub-released artists

We cover Australian independent music, and that includes artists who release through Distrosub. A piece covering a Distrosub-released artist carries a line at the top noting the commercial relationship. The coverage is reported and edited to the same standard as coverage of any other artist.

Where an editor or contributor has a personal or financial interest in a subject beyond standard professional familiarity, they step aside from the commission and we re-assign it. We keep an internal record of these recusals.

Sponsor-supported series

We can run sponsor-supported series. Think of it as a sponsor underwriting a multi-piece reported project on a particular scene or theme. When we do:

• The sponsor is named, clearly and prominently, in every piece in the series.
• The sponsor has no input into what we cover, who we commission, or what gets published.
• The Editor can decline a sponsor or end a series at any time.

We do not accept paid placement, paid reviews, advertorial disguised as editorial, or any other payment for coverage decisions. Subjects of coverage are never asked or expected to pay The Tape for inclusion.

When we get something wrong

When we publish an error of fact, we correct it. The correction is made promptly on the published piece, with a dated note at the foot of the piece explaining what was corrected.

Substantial corrections are also recorded in our corrections register, which is reviewed once a year by an external editorial advisor whose role is to keep us honest about how we handle errors. The summary of that review is published on the site.

Complaints

If you think we've acted contrary to this charter, you can raise it:

• First: email the Editor at thetape@distrosub.com. We'll respond within ten working days.
• If unresolved: the complaint can go to our external editorial advisor, who acts independently of Distrosub. Their contact details are published below this charter once they're appointed.
• Anything involving the law (defamation, contempt, privacy): your rights under Australian law are not affected by this complaints process. You can pursue them independently at any time.

Protecting sources

We protect confidential sources to the maximum extent Australian law allows. Contributors are not asked or directed to disclose source identities to the Editor, to Distrosub, or to any other party. The only exception is a court order, and in that case we'd consult the source first.

How we pay contributors

Commissioned freelance work is paid. Our rates for commissioned pieces are at or above the MEAA Freelance Pay Rate recommendations for specialty feature pieces, and we pay within thirty days of acceptance.

We also publish unpaid contributions where they're voluntarily offered. Industry practitioners writing about their own field, students and emerging writers, and others who want to participate in the conversation on their own terms are welcome to pitch us. We don't ask working journalists to write for free, and we don't make commissioning conditional on whether a contribution is paid. The Editor commissions and publishes on the same standards regardless of payment.

Cadet and intern placements may include a paid stipend where program funding allows, and otherwise run as voluntary placements with editorial mentorship and clear development outcomes.

What we commit to publish

We commit, measurably, to these things:

• At least 35% of commissioned coverage reports on or originates from states and territories outside New South Wales and Victoria.
• At least 25% of profile and feature coverage is of First Nations artists, culturally and linguistically diverse artists, and women or non-binary artists.
• At least 70% of published content is original reporting, not aggregation or reprint.

We publish an annual coverage audit showing how we did against these commitments. Where we fall short in a quarter, we direct the next quarter's commissioning to close the gap.

Who runs this masthead

The Editor of The Tape runs the masthead and has final editorial authority. Operational oversight sits with a small steering group: the Editor, an external editorial advisor (independent of Distrosub), Distrosub's Creative Director, and a Distrosub finance representative. The steering group meets monthly while the masthead is finding its feet, then quarterly.

This charter is reviewed annually by the Editor with the external editorial advisor. Material changes are dated and recorded in a change log at the bottom of this page.

Contact

• Editorial enquiries, pitches, and complaints in the first instance: thetape@distrosub.com
• Complaints escalation: contact details for the external editorial advisor are published below this charter once the advisor is appointed.
• Postal: The Tape, c/- Distrosub Pty Ltd, 175 Macarthur Avenue, Hamilton QLD 4007.