BE HEAR NOW 25

Be Hear Now is an annual music development program which finds, fosters and develops artists within the Ballarat region. The program of support has focused on identifying talent, providing mentoring and training, assets and resources such as video production amongst other elements. We choose the ‘talent worth watching’ and we work out what kinds of support they need to thrive. But Be Hear Now is for everyone who loves original music. It’s open to all genres, ages, energies, styles and expertise.

The cohort will undergo training and receive support to assist in the commercial release of their single, supported by a team of industry professionals and service providers. 

Underpinning the program will be an emphasis on building a team to support the creative practice and commercial viability of the artist/band through supporting the release cycle of a single from songwriting to recording, design and production, marketing and publicity, distribution and strategic planning.  

what do they receive?

• Five dedicated sessions with an industry-matched mentor 

•  Strategic planning for single release 

• Professional recording, mixing and mastering sessions 

• Graphic design for single artwork and poster collateral 

• Release strategy development 

• Marketing and promotion funding 

• Distribution support – how to get your music on popular streaming platforms 

• Professional development in areas including music business, artist brand development, marketing and social media, publicity, live performance, recording and production, tour planning, digital distribution and playlist pitching. 

The Be Hear Now artists will release their singles in late 2025

In its fifth year, the Be Hear Now program is providing ‘the ones to watch’ in the Ballarat music scene with a tailored mentorship program, pairing them up with industry professionals, to help them refine their craft and build their careers. The cohort will undergo training and receive support to assist in the commercial release of a new single, supported by a team of industry professionals and service providers. 

Industry mentors include solo artist and bandleader of Epicure, Juan Alban; lead guitarist and songwriter of Magic Dirt, Raul Sanchez; singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Liz Stringer; ARIA award winning singer songwriter Lior; and touring musician and recording artist Lilith Lane. 

The cohort will undergo training and receive support to assist in the commercial release of their single, supported by a team of industry professionals and service providers. 

Underpinning the program will be an emphasis on building a team to support the creative practice and commercial viability of the artist/band through supporting the release cycle of a single from songwriting to recording, design and production, marketing and publicity, distribution and strategic planning.  

do you represent a live music venue, or are you interested in hosting live music?

We want to hear from you. The Creative City team keeps a register of live music venues and performance spaces. We can provide support and advice to venues looking to offer live music. Complete our Register form and we’ll connect with you to share opportunities

be hear now mentors for 2025

the creative city ballarat playlist

Released in time for the B’Rat Summer of 2024.Check out the Ballarat singles released in 2024 (all the ones we know about). Whether you’re after gritty punk or a floating bit of folk, we reckon this list has got something for everyone.

Did we miss someone who released new tunes in 2024? Drop us a line and let us know.