Censorship in Australia - Current Situation - Music

Music

Music is mainly regulated by the Australian Recording Industry Association and the Australian Music Retailers Association.

The current classification scheme was introduced on 1 April 2003, with the following four levels:

  • Level 1: WARNING: MODERATE IMPACT coarse language and/or themes

These recordings contain infrequent aggressive or strong coarse language and moderate impact references to drug use, violence, sexual activity, themes and/or any other revolting or abhorrent activity.

  • Level 2: WARNING: STRONG IMPACT coarse language and/or themes

These recordings contain frequent aggressive or strong coarse language and strong impact references to or detailed description of drug use, violence, sexual activity, themes and/or any other abhorrent activity.

  • Level 3: RESTRICTED: HIGH IMPACT THEMES Not to be sold to persons under 18 years

These recordings contain graphic descriptions of drug use, violence, sexual activity, themes and/or any other revolting or abhorrent activity that are very intense and have a high impact. They are not permitted to be sold to anyone under the age of 18.

  • Exceeding Level 3: Not to be sold to the public

These recordings contain lyrics which promote, incite, instruct and/or exploitatively or gratuitously depict drug use, violence, sexual activity, themes and/or any other revolting or abhorrent activity in a manner that would cause outrage and/or extreme disgust to most adults. They are not permitted to be released, distributed or sold to the public.

However, it is worth noting that these classifications and guidelines carry absolutely no legal ground and are strictly self-regulated.

Read more about this topic:  Censorship In Australia, Current Situation

Famous quotes containing the word music:

    Did the kiss of Mother Mary
    Put that music in her face?
    Yet she goes with footstep wary,
    Full of earth’s old timid grace.
    William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)

    From where Pan’s cavern is
    Intolerable music falls.
    Foul goat-head, brutal arm appear,
    Belly, shoulder, bum,
    Flash fishlike; nymphs and satyrs
    Copulate in the foam.
    William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)

    Nothing is capable of being well set to music that is not nonsense.
    Joseph Addison (1672–1719)