Lume expands into Australia with albums available to buy

New Zealand-based Lume expanded its Australian album offering on 13 November 2026, with a new round of releases available to purchase. The service gives listeners another way to buy albums directly from artists rather than pay for a streaming subscription.

Founded in 2025, Lume launched in New Zealand in July 2026. The November expansion follows an earlier Australian debut: The Music Network described an Australian launch on 20 September 2026, identifying John Butler Trio as an initial Australian act and already citing a distributor agreement and Australian chart eligibility.

What listeners buy

Lume’s app listing says a one-time purchase includes full album audio and artwork, offline listening and ownership without expiry. Depending on what the artist chooses to share, an album can also include demos, alternate versions, live recordings, handwritten lyrics, behind-the-scenes footage and unreleased photography.

Lume representatives say artists and rightsholders receive 80% of revenue, which the app listing specifies is net revenue.

The digital album offering is available worldwide on iOS and Android, and at lumemusic.com. The Australian expansion adds local releases and partnerships to that wider access.

Distribution and chart eligibility

Lume has reached an agreement with Brisbane-based music distributor G.Y.R.O. Its inventory is eligible for charts run by Australian trade body ARIA, alongside its existing eligibility with New Zealand counterpart RMNZ. Eligible purchases through Lume can therefore contribute to an album’s sales total.

The people behind the expansion

New Zealand music and media professionals Duncan Greive, Tim Harper, Sacha Judd and Justin Warren co-founded Lume. Its seed investors include Lorde, Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie, and Letterboxd co-founder and chief technology officer Karl von Randow.

Lorde said in a statement that Lume gives artists a closer connection with their core listeners and an opportunity to determine what their work is worth.

Harper, Lume’s co-CEO, calls Australia its priority market after New Zealand and says recent visits drew substantial interest. Harper and Greive led a team presenting Lume to the independent music community at the 2026 Indie-Con in Adelaide. Harper anticipates expanding the Australian artist roster in the coming months.