Sharing culture through indigiTUBE

Every day, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people around the country are creating fantastic media content. Whether it’s new music or programs from Indigenous broadcasters, or videos which tell exciting stories from communities, there’s plenty going on in Indigenous media. Yet while there is great content being created, it can be difficult to find a place to share it online that’s curated and culturally appropriate — that’s where indigiTUBE comes in. 

indigiTUBE is a platform developed by First Nations Media Australia (FNMA), the peak body for First Nations not-for-profit broadcasting, media and communications organisations. It’s a public online community for sharing and accessing media and offers video, radio and music streaming services. indigiTUBE has been developed by and for First Nations people to preserve language and culture for future generations.

Jaja Dare, indigiTUBE Project Manager, said the idea for the platform came out of an identified need for a place to share Indigenous content which is culturally appropriate.

‘There was a call for a space to share our rich and positive stories within our communities, and as an alternative to mainstream media,’ Jaja said.

indigiTUBE has been operating in remote communities since 2008, but has now expanded to connect with a national audience.

‘The platform was initially established in response to the uptake of smart phones and internet access in remote communities,’ Jaja said.

‘But with the expansion of FNMA as a national peak body, there was a call from the industry to expand indigiTUBE into a national platform.’

While indigiTUBE is an FNMA project, it is a user-driven platform. Content creators can upload their media to the platform, and anyone can view and share the video and audio content. There is a function to create your own channel, and broadcasters are able to access a dashboard with content which is available to air.  

indigiTUBE is primarily for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contributors, however non-Indigenous organisations are able to post on the platform.

‘If a non-Indigenous organisation, or independent media workers, have worked with a community on a project, and the content has been endorsed by the community, then we are happy to approve the content to go up,’ Jaja said.

indigiTUBE is available online and on the Android app, with an iPhone app coming soon. Content can also be downloaded and played offline, which is an excellent function for those living in areas with limited internet access.

And while indigiTUBE was created with mob in mind, Jaja is keen to encourage non-Indigenous people to get online and have a look.

‘There’s a real opportunity for non-Indigenous people to gain exposure to First Nations culture,’ Jaja said.

‘While indigiTUBE was designed primarily by and for First Nations people, it’s there to share with wider Australia – it’s a great opportunity to engage with our rich culture.’