I get asked this one a lot, usually from someone who's just watched a video of an EMMA final and wants to know who locally can help them build toward it. The honest answer is that EMMA doesn't run a public "find a dealer near me" locator the way some other competition bodies do — so here's how I'd actually go about it.
There's no official dealer directory — yet
EMMA Australia's website covers rules, the value calculator, official competition tracks and event listings, but it doesn't publish a searchable list of affiliated installers or retailers. If you email EMMA Australia directly (info@emmaaustralia.com) they can usually point you toward people in your state who are active in the scene, but there's no self-service map or directory to search yourself right now.
The most reliable way: go to an event
EMMA Australia runs events in Sydney and Melbourne, and the paddock at any event is the single best place to meet the installers and tuners who actually compete. Walk the car park before judging starts, look at the cars entered, and talk to the people standing next to them — competitors are almost always happy to talk shop, and a lot of them are also the installers who built the cars you're looking at. If you want a preview of how the day runs before you go, see how EMMA competition day is run.
Look for shops that already compete or judge
The most useful signal isn't a "car audio installer" sign on the shopfront — it's whether the shop actually enters cars or has someone on staff who judges. Building a system that sounds good on the road is a different skill from building one that will hold up to an EMMA scoresheet, and the gap between the two is exactly what trips up a lot of first-timers. If a shop can talk fluently about install rules, fuse placement, wiring runs and equipment value caps without you prompting them, that's a good sign. I cover the panel judging EMMA Australia events on the EMMA Australia judging panel page — worth a read if you want to know who's actually scoring the cars.
Ask in the community, not just the search bar
A lot of the useful word-of-mouth in this scene happens in car audio forums and social groups rather than on any official site. Asking "who's building EMMA cars near me" in an Australian car audio group will usually get you further than searching for one — the community is small enough that most active installers are known by name in their region.
What we can offer directly
If you're in our area, we're an easy option: Integrated Audio builds and installs HELIX, MATCH and BRAX systems, and I judge EMMA Sound Quality and Installation events myself, so I know exactly what a scoresheet is looking for before your car ever gets to competition day. Have a look at our car sound upgrade and DIY install pages, or just get in touch and tell me what you're planning — I'm happy to talk through a build whether or not you end up working with us.
Once you've found someone
Before you commit to a shop, ask them directly whether they've entered or judged an EMMA event, and ask to see a car they've built that's competed. If you're doing the work yourself rather than through a shop, start with our guide to getting your car competition ready and the competition day kit checklist so you know what you're aiming for either way.
Written by Pete — Integrated Audio
Pete is the founder of Integrated Audio and a Certified International EMMA Head Judge, judging EMMA Sound Quality and Installation competitions in Australia and internationally. He writes from the judging side of the table, drawing on hands-on experience building and installing HELIX, MATCH and BRAX car audio systems.