Author: Dom Alessio

Sounds Sessions: A Return To Showcasing

Posted on by Dom Alessio

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In May this year, 24 Australian artists travelled to Brighton, UK to showcase at The Great Escape Festival. It was TGE’s first festival since 2019 – and for many acts, it was their first showcase since the end of COVID-enforced restrictions.

For the next Sounds Sessions virtual panel, at 10am AEST on Tuesday July 12, you’ll hear from managers who were on the ground at The Great Escape Festival as well as for shows in Europe and the UK.

Find out what the experience was like, and what you need to be prepared for if you’re thinking of touring in that part of the world. What are the current opportunities for Australian artists and industry professionals in the UK and Europe, and what are the challenges amid rising costs around the world?

Moderated by Sounds Australia’s Dom Alessio, the panel will feature the following managers:

Dan Crannitch (Flowerkid, Wonderlick Entertainment)
Elise Naismith (Budjerah, Lemon Tree Music)
Jade Nazareth (Alex The Astronaut, One Louder)
Nathan Farrell (Telenova, Calibre Artist Management)
Phil Stevens (Stella Donnelly, Phil Stevens Management)

The panel is free, but registration through Eventbrite is essential.

REGISTER FOR THE PANEL HERE

Sounds Australia Welcomes SXSW Sydney Announcement

Posted on by Dom Alessio

SXSW has long been a critical exporting platform for Australian artists, with 490 Australian acts having showcased at the premier music festival in Austin since Sounds Australia’s inception in 2009 and many of those multiple times.

As a result of showcasing at SXSW, Australian acts have secured countless deals, instigated key partnerships, garnered global media attention, won over legions of new fans and kick started their international careers.

Gang Of Youths, THE AUSSIE BBQ SXSW 2018, Australia House

The momentous announcement made today by the NSW Government, committing to the delivery of SXSW Sydney, is a gamechanger and the opportunities an event of this magnitude can garner for the Australian music industry are enormous.

SXSW Sydney is a much welcome antidote to the COVID shut down our live industry has suffered over the past two years, with an event of this scale promising significant economic benefits, along with the capacity to change the cultural landscape of a city that is primed to rise.

Kwame, Australia House, SXSW 2019

The opportunity for Australian artists and industry to commence or build upon their global networks and advance their international pathways on home soil honestly couldn’t come at a more needed or important time. International touring has never been harder, with the combined impacts of COVID-19, inflation, gas prices, supply chain shortages, climate change, US Visa processes, currency fluctuations and the current and potential unrest and conflicts.

Vera Blue, THE AUSSIE BBQ SXSW 2017, Brush Square Park

Thrilled to see its inclusion on the international music events calendar, SXSW Sydney brings a globally-renowned premier event to our doorstep and an enviable stage for us to shine the spotlight on our world-class pipeline of talent, at a fraction of the exporting costs.

Opportunities like this don’t come around very often and for Sydney to have secured the first SXSW outside of Texas in over 35 years is a significant coup for Destination NSW and one Sounds Australia is keen to embrace.

Sounds Australia Welcomes The Announcement Of SXSW Sydney

Posted on by Dom Alessio

SXSW has long been a critical exporting platform for Australian artists, with 490 Australian acts having showcased at the premier music festival in Austin since Sounds Australia’s inception in 2009 and many of those multiple times.

As a result of showcasing at SXSW, Australian acts have secured countless deals, instigated key partnerships, garnered global media attention, won over legions of new fans and kick started their international careers.

Gang Of Youths, THE AUSSIE BBQ SXSW 2018, Australia House

The momentous announcement made today by the NSW Government, committing to the delivery of SXSW Sydney, is a gamechanger and the opportunities an event of this magnitude can garner for the Australian music industry are enormous.

SXSW Sydney is a much welcome antidote to the COVID shut down our live industry has suffered over the past two years, with an event of this scale promising significant economic benefits, along with the capacity to change the cultural landscape of a city that is primed to rise.

Kwame, Australia House, SXSW 2019

The opportunity for Australian artists and industry to commence or build upon their global networks and advance their international pathways on home soil honestly couldn’t come at a more needed or important time. International touring has never been harder, with the combined impacts of COVID-19, inflation, gas prices, supply chain shortages, climate change, US Visa processes, currency fluctuations and the current and potential unrest and conflicts.

Vera Blue, THE AUSSIE BBQ SXSW 2017, Brush Square Park

Thrilled to see its inclusion on the international music events calendar, SXSW Sydney brings a globally-renowned premier event to our doorstep and an enviable stage for us to shine the spotlight on our world-class pipeline of talent, at a fraction of the exporting costs.

Opportunities like this don’t come around very often and for Sydney to have secured the first SXSW outside of Texas in over 35 years is a significant coup for Destination NSW and one Sounds Australia is keen to embrace.

Call For Artists for Global Music Match Round 3

Posted on by Dom Alessio

2020 saw the introduction of Global Music Match, a world-first collaboration created by founding partners Sounds Australia, Showcase Scotland Expo, English Folk Expo and East Coast Music Association (ECMA), along with myriad export organisations and showcase events from around the world.

96 artists from 14 countries participated in the first edition, with 74 artists from 17 countries taking part in the second edition, each taking turns in being spotlighted through a series of interviews, live sets, unreleased material and exclusive collaborations. 

Through social media and peer-to-peer collaboration, Global Music Match advanced opportunities and networks internationally, encouraged cross-border artist collaboration by connecting musicians from around the world, and created new audiences in a range of international locations, providing the groundwork for future international touring development.

Find out more here:
Global Music Match Website
Global Music Match Highlight Video

The third iteration of Global Music Match has evolved to become a valuable artist development program that provides a unique platform for artists rooted in acoustic, folk, roots, traditional, or world music genres who are commencing their export journeys.

Recommended for acts that are starting to explore and embrace an international career, participants will develop their social media skillsets, learn about new markets and interact with new audiences, create new and engaging content, and have the opportunity to work together to create musical collaborations on a global scale – all without the costs associated with international travel.

The “try before you buy” environment offered by Global Music Match will provide the selected acts with a risk-free framework to start building their international networks, along with direct access to the world’s premier folk festival programmers who make up the GMM elite coaching personnel. 

Applications are now open for artists interested in taking part in the third edition of Global Music Match. You have until Friday July 29 to apply for the 14-week, artist driven, intensive program which commences on Thursday September 1. 

For more information on the program timelines and criteria please head to the application form:
https://www.cognitoforms.com/ShowcaseScotlandExpo1/GlobalMusicMatch2022ArtistApplication

Round 3 Of SAES Program Now Open

Posted on by Dom Alessio

Today, Sounds Australia has opened applications for Round 3 of the Sounds Australia Export Stimulus (SAES) program. The funding package was established in 2021 to bolster Australia’s music export activity and support the industry as they return to global stages. The targeted support assists established Australian artists, crew and music professionals to realise significant career milestone opportunities, earn much needed income after 18 months of cancelled work, and support Australia’s quest to become a net exporting music nation.

The first two rounds of the SAES package were awarded to a diverse cross section of local music industry made up of artists, producers, songwriters, composers, managers and crew. In Round 1, 31 applicants were awarded AU $408,936.28, whilst in Round 2, 32 Applicants were awarded AU $434,878.35.The full list of recipients can be found at the SAES website.

“The backing received from SAES could not have come at a more crucial time for me. After the impact of Covid, SAES support made getting back to international touring a reality.” – Ruel (Round 2 recipient)

The competitive grants will be judged by an external panel of highly experienced assessors, with priority given to activity undertaken by established talent re-entering the international music market. Funding will be awarded to support increased expenses across five distinct areas. These include:

  • Visas (petition application and associated legal fees)
  • Freight and Carnets
  • Pre-Tour Rehearsals (venue, wages, backline)
  • Artist Managers to travel with their acts overseas
  • Insurance and other COVID increased premiums
  • COVID compliant consumables

The program was first announced in June 2021 at AIR Indie Con, with the support of Sounds Australia’s lead funding partners. APRA AMCOS, ARIA, PPCA, the Australia Council for the Arts and the Office for the Arts agreed to redirect Sounds Australia’s 2020 and forecast 2021 retained surplus toward the SAES Program. Furthermore, the former Minister for the Arts, The Hon. Paul Fletcher, committed additional funding which brought the combined total of the Export Stimulus Package to $1.2 million, to be distributed over the three rounds.

Successful applicants will play a significant role in presenting Australia as an incomparable nation of sought-after artists and skilled music industry professionals, and reignite foreign trade and income for broader Australian music businesses.

Round 3 is now open, with applications closing on Friday July 8 at 5:00pm AEST. Head to the SAES website to apply, as well as read the guidelines, criteria, and terms and conditions.

THE AUSSIE BBQ Returns to Summerstage in Central Park

Posted on by Dom Alessio

On Saturday June 18, 2022, Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage and Sounds Australia will present THE AUSSIE BBQ for the first time in three years to showcase a new class of undeniable Australian talent, in association with the Australian Consul-General, New York and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Since 2020, lockdowns and travel restrictions have kept American audiences particularly deprived of live music from Australian performers. Now finally back and able to export a line up showcasing the breadth, diversity, and history of Australian music, attendees will see sets from Baker Boy, Electric Fields, G Flip, Haiku Hands, Peking Duk and You Am I.

For more than ten years, Sounds Australia has provided an integral platform for introducing the international music industry to the best new Aussie music. THE AUSSIE BBQ SummerStage made its debut in 2019 and saw almost 5000 New Yorkers turn up to see A.B. Original, Hermitude, The Teskey Brothers, Tkay Maidza, San Cisco and WAAX perform. 

Of this year’s much-anticipated upcoming event, Erika Elliott, the Executive Artistic Director at SummerStage, says, “We are thrilled to have THE AUSSIE BBQ return to SummerStage this year. International artists are a key aspect of our festival, as we seek to offer the best music from around the world to New Yorkers each summer. Our partnership has allowed us to give platform to a crop of diverse and exciting talent from Australia that we expect people to be able to say they saw here first!”

Australian Consul-General in New York, Nick Greiner, says: “The Australian Consulate General in New York is proud to be supporting THE AUSSIE BBQ this year at SummerStage in Central Park. We are thrilled that the Australian community in New York is coming back together to see performances by this diverse selection of outstanding Australian artists.”

For more information, head to THE AUSSIE BBQ SummerStage 2022 page.

THE AUSSIE BBQ Returns to Summerstage in Central Park

Posted on by Dom Alessio

On Saturday June 18, 2022, Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage and Sounds Australia will present THE AUSSIE BBQ for the first time in three years to showcase a new class of undeniable Australian talent, in association with the Australian Consul-General, New York and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Since 2020, lockdowns and travel restrictions have kept American audiences particularly deprived of live music from Australian performers. Now finally back and able to export a line up showcasing the breadth, diversity, and history of Australian music, attendees will see sets from Baker Boy, Electric Fields, G Flip, Haiku Hands, Peking Duk and You Am I.

For more than ten years, Sounds Australia has provided an integral platform for introducing the international music industry to the best new Aussie music. THE AUSSIE BBQ SummerStage made its debut in 2019 and saw almost 5000 New Yorkers turn up to see A.B. Original, Hermitude, The Teskey Brothers, Tkay Maidza, San Cisco and WAAX perform. 

Of this year’s much-anticipated upcoming event, Erika Elliott, the Executive Artistic Director at SummerStage, says, “We are thrilled to have THE AUSSIE BBQ return to SummerStage this year. International artists are a key aspect of our festival, as we seek to offer the best music from around the world to New Yorkers each summer. Our partnership has allowed us to give platform to a crop of diverse and exciting talent from Australia that we expect people to be able to say they saw here first!”

Australian Consul-General in New York, Nick Greiner, says: “The Australian Consulate General in New York is proud to be supporting THE AUSSIE BBQ this year at SummerStage in Central Park. We are thrilled that the Australian community in New York is coming back together to see performances by this diverse selection of outstanding Australian artists.”

For more information, head to THE AUSSIE BBQ SummerStage 2022 page.

A2IM Indie Week 2022: Call For Expressions Of Interest

Posted on by Dom Alessio


Sounds Australia, AIR and the PPCA are now seeking expressions of interest from Australian independent labels to take part in an Australian delegation to attend Indie Week 2022 in New York City, an independent label focused conference hosted by A2IM (American Association of Independent Music) from June 13-16 2022 at New York Law School.

A2IM Indie Week is a four-day international conference and networking event aimed at maximizing the global impact of Independent music. Featuring keynotes, panels, exclusive networking sessions, and more, A2IM Indie Week has historically drawn an attendance of over 1200 participants from over 30 countries. Build your network and join the conversation.

Indie Week is a member-only conference for record labels and service providers with a strong focus on the exploitation of master recordings, licensing, networking and digital. AIR & Sounds Australia have led Australian delegations to Indie Week since 2013 and we have again been extended an invitation to lead an Australian delegation to Indie Week in 2022.

Sounds Australia will be covering registration costs – valued at $579.99 USD.

Due to limited capacity, we ask all interested parties to show an expression of interest by filling out this survey BY WEDNESDAY 20TH APRIL 2022 – it shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes to complete.

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE SURVEY

For consideration when applying:

  • Indie Week 2022 will be held in New York City from Monday 13th to Thursday 16th June 2022.
  • Sounds Australia will be presenting THE AUSSIE BBQ showcase in New York on Saturday 18th June 2022, 4pm – 10pm. All Australian Indie Week delegates will be invited as a VIP guest to THE AUSSIE BBQ, that will also include an exclusive network luncheon with key New York music industry before the showcase performance.
  • Australian attendees are responsible for booking and funding all flights, transfers, insurance and accommodation themselves.
  • To apply a label must be a member of AIR.
  • Per the A2IM Indie Week venue’s rules and regulations, all attendees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including a booster dose, and are required to wear a mask in the venue. Attendees who are not vaccinated for medical, religious, or other reasons will be required to submit proof of a negative PCR or lab-based antigen COVID test, conducted within three (3) days prior to attending. Proof of vaccination and a temperature check will be required upon entry. If you have any questions regarding COVID regulations, please reach out to info@a2im.org.
  • Due to limited capacity and the small number of invitations, all attending Australian labels must have a catalogue of at least five albums and represent the music of at least three artists. It is expected that they are digitally pro-active and are doing business internationally. For more information please contact Maria Amato at AIR – maria@air.org.au

Sounds Australia Announces Second Round Of Recipients For Export Stimulus Grant

Posted on by Dom Alessio

The second round of Sounds Australia’s Export Stimulus (SAES) package has been awarded to more of Australia’s local music industry made up of artists, producers, songwriters, composers, managers, publishers and crew. The funds will support wide-ranging international activity including touring, songwriting, producing, industry meetings and tour/technical support.

32 Applicants were awarded AU $434,878.35.

“After such a brutal 2+ years of rescheduled tours, show cancellations, lockdowns and border closures, it feels unbelievable that we are able to actually tour internationally. This funding gives us support in what is really a super fragile economic arrangement for us. We’re playing some of the biggest shows of our careers, nominated for Grammys, yet it could all fall over at any second with no Covid insurance policies out there! We depend on groups like Sounds Australia to have our backs and am grateful for the support they have granted us.” – Si Jay Gould, Wondercore Island (Manager, Hiatus Kiayote).

The SAES program has been explicitly designed to assist established artists and industry professionals in re-entering the international music market, playing a significant role in presenting Australia as a nation of sought-after talent, reigniting foreign trade networks and triggering much-needed income for these important Australian music businesses.

The targeted funding aims to specifically counter the increased costs associated with exporting in a time of COVID-19, including increased insurance premiums, COVID-19 compliance consumables and expediting visas.

“Once again, we have been overwhelmed with the amount of international activity scheduled for Australians in the coming months – a time when the competition for opportunities, performance dates and venues has never been fiercer. It’s imperative that after a 2-year absence our top talent is able to re-engage audiences by returning to international studios and stages.” – Millie Millgate, Executive Producer, Sounds Australia.

Round 2 of the Sounds Australia Export Stimulus Grant has been made possible with the support of the Australian Government, APRA AMCOS, ARIA, PPCA, the Australia Council for the Arts, and Creative Victoria. 

Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cites and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said the package, under the first two rounds, has supported 224 Australian music industry professionals to return to international touring and business, and maximise the opportunities this brings. 

“The Morrison Government is proud to be supporting the Sounds Australia Export Stimulus program to get our talented artists, crew and music professionals back on the global stage to reaffirm our position in the international music market, and to bolster foreign trade and income for broader Australian music businesses,” Minister Fletcher said.

The extremely high quality and increased quantity of submissions was again judged by an external panel of experienced assessors made up of Cameron Adams, Leanne de Souza, Paul Mason, Sam Cook and Sosefina Fuamoli.

Round 3 for the SAES Grants will open on Monday 13th June 2022 for activity taking place internationally from 1st August 2022.

SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS FOR SAES ROUND 2 can be found HERE  

Sounds Australia Announces Second Round Of Recipients For Export Stimulus Grant

Posted on by Dom Alessio

The second round of Sounds Australia’s Export Stimulus (SAES) package has been awarded to more of Australia’s local music industry made up of artists, producers, songwriters, composers, managers, publishers and crew. The funds will support wide-ranging international activity including touring, songwriting, producing, industry meetings and tour/technical support.

32 Applicants were awarded AU $434,878.35.

“After such a brutal 2+ years of rescheduled tours, show cancellations, lockdowns and border closures, it feels unbelievable that we are able to actually tour internationally. This funding gives us support in what is really a super fragile economic arrangement for us. We’re playing some of the biggest shows of our careers, nominated for Grammys, yet it could all fall over at any second with no Covid insurance policies out there! We depend on groups like Sounds Australia to have our backs and am grateful for the support they have granted us.” – Si Jay Gould, Wondercore Island (Manager, Hiatus Kiayote).

The SAES program has been explicitly designed to assist established artists and industry professionals in re-entering the international music market, playing a significant role in presenting Australia as a nation of sought-after talent, reigniting foreign trade networks and triggering much-needed income for these important Australian music businesses.

The targeted funding aims to specifically counter the increased costs associated with exporting in a time of COVID-19, including increased insurance premiums, COVID-19 compliance consumables and expediting visas.

“Once again, we have been overwhelmed with the amount of international activity scheduled for Australians in the coming months – a time when the competition for opportunities, performance dates and venues has never been fiercer. It’s imperative that after a 2-year absence our top talent is able to re-engage audiences by returning to international studios and stages.” – Millie Millgate, Executive Producer, Sounds Australia.

Round 2 of the Sounds Australia Export Stimulus Grant has been made possible with the support of the Australian Government, APRA AMCOS, ARIA, PPCA, the Australia Council for the Arts, and Creative Victoria. 

Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cites and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said the package, under the first two rounds, has supported 224 Australian music industry professionals to return to international touring and business, and maximise the opportunities this brings. 

“The Morrison Government is proud to be supporting the Sounds Australia Export Stimulus program to get our talented artists, crew and music professionals back on the global stage to reaffirm our position in the international music market, and to bolster foreign trade and income for broader Australian music businesses,” Minister Fletcher said.

The extremely high quality and increased quantity of submissions was again judged by an external panel of experienced assessors made up of Cameron Adams, Leanne de Souza, Paul Mason, Sam Cook and Sosefina Fuamoli.

Round 3 for the SAES Grants will open on Monday 13th June 2022 for activity taking place internationally from 1st August 2022.

SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS FOR SAES ROUND 2 can be found HERE