Groundbreaking Fund To Support South Australian Live Music Export

Posted on February 17, 2023February 17, 2023 by Dom Alessio

**South Australian act Tkay Maidza showcasing with Sounds Australia at THE AUSSIE BBQ SummerStage in New York City in 2019.**

South Australian musicians will have access to an Australia-first initiative to support their journey to specific international music events throughout 2023.

Through an Export Contribution Fund, the South Australian Government’s Music Development Office and Sounds Australia will provide a non-competitive $3,000 contribution to travel costs for eligible artists who receive an official invitation to showcase at Folk Alliance International (Kansas, USA), SXSW (Austin, USA), The Great Escape Festival (Brighton, UK), Americanafest (Nashville, USA) and The Reeperbahn Festival (Hamburg, Germany).

This partnership recognises the increasing barriers to market entry for South Australian export-ready artists and is aimed at easing their financial burden, allowing them to make the most of their international opportunities.

The inaugural beneficiaries of the SA Export Contribution Fund include Dean Forever, Germein, MANE, PINES, Teenage Joans and TUSHAR, who have all been invited to officially showcase at SXSW in Austin, Texas this March.

“One of the best ways to grow the profile of our many talented musicians here in South Australia is to assist with music export.” says Andrea Michaels, South Australian Minister for Small and Family Business, Consumer and Business Affairs, and Arts. “It is great to see that five South Australian acts have already been invited to be showcased at SXSW – the most we have ever had from our state – and they will benefit from this initiative.

“The South Australian Government – through the Department for Industry, Innovation and Science’s Music Development Office – is proud to partner with Sounds Australia on the Export Contribution Fund to help showcase our talented South Australian musicians all over the world. We want to continue to build on Adelaide’s status as Australia’s only UNESCO City of Music and being able to perform at these events will work towards this goal.

Sounds Australia’s Executive Producer, Millie Millgate, says: “The creation of a dedicated Export Contribution Fund is the first of its kind in Australia and we are inspired by the South Australian Music Development Office who have seriously thought about where their artists need tangible support and have strategically created such a simple and effective program. Sounds Australia is proud to partner in its delivery and look forward to working with the South Australian acts and industry in their forthcoming export endeavours.”

More information on the fund and the application process is available here: https://soundsaustralia.com.au/funding/sa/

Sounds Australia Welcomes National Cultural Policy Announcement

Posted on February 1, 2023February 17, 2023 by Dom Alessio

January 30th 2023 is a date we will not forget.

The announcement on Monday by Minister For The Arts Tony Burke MP and the Albanese Government to inject $69 million into the music industry, with the creation of Music Australia, is unprecedented and truly celebrated.

The very fact that the Labor Government recognises that “one of the best ways you can support artist incomes is to help them gain an international following, which includes helping Australian artists share the stage at festivals around the globe” is inspiring.

It’s also extremely refreshing to hear the Arts Minister recognise the value of “investing in strategies to support creatives with the ambition of landing commercial hits”.

We welcome the continued and increased funding for Sounds Australia by the Department for the Arts and look forward to seeing Australian music grow worldwide in the coming years through targeted investment and tailored export initiatives via Music Australia.

YOU CAN READ THE NATIONAL CULTURAL POLICY HERE

Sounds Australia Welcomes National Cultural Policy Announcement

Posted on February 1, 2023 by Dom Alessio

January 30th 2023 is a date we will not forget.

It’s also extremely refreshing to hear the Arts Minister recognise the value of “investing in strategies to support creatives with the ambition of landing commercial hits”.

YOU CAN READ THE NATIONAL CULTURAL POLICY HERE

Sounds Australia Announces Third & Final Round Of Export Stimulus Recipients

Posted on September 30, 2022November 2, 2022 by Dom Alessio

The third and final 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.

Over $369,000 was awarded to 27 successful applicants, made up of 104 individuals.

“With the help of the SAES grant, Psycroptic has been able to restart International touring activities within the North & South American markets. After 2 years of complete shutdown of the music industry, the SAES grant has helped reopen a door to international markets that was firmly shut – allowing us to resume our career within the industry.” – Dave Haley, Psycroptic

The SAES program was created in 2021, during a time of national lockdowns and international border closures. With the support of the Australian Government, APRA AMCOS, ARIA, PPCA and the Australia Council for the Arts, the SAES grant has assisted 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.

Across three rounds, $1,213,609.32 has been awarded to 90 successful applicants, made up of 328 individuals. The targeted funding aimed 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 US visas.

“Sounds Australia’s Export Stimulus grants were born out of a need to provide urgent and much needed financial support to exporting artists and professionals during COVID-19. This was critical during a time of enforced borders and significantly increased pandemic costs.

“What is now clear, however, is that the international appetite for Australian acts is huge and growing. The time is now ripe for the establishment of a dedicated and ongoing Commonwealth Music Export Development Fund that supports artists and industry professionals at all levels of their exporting careers.” – Millie Millgate, Executive Producer, Sounds Australia

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.

SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS FOR SAES ROUND 3 CAN BE FOUND HERE

Global Music Match Returns For 2022

Posted on September 21, 2022October 14, 2022 by Dom Alessio

Following the resounding success of the first two editions in 2020 and 2021, Global Music Match returns for a third year.

The groundbreaking initiative was recognised by the international music industry at WOMEX last October, receiving their prestigious Professional Excellence Award. The latest iteration of Global Music Match will feature 58 artists from 16 countries and four continents in an export academy for developing artists. Participants from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Catalonia, Chile, Denmark, England, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Scotland, Taiwan, USA and Wales are set to collaborate over the coming three months, in what is widely considered to be the world’s largest online musical collaboration program.

Five Australian artists will take part in this year’s Global Music Match:
Camille Trail
Hannah Acfield
Kelly Brouhaha
Kim Yang
Mickey & Michelle

Born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and created by founding partners Sounds Australia, Showcase Scotland Expo, English Folk Expo and Canada’s East Coast Music Association (ECMA) as a unique and direct response to the sudden limitations imposed on the worldwide music industry and, in particular, international showcasing, Global Music Match has become a valuable artist development program.

**The Australians taking part in Global Music Match: (L-R) Camille Trail, Hannah Acfield, Kelly Brouhaha, Kim Yang, Mickey & Michelle**

The third iteration of Global Music Match has evolved to focus on emerging artists who are just starting to explore and embark on their international careers. The 59 selected artists will develop their social media skills, learn about new markets, interact and collaborate with fellow musicians online all while creating new and engaging content.

Participating artists are grouped into international teams of six, from different countries, and over the coming 14 weeks will collaborate with each other online. Each act has an assigned ten-day Spotlight period, during which time their five teammates will introduce them to five new international audiences – an invaluable opportunity, given that many of these artists haven’t yet had the opportunity to tour internationally.

Each team is led by an international coach – all of whom are leading festival directors, programmers and publicity managers within the folk/roots genres. Artists will be coached throughout the project by respected figureheads from events including Glastonbury Festival (England), New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (USA), Knockengorroch Festival (Scotland), Manchester Folk Festival (England), Montelago Celtic Festival (Italy), AmericanaFest UK (England), Vancouver Island Music Fest (Canada) and World Music Festival (Chile).

Participating organisations for 2022 include the founding partners (Sounds Australia, Showcase Scotland Expo, English Folk Expo and Canada’s East Coast Music Association (ECMA), alongside returning export music offices (EMOs): the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA), Catalan Arts (Catalonia), Chile Música, Export Music Sweden, FOCUS Wales, Folk Alliance International (USA), Iceland Music, LUCfest (Taiwan), Music Finland, Music Norway and Tempi (Denmark). In addition two new EMOs have joined in 2022: Brasil Música & Artes (BM&A) and Why Portugal.

The inaugural Global Music Match program culminated in a four-hour-long online broadcast at Folk Unlocked, the acclaimed digital edition of the Folk Alliance International conference in the USA in February 2021. Following on from the WOMEX award, the success and popularity of Global Music Match continues to grow and gain worldwide recognition. Discussions are now underway to hold a live showcase event at Showcase Scotland 2023 as part of Celtic Connections festival, where artists from previous editions of Global Music Match will feature.

To see all the artists participating in this year’s edition, head to globalmusicmatch.com and follow the #globalmusicmatch hashtag on socials for the next couple of months to discover the amazing collaborations and content being created.

Global Music Match Returns For 2022

Posted on September 21, 2022October 14, 2022 by Dom Alessio

Following the resounding success of the first two editions in 2020 and 2021, Global Music Match returns for a third year.

Sounds Sessions: A Return To Showcasing

Posted on July 5, 2022 by Dom Alessio

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 June 30, 2022 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.

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 June 30, 2022June 30, 2022 by Dom Alessio

Call For Artists for Global Music Match Round 3

Posted on June 27, 2022June 27, 2022 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