Following the colossal success of the debut Global Music Match in 2020, the worldwide matchmaking program returns from June 7, featuring 78 artists from 17 countries – including 13 from Australia.

Artists from Australia, Brittany in France, Canada, Catalonia, Chile, Denmark, England, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Scotland, Taiwan, USA and Wales are set to collaborate over the coming three months, in what is thought to be the world’s largest online musical matchmaking program.

This year’s iteration follows 2020’s world-first collaboration, which was created by founding partners Sounds Australia, Showcase Scotland Expo and Canada’s East Coast Music Association (ECMA) in a bid to continue developing profiles for folk-based artists in international music markets within the challenging and unprecedented parameters of COVID-19.

Artists from around the world have been grouped into international teams of six, from different countries, and over the coming 12 weeks will collaborate with each other across social media. Each act has an assigned two-week Featured Artist period, during which time their five teammates will introduce them to five new audiences around the globe – rotated amongst all artists, up to the end of August.

Fanny Lumsden, one of the Australians who participated in the first Global Music Match, said of the program: “Global Music Match completely turned on its head my approach and access to the international market as an independent singer songwriter and it did that through people: friendships, connection, creation and collaboration. It was such a incredible way to connect across the oceans and I feel confident now to head out and physically tour in a range of new markets, once it’s all opened up again. It was a career highlight experience without a doubt.”

The 13 Australian artists participating in this year’s Global Music Match are:

Andrea Kirwin
Emma Swift
Ernest Aines
Francesca de Valence
Georgia State Line
Gretta Ziller
Joel Havea
Melanie Horsnell
Monique Clare
Musketeer
Rich Davies
Ruth Hazleton
Tom West 

With 78 artists, 13 teams of six will operate simultaneously, across borders, countries and timezones, introducing audiences to three months of new music, whilst artists largely remain unable to tour internationally.

Each team is also led by an international coach – all of whom are also leading festival directors from around the world, within the folk/roots genres. Artists will be coached throughout the project by influential figureheads from such revered events as the Woodford Folk Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival (both Australia), Philadelphia Folk Festival, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (both USA), Vancouver Island Folk Festival (Canada), Knockengorroch World Ceilidh (Scotland), Manchester Folk Festival and Americana UK (both England), amongst many more.

Another Australian involved in last year’s Global Music Match, Kaurna Cronin, said: “It was such a treat to work alongside everyone, and have such a profound sense of community during this time. For such a short project period, I was overwhelmed with the skills I not only developed, but ideas and thought streams I was inspired to pursue. The knowledge I gained and the forging of meaningful worldwide connections was invaluable, especially during a time where such tasks seemed so difficult to achieve.”

Borne out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and created as a unique and direct response to the sudden limitations imposed on the worldwide music industry – and in particular, international showcasing – Global Music Match seeks to enhance and develop artists’ international fanbases, presence and peer connections in global markets.

Discover all 78 artists involved in this year’s Global Music Match, and find out which teams they’re in, by heading to http://www.globalmusicmatch.com