Your application must comply with the following Protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding. 

Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts 

All applications involving First Nations artists, communities or subject matter must adhere to these Protocols, and provide evidence of this in their application and support material.  More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here. 

Commonwealth Child Safe Framework 

All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the  National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. 

You must submit additional support material with your application. Industry Advisors will review this support material to help them gain a better sense of your activity.  

You must provide:  

• up to 3 URLs (weblinks) that best demonstrate your organisation’s activity as it relates to this Core Contribution Fund application. These URLs may include website links, video, audio, images and written materials  
• the organisation’s last 2 years of audited financial accounts, or equivalent financial data. 

For organisations who report on a calendar year basis this should be for 2022 and 2023; for organisations who report on a financial year basis this should be 2022-23 and 2023-24 (if available). 

You may also provide:  

• existing business, operational or strategic plans
• biographies or CVs of key personnel – these should be presented as a single document not longer than 5 A4 pages in total  
• letters of support.

Individuals, groups or organisations can write letters in support of your application.  

If relevant to your organisation, letters of support must provide evidence of appropriate permissions and support from First Nations organisations, communities, and Elders. Please refer to the First Nations Protocols for more information.  

You can include up to five letters of support, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page.  

We do not accept application-related support material submitted via post. Application-related material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your support material online or need advice on what type of material to submit, please  contact Artists Services.  

Our preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks).  

You can provide up to three URLs that link to content that is relevant to your proposal. This may include video, audio, images, or written material.  

Please note: Our industry advisors will not access any URLs that require them to log in or sign up to a platform. Please do not provide links to Spotify or other applications that require users to log in or pay for access.  

If you are linking to media files that are private or password protected like Vimeo, please provide the password in the password field on the application form.  

Other accepted file formats  

If you cannot supply support material via URLs, you may upload support material to your application in the following formats:  

• video (MP4, QuickTime, and Windows Media)  
• audio (MP3 and Windows Media)  
• images (JPEG and PowerPoint) 
• written material (Word and PDF).  

Funding is available in the form of a direct grant.  

• Applicants must have minimum annual recorded music trade revenues of $40,000 from core business activities earned as a record label, from their Australian roster. 

• Eligible applicants may apply for up to 25% of the company’s two-year average of total annual recorded music revenue from label activity.  

• The minimum funding request is $10,000 and the maximum funding is capped at $150,000.  

• No expense paid for from the Music Australia funding can be allocated to an artists’ recoupable ledger. 

Artist Creation Fee  

The Music Australia Record Label Development Scheme funding is available for amounts ranging from $10,000 to $150,000 plus GST.  

In addition, a mandatory 10% artist creation fee will be added to the grant amount for eligible activities. This fee covers creative and artistic services provided by the artists for the project. This includes recording activities and video production that features the recording artist.  

For example, if the label receives $50,000 in funding, an extra payment of $5,000 will be added to the funding amount, bringing the total funding to $55,000. This artist creation fee is a non-recoupable expense, to be shared amongst the artists that are featured in the project activities. 

The artist creation fee will be paid upon documentation received after 1 July 2025. 

Co-Investment 

Applicants must demonstrate co-investment either as a financial contribution towards the identified project costs, or their investment towards items not covered by the Music Australia Record Label Development Scheme such as domestic or international touring, international release and related costs, creative direction and branding and media training. The co-investment must be cash and not in-kind and is to be clearly detailed in the application budget.  

Your application must comply with the following Protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding. 

• Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts 

All applications involving First Nations artists, communities or subject matter must adhere to these Protocols, and provide evidence of this in their application and support material. More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here. 

• Commonwealth Child Safe Framework 

All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. 

Before applying, you must read and understand these guidelines.  

• Complete the pre-application eligibility check process no later than Tuesday 8 October 3pm AEDT electronically through the Creative Australia online Application Management System to determine eligibility. 

• Once approved, submit a full application electronically through the Application Management System no later than Tuesday 12 November 3pm AEDT.

Pre-application Eligibility Check

To apply for the Music Australia Record Label Development Scheme, you must first ensure you meet the pre-application criteria by completing the eligibility check in the Application Management System.

The pre-application process will also determine the amount the label is eligible to apply for.

The Pre-application Eligibility Check includes the following criteria:

• the application is for an Australian label, or Australian subsidiary of a multinational label, releasing contemporary Australian music
• at least 3 active Australian artists on the label’s roster are supported through this funding
• the audience engagement profile meets the minimum threshold of 5000 followers/fans for each artist, on any of the following platforms: Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Discord, Facebook, Instagram, Soundcloud, Spotify, Tidal, TikTok, YouTube Music, or the artist’s mailing list
• the label has released at least 5 singles and 1 x EP or 1 x LP of Australian artist recordings within the last 12 months
• Financial documentation (this information is used by Music Australia for the eligibility check only and is not provided to the industry advisors). This can include any or all of the following:
  • signed financial statements (including P&L & balance sheet) for the 2 most recently completed fiscal years
  • up to two years’ worth of PPCA statements
  • up to two years’ worth of streaming income statements
  • up to two years’ worth of BAS statements.

  The grant amount each label will be eligible to apply for, will be based on 25% of annual recorded music trade revenues (not profit). Please see FAQ for what income can be included to make up the minimum trade revenue

The budget is completed in the full application form. The maximum amount you are eligible to apply for will be entered by Music Australia, using the financial data provided in the pre-application eligibility check.

Anticipated outcomes for the Music Australia Record Label Development Scheme may include any of the following, depending on the type of activity undertaken. It is not expected that each applicant will achieve all the outcomes below. Applicants should provide a list of all anticipated outcomes they will report on in their final acquittal report, should their funding request be successful.  

Measurable outcomes:  

• number of artists supported  

• number of new recordings supported  

• number of new performance opportunities for artists (including online)  

• online and social media impact (metrics)  

• traditional media impact (metrics): radio/video plays, interviews, articles, reviews, etc

• critical success of supported projects  

• sustainability of activity outcomes  

• sales success of supported activities: units sold, streams, ticket revenue, etc

• company growth/increased revenue  

• number of international markets targeted  

• increased revenue from international sales  

• jobs created/retained  

• tangible initiatives to improve or further embed diversity, equity and inclusion within company operations (i.e. staff training, hiring practices, artist signings).

The assessment process will use Industry Advisors, with relevant label experience. The assessment criteria includes project viability, quality and impact. 

We assess applications against the assessment criteria and against other applications. We consider each application on its merits, based on: 

• how well it meets the criteria  

• how it compares to other applications  

• whether it provides value for money.

When assessing the extent to which the application represents value for money, we will give regard to:  

• the overall objective/s to be achieved in providing the grant 

• the relative value of the grant sought 

• extent to which the geographic location of the application ensures that there is a spread of successful applications from across Australia including urban, regional and remote locations  

• the extent to which different genres of music are represented to ensure there is diverse representation 

• the extent to which the evidence in the application demonstrates that it will contribute to meeting the outcomes/objectives. 

After applicant and activity eligibility have been confirmed, applications will be assessed by a panel of Industry Advisors against to the following 3 criteria:  

Quality 

Advisors will assess the calibre of the artists and label staff involved and the quality of the music. They may consider: 

• the track record of the key artists involved and their previous releases 

• the degree to which the applicant demonstrates that it has the track record and organisational capacity (financial, human resources) to effectively execute the activities including their achievements, as evidenced by their biography and professional profile

• the presence of diversity among leadership, staff, or contract employees, particularly underrepresented communities within the music industry   

• the degree to which diversity is reflected within the applicant’s roster 

• the cultural value of the project for Australian audiences. 

• the strength of the artistic support material provided.

Impact 

Advisors will assess the impact your application will have on the growth and sustainability of original contemporary Australian music. They may consider: 

• thoroughness of the applicant’s description of the proposed activity and its anticipated impacts  

• degree to which expected results are well documented in the application, including a description of tangible, measurable, and realistic goals and a clear explanation of anticipated return on investment (ROI)

• good and achievable range of project KPIs

• potential to assist with increasing levels of Australian music on radio

• potential to impact online audiences with significant streams/views/shares/likes/sales

• applicant’s potential to achieve strong measurable critical and/or commercial impact  

• extent to which the application demonstrates forward thinking strategic planning and focus on long-term growth and sustainability  

• degree to which the company can leverage the investment to strengthen its profile/capital/human resources pool for future investment and growth  

• how the work will support the development of First Nations, or female and/or non-binary, music artists.  

Viability 

Advisors will assess the viability of your budget, release strategies and marketing plans. They may consider: 

• how viable and achievable the project is (as evidenced by the budget accuracy, release timelines and planning) 

• the strength of the overall release plan, including the marketing and promotion campaign and audience development strategy, including evidence of demand   

• the resources supporting the project (including financial and/or in-kind) 

• effectiveness of the applicant’s articulation of its financial capacity to undertake the proposed activities  

• stability and strength of the applicant’s financial position based on company’s financial statements  

• the strength of the key people and partners involved, including confirmations of their involvement and their track record delivering similar recorded works and output

• appropriate safety and wellbeing practices in place for artists and studios  

• risk assessment on the project team.

To guide initial investments, the Music Australia Council endorsed the following definition of ‘contemporary music’, which you must meet to be eligible. 

“Australian contemporary music is any genre or subgenre of music currently composed, written, produced by Australians and licensed, recorded, presented, and distributed through commercial and non-commercial activity. For the purposes of Music Australia’s initial investments, the focus will be on musical works that are new, original and relevant to contemporary Australia”.  

If you don’t meet the definition above for contemporary music, you may be eligible to apply for our Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups, Arts Projects for Organisations, or International programs.

• Activity must start between 1 April 2025 and 30 June 2025, and be completed within 12 months.
• An applicant can submit a maximum of one application to each category of the Music Australia Export Development Fund.
• The budget in your application needs to demonstrate matched funding (see ‘What we mean by matched funding’ for more information), and evidence of matched funding must be supplied in your support material.
• Planning and preparation such as arranging or booking dates, venues, contracts, travel and visas, and rehearsals in your country of residence, are not eligible activities for the purposes of this grant and should not be included in the activity details section of your application. We encourage and expect considered planning and preparation of your activities in advance of the proposed international activity dates you are applying for. If you are unsure about the eligibility of any part of your proposed activity, please contact musicaustraliagrants@creative.gov.au.

Please complete the budget in the application form. Your budget does not need to have a net zero balance, but we ask that you explain your budget surplus or deficit in the application form, if applicable.

You must provide evidence of your matched funding in your support material – if you do not provide this evidence your application will be deemed ineligible. Please see the list below for examples of evidence you can supply, watch the video, or contact Music Australia if you have questions.

The budget in your application needs to demonstrate matched funding. Every application (individual, group, organisation or company) must demonstrate that they are contributing an amount equal to, or more than, the total funding request, ensuring that the co-investment by industry is, at a minimum, matching the Government’s investment.

What we mean by ‘matched funding’:

1. You are required to match the Music Australia Export funding for your project on at least a 50:50 basis.
2. Your share of project costs is 50% of eligible expenditure up to the maximum grant limit and all remaining costs not met by the grant.
3. You cannot use in-kind (non-financial) contributions for matched funding.
4. You cannot use other government grant sources to match the Music Australia Export grant.
5. You will need to provide documentary evidence of your ability to fund your share of project costs in your support material.

Evidence might include:

• Advanced ticket sales for upcoming tour
• Festival guarantees
• Previous tour reconciliations.
• Advance from a label or publisher
• Merchandise sales
• Upcoming or past royalty payment
• Commitment to a future sync placement
• Available bank balance (provide a document or screenshot of the account balance and account name – removing other personal and transaction details)
• Crowd funding (including Australian Cultural Fund (ACF) generated income).

A minimum of $2,000, up to a maximum of $10,000, whereby the recipient must demonstrate an investment of an equal or greater amount to the funding request.

The International Market and Audience Development fund (Category 3) is designed to support activity that includes:

• International PR and promotional campaigns
• Implementing an international radio campaign
• Content Creation: music video clips, multiple reels, lyrics translations targeted towards international audiences
• Performance on an international TV talk show
• Attendance by a composer at the premiere of a commissioned composition
• Presenting lecture at an overseas academy, institute or university

As well as costs directly associated with the activity listed above, you may apply for all costs associated with completing your export activity. Eligible costs include but are not limited to:

• artist and creative worker fees
• flights, accommodation, per diems, ground transport costs
• travel insurance
• visas
• freight or baggage costs
• childcare, carer and access costs
• tickets and/or registration costs to attend events
• costs associated with reducing the environmental impact of your activity.

Access costs are legitimate expenses and may be included in your application. We encourage applicants to ensure that their work is accessible to everyone. Budgets may include costs associated with making activities accessible to a wide range of people (e.g. performances using Auslan, translation to other languages, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments, and materials in other formats).

If you are a d/Deaf applicant, an applicant with disability, or are working with d/Deaf artists or artists with disability, you may apply for access costs associated with the use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, carer or support worker assistance. Please contact Artists Services to discuss your specific needs.

Your application must comply with the following Protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding. 

• Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts 

All applications involving First Nations artists, communities or subject matter must adhere to these Protocols, and provide evidence of this in their application and support material. More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here. 

• Commonwealth Child Safe Framework 

All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. 

Applications will be assessed by industry advisors.  

Learn more about how we assess your application. 

As well as meeting the eligibility requirements listed above, industry advisors will review your application using the criteria below.

Viability

Assessors will consider whether your activity is feasible. Some ways to consider viability are listed below.

• The activity is confirmed
• Evidence of matched funding at a minimum of 50% of the total budget
• Realistic budgeting and touring logistics
• The relevance and timeliness of the proposed activity
• The skills and abilities of those involved, and their relevance to the activity
• Well-researched and rationalised activity, particularly if this is your first engagement with an international market
• Measures being applied to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people involved in the project
• Measures being applied to ensure the proposed activity is accessible
• Where relevant to the project, evidence that the protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to, or the relevant cultural protocols for the international jurisdiction in which you are working.

Impact

Assessors will consider the impact of your activity. Some ways to consider impact are listed below.

• The extent to which this activity develops an international market or relationship, or enhances international networks, audiences, and profile.

Alignment

Assessors will consider how your activity meets one or more of the principles and actions of the five pillars identified in the National Cultural Policy – Revive, and the goals of Music Australia.

This may include:

• First Nations arts and culture are First Nations-led
• Artists and arts workers have career structures that are long-term and sustainable, supported by vocational pathways
• Creative industries and practice are future focused, technology enabled, networked and globally recognised, including through reciprocal exchange, export and cultural diplomacy
• Arts and culture are generative (creating new works and supporting emerging artists) and preservative (protecting heritage and conserving cultural memory)
• Development of original music
• Growing the market for contemporary Australian music
• Training and skills development for artists, and industry professionals

You must submit support material with your application. The industry advisors will review your support material including your evidence of your matched funding and whether the activity is confirmed. It can also be used to gain a better understanding of your activity, and arts practice.

Your application will be ineligible if it does not include support material providing evidence of your matched funding.

We strongly advise you to include evidence of confirmed activity (such as letters and invitations).  

The following support material may also be included with your application:  

• how cultural protocols have been or will be observed and permissions obtained (if relevant to your activity) 
• evidence of your practice relevant to the activity for which you are seeking funding, such as a website link, audio and/or video links (maximum duration 10 minutes in total), images and/or written material
• biographies and CVs for key artists, personnel or other collaborators involved in the activity (no longer than 2 A4 pages in total)
• letters of support (up to 5 letters of support, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page)
• risk management – for international travel, you may submit a one-page risk management plan (in any format). If you require a template, you can download a template here.  

We prefer to receive information via web links (URLs). 

You may submit up to three URLs per application. For example, you could include a link to your website, a link to a video or audio file, and a link to scanned documents demonstrating your matched funding and letters of confirmation.  

If you are not able to provide URLs, you may upload support material as attachments (up to two PDF or Word documents). You may collate documents to include multiple pages.

We do not accept support material submitted by post.  If you need help submitting material online, or you are not sure what support material to submit, please contact us. 

To help with future applications, we have summarised feedback from the previous round/s of the Export Development Fund.
Please note that Music Australia receives many more applications than it is able to fund and has the difficult task of deciding between many strong proposals in order to allocate limited funds.

General feedback (in addition to the essential eligibility criteria):

• do not assume assessors have existing knowledge of the artists’ work or activity
• use the Activity Details section of the application form to list the proposed dates, activity, location/s and whether the activity is confirmed
• if applying to more than 1 category, be clear about the plan for the specific category you are applying for – do not copy the same text across each application. Each category is assessed on its individual merits, by different assessment panels
• include clear evidence of ALL your matched funding – labelled in your support materials as ‘Matched funding evidence’ or similar
• unlike many other grant programs, your budget does not need to balance – a surplus or deficit with a clear, brief explanation is acceptable when applying to this fund.

The strongest applications:

• include clear, concise and relevant support material that is easy to access
• clearly explain why the time is right for the proposed activity, and the potential impact
• clearly demonstrate why the applicant/s are targeting the proposed country/ies or territory/ies for the activity
• show a well thought out, realistic and productive timeline of activity, leveraging available opportunities
• explain who the artist/s will be working with and why, including specific names and organisations
• include all, or a high proportion, of confirmed activity
• may use metrics and data, such as streaming numbers and audience/engagement insights (where relevant), to strengthen the application
• include a clearly articulated budget with costs that are commensurate to the proposed activity.

We encourage those who have applied and been unsuccessful for previous rounds of this fund to use this feedback to strengthen their application, and re-apply for future rounds where possible (noting date eligibility requirements).

To guide initial investments, the Music Australia Council endorsed the following definition of ‘contemporary music’, which you must meet to be eligible. 

“Australian contemporary music is any genre or subgenre of music currently composed, written, produced by Australians and licensed, recorded, presented, and distributed through commercial and non-commercial activity. For the purposes of Music Australia’s initial investments, the focus will be on musical works that are new, original and relevant to contemporary Australia”.  

If you don’t meet the definition above for contemporary music, you may be eligible to apply for our Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups, Arts Projects for Organisations, or International programs.

• Activity must start between 1 April 2025 and 30 June 2025, and be completed within 12 months.
• An applicant can submit a maximum of one application to each category of the Music Australia Export Development Fund.
• The budget in your application needs to demonstrate matched funding (see ‘What we mean by matched funding’ for more information), and evidence of matched funding must be supplied in your support material.
• Planning and preparation such as arranging or booking dates, venues, contracts, travel and visas, and rehearsals in your country of residence, are not eligible activities for the purposes of this grant and should not be included in the activity details section of your application. We encourage and expect considered planning and preparation of your activities in advance of the proposed international activity dates you are applying for. If you are unsure about the eligibility of any part of your proposed activity, please contact musicaustraliagrants@creative.gov.au.

Please complete the budget in the application form. Your budget does not need to have a net zero balance, but we ask that you explain your budget surplus or deficit in the application form, if applicable.

You must provide evidence of your matched funding in your support material – if you do not provide this evidence your application will be deemed ineligible. Please see the list below for examples of evidence you can supply, watch the video, or contact Music Australia if you have questions.

The budget in your application needs to demonstrate matched funding. Every application (individual, group, organisation or company) must demonstrate that they are contributing an amount equal to, or more than, the total funding request, ensuring that the co-investment by industry is, at a minimum, matching the Government’s investment.

What we mean by ‘matched funding’:

1. You are required to match the Music Australia Export funding for your project on at least a 50:50 basis.
2. Your share of project costs is 50% of eligible expenditure up to the maximum grant limit and all remaining costs not met by the grant.
3. You cannot use in-kind (non-financial) contributions for matched funding.
4. You cannot use other government grant sources to match the Music Australia Export grant.
5. You will need to provide documentary evidence of your ability to fund your share of project costs in your support material.

Evidence might include:

• Advanced ticket sales for upcoming tour
• Festival guarantees
• Previous tour reconciliations.
• Advance from a label or publisher
• Merchandise sales
• Upcoming or past royalty payment
• Commitment to a future sync placement
• Available bank balance (provide a document or screenshot of the account balance and account name – removing other personal and transaction details)
• Crowd funding (including Australian Cultural Fund (ACF) generated income).

A minimum of $3,000, up to a maximum of $15,000, whereby the recipient must demonstrate an investment of an equal or greater amount to the funding request.

The International Professional and Artistic Development Fund (Category 2) is designed to support activity that includes:

• Co-writing sessions
• Invitation to a songwriting camp
• Contribution towards overseas recording expenses such as tracking, mixing, mastering
• Engaging an international producer
• International residency or fellowship
• Attending an international trade fair, trade show, conference, forum
• Visa costs to work in overseas territories

As well as costs directly associated with the activity listed above, you may apply for all costs associated with completing your export activity. Eligible costs include but are not limited to:

• artist and creative worker fees
• flights, accommodation, per diems, ground transport costs
• travel insurance
• visas
• freight or baggage costs
• childcare, carer and access costs
• tickets and/or registration costs to attend events
• costs associated with reducing the environmental impact of your activity.

Access costs are legitimate expenses and may be included in your application. We encourage applicants to ensure that their work is accessible to everyone. Budgets may include costs associated with making activities accessible to a wide range of people (e.g. performances using Auslan, translation to other languages, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments, and materials in other formats).

If you are a d/Deaf applicant, an applicant with disability, or are working with d/Deaf artists or artists with disability, you may apply for access costs associated with the use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, carer or support worker assistance. Please contact Artists Services to discuss your specific needs.

Your application must comply with the following Protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding. 

• Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts 

All applications involving First Nations artists, communities or subject matter must adhere to these Protocols, and provide evidence of this in their application and support material. More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here. 

• Commonwealth Child Safe Framework 

All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. 

Applications will be assessed by industry advisors.  

Learn more about how we assess your application. 

As well as meeting the eligibility requirements listed above, industry advisors will review your application using the criteria below.

Viability

Assessors will consider whether your activity is feasible. Some ways to consider viability are listed below.

• The activity is confirmed
• Evidence of matched funding at a minimum of 50% of the total budget
• Realistic budgeting and touring logistics
• The relevance and timeliness of the proposed activity
• The skills and abilities of those involved, and their relevance to the activity
• Well-researched and rationalised activity, particularly if this is your first engagement with an international market
• Measures being applied to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people involved in the project
• Measures being applied to ensure the proposed activity is accessible
• Where relevant to the project, evidence that the protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to, or the relevant cultural protocols for the international jurisdiction in which you are working.

Impact

Assessors will consider the impact of your activity. Some ways to consider impact are listed below.

• The extent to which this activity develops an international market or relationship, or enhances international networks, audiences, and profile.

Alignment

Assessors will consider how your activity meets one or more of the principles and actions of the five pillars identified in the National Cultural Policy – Revive, and the goals of Music Australia.

This may include:

• First Nations arts and culture are First Nations-led
• Artists and arts workers have career structures that are long-term and sustainable, supported by vocational pathways
• Creative industries and practice are future focused, technology enabled, networked and globally recognised, including through reciprocal exchange, export and cultural diplomacy
• Arts and culture are generative (creating new works and supporting emerging artists) and preservative (protecting heritage and conserving cultural memory)
• Development of original music
• Growing the market for contemporary Australian music
• Training and skills development for artists, and industry professionals

You must submit support material with your application. The industry advisors will review your support material including your evidence of your matched funding and whether the activity is confirmed. It can also be used to gain a better understanding of your activity, and arts practice.

Your application will be ineligible if it does not include support material providing evidence of your matched funding.

We strongly advise you to include evidence of confirmed activity (such as letters and invitations).  

The following support material may also be included with your application:  

• how cultural protocols have been or will be observed and permissions obtained (if relevant to your activity) 
• evidence of your practice relevant to the activity for which you are seeking funding, such as a website link, audio and/or video links (maximum duration 10 minutes in total), images and/or written material
• biographies and CVs for key artists, personnel or other collaborators involved in the activity (no longer than 2 A4 pages in total)
• letters of support (up to 5 letters of support, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page)
• risk management – for international travel, you may submit a one-page risk management plan (in any format). If you require a template, you can download a template here.  

We prefer to receive information via web links (URLs). 

You may submit up to three URLs per application. For example, you could include a link to your website, a link to a video or audio file, and a link to scanned documents demonstrating your matched funding and letters of confirmation.  

If you are not able to provide URLs, you may upload support material as attachments (up to two PDF or Word documents). You may collate documents to include multiple pages.

We do not accept support material submitted by post.  If you need help submitting material online, or you are not sure what support material to submit, please contact us. 

To help with future applications, we have summarised feedback from the previous round/s of the Export Development Fund.
Please note that Music Australia receives many more applications than it is able to fund and has the difficult task of deciding between many strong proposals in order to allocate limited funds.

General feedback (in addition to the essential eligibility criteria):

• do not assume assessors have existing knowledge of the artists’ work or activity
• use the Activity Details section of the application form to list the proposed dates, activity, location/s and whether the activity is confirmed
• if applying to more than 1 category, be clear about the plan for the specific category you are applying for – do not copy the same text across each application. Each category is assessed on its individual merits, by different assessment panels
• include clear evidence of ALL your matched funding – labelled in your support materials as ‘Matched funding evidence’ or similar
• unlike many other grant programs, your budget does not need to balance – a surplus or deficit with a clear, brief explanation is acceptable when applying to this fund.

The strongest applications:

• include clear, concise and relevant support material that is easy to access
• clearly explain why the time is right for the proposed activity, and the potential impact
• clearly demonstrate why the applicant/s are targeting the proposed country/ies or territory/ies for the activity
• show a well thought out, realistic and productive timeline of activity, leveraging available opportunities
• explain who the artist/s will be working with and why, including specific names and organisations
• include all, or a high proportion, of confirmed activity
• may use metrics and data, such as streaming numbers and audience/engagement insights (where relevant), to strengthen the application
• include a clearly articulated budget with costs that are commensurate to the proposed activity.

We encourage those who have applied and been unsuccessful for previous rounds of this fund to use this feedback to strengthen their application, and re-apply for future rounds where possible (noting date eligibility requirements).

To guide initial investments, the Music Australia Council endorsed the following definition of ‘contemporary music’, which you must meet to be eligible. 

“Australian contemporary music is any genre or subgenre of music currently composed, written, produced by Australians and licensed, recorded, presented, and distributed through commercial and non-commercial activity. For the purposes of Music Australia’s initial investments, the focus will be on musical works that are new, original and relevant to contemporary Australia”.  

If you don’t meet the definition above for contemporary music, you may be eligible to apply for our Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups, Arts Projects for Organisations, or International programs.

• Activity must start between 1 April 2025 and 30 June 2025, and be completed within 12 months.
• An applicant can submit a maximum of one application to each category of the Music Australia Export Development Fund.
• The budget in your application needs to demonstrate matched funding (see ‘What we mean by matched funding’ for more information), and evidence of matched funding must be supplied in your support material.
• Planning and preparation such as arranging or booking dates, venues, contracts, travel and visas, and rehearsals in your country of residence, are not eligible activities for the purposes of this grant and should not be included in the activity details section of your application. We encourage and expect considered planning and preparation of your activities in advance of the proposed international activity dates you are applying for. If you are unsure about the eligibility of any part of your proposed activity, please contact musicaustraliagrants@creative.gov.au.

Please complete the budget in the application form. Your budget does not need to have a net zero balance, but we ask that you explain your budget surplus or deficit in the application form, if applicable.

You must provide evidence of your matched funding in your support material – if you do not provide this evidence your application will be deemed ineligible. Please see the list below for examples of evidence you can supply, watch the video, or contact Music Australia if you have questions.

The budget in your application needs to demonstrate matched funding. Every application (individual, group, organisation or company) must demonstrate that they are contributing an amount equal to, or more than, the total funding request, ensuring that the co-investment by industry is, at a minimum, matching the Government’s investment.

What we mean by ‘matched funding’:

1. You are required to match the Music Australia Export funding for your project on at least a 50:50 basis.
2. Your share of project costs is 50% of eligible expenditure up to the maximum grant limit and all remaining costs not met by the grant.
3. You cannot use in-kind (non-financial) contributions for matched funding.
4. You cannot use other government grant sources to match the Music Australia Export grant.
5. You will need to provide documentary evidence of your ability to fund your share of project costs in your support material.

Evidence might include:

• Advanced ticket sales for upcoming tour
• Festival guarantees
• Previous tour reconciliations.
• Advance from a label or publisher
• Merchandise sales
• Upcoming or past royalty payment
• Commitment to a future sync placement
• Available bank balance (provide a document or screenshot of the account balance and account name – removing other personal and transaction details)
• Crowd funding (including Australian Cultural Fund (ACF) generated income).

A minimum of $5,000, up to a maximum of $25,000, whereby the recipient must demonstrate an investment of an equal or greater amount to the funding request. 

The International Performance and Touring fund (Category 1) is designed to support activity that includes:  

• Headline tour, support tour, opening slot (or combination of all three) 
• Festival or Biennale appearance/s 
• Commissioned performance/s 
• Official showcase performance 

As well as costs directly associated with the activity listed above, you may apply for all costs associated with completing your export activity. Eligible costs include but are not limited to:

• artist and creative worker fees
• flights, accommodation, per diems, ground transport costs
• travel insurance
• visas
• freight or baggage costs
• childcare, carer and access costs
• tickets and/or registration costs to attend events
• costs associated with reducing the environmental impact of your activity.

Access costs are legitimate expenses and may be included in your application. We encourage applicants to ensure that their work is accessible to everyone. Budgets may include costs associated with making activities accessible to a wide range of people (e.g. performances using Auslan, translation to other languages, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments, and materials in other formats).

If you are a d/Deaf applicant, an applicant with disability, or are working with d/Deaf artists or artists with disability, you may apply for access costs associated with the use of an interpreter, translation services, specific technical equipment, carer or support worker assistance. Please contact Artists Services to discuss your specific needs.

Your application must comply with the following Protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding. 

• Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts 

All applications involving First Nations artists, communities or subject matter must adhere to these Protocols, and provide evidence of this in their application and support material. More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here. 

• Commonwealth Child Safe Framework 

All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. 

Applications to the International Performance and Touring Activity fund will be assessed by Industry Advisors. After assessing and ranking the eligible applications using the assessment criteria, the highest ranked applications will be awarded funding. If demand exceeds the available funding the assessment panel reserves the right to draw the remaining applications deemed fundable via a ballot. A non-random sample bias will be applied to the ballot to take into account diversity measures.

As well as meeting the eligibility requirements listed above, industry advisors will review your application using the criteria below.

Viability

Assessors will consider whether your activity is feasible. Some ways to consider viability are listed below.

• The activity is confirmed
• Evidence of matched funding at a minimum of 50% of the total budget
• Realistic budgeting and touring logistics
• The relevance and timeliness of the proposed activity
• The skills and abilities of those involved, and their relevance to the activity
• Well-researched and rationalised activity, particularly if this is your first engagement with an international market
• Measures being applied to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people involved in the project
• Measures being applied to ensure the proposed activity is accessible
• Where relevant to the project, evidence that the protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to, or the relevant cultural protocols for the international jurisdiction in which you are working.

Impact

Assessors will consider the impact of your activity. Some ways to consider impact are listed below.

• The extent to which this activity develops an international market or relationship, or enhances international networks, audiences, and profile.

Alignment 

Assessors will consider how your activity meets one or more of the principles and actions of the five pillars identified in the National Cultural Policy – Revive, and the goals of Music Australia.

This may include:

• First Nations arts and culture are First Nations-led
• Artists and arts workers have career structures that are long-term and sustainable, supported by vocational pathways
• Creative industries and practice are future focused, technology enabled, networked and globally recognised, including through reciprocal exchange, export and cultural diplomacy
• Arts and culture are generative (creating new works and supporting emerging artists) and preservative (protecting heritage and conserving cultural memory)
• Development of original music
• Growing the market for contemporary Australian music
• Training and skills development for artists, and industry professionals
• Activities that promote the Government’s international arts and cultural engagement and cultural diplomacy priorities
• Discoverability and working with digital service providers and radio networks to support Australian contemporary music.

You must submit support material with your application. The industry advisors will review your support material including your evidence of your matched funding and whether the activity is confirmed. It can also be used to gain a better understanding of your activity, and arts practice.

Your application will be ineligible if it does not include support material providing evidence of your matched funding.

We strongly advise you to include evidence of confirmed activity (such as letters and invitations).  

The following support material may also be included with your application:  

• how cultural protocols have been or will be observed and permissions obtained (if relevant to your activity) 
• evidence of your practice relevant to the activity for which you are seeking funding, such as a website link, audio and/or video links (maximum duration 10 minutes in total), images and/or written material
• biographies and CVs for key artists, personnel or other collaborators involved in the activity (no longer than 2 A4 pages in total)
• letters of support (up to 5 letters of support, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page)
• risk management – for international travel, you may submit a one-page risk management plan (in any format). If you require a template, you can download a template here.  

We prefer to receive information via web links (URLs). 

You may submit up to three URLs per application. For example, you could include a link to your website, a link to a video or audio file, and a link to scanned documents demonstrating your matched funding and letters of confirmation.  

If you are not able to provide URLs, you may upload support material as attachments (up to two PDF or Word documents). You may collate documents to include multiple pages.

We do not accept support material submitted by post.  If you need help submitting material online, or you are not sure what support material to submit, please contact us. 

To help with future applications, we have summarised feedback from the previous round/s of the Export Development Fund.
Please note that Music Australia receives many more applications than it is able to fund and has the difficult task of deciding between many strong proposals in order to allocate limited funds.

General feedback (in addition to the essential eligibility criteria):

• do not assume assessors have existing knowledge of the artists’ work or activity
• use the Activity Details section of the application form to list the proposed dates, activity, location/s and whether the activity is confirmed
• if applying to more than 1 category, be clear about the plan for the specific category you are applying for – do not copy the same text across each application. Each category is assessed on its individual merits, by different assessment panels
• include clear evidence of ALL your matched funding – labelled in your support materials as ‘Matched funding evidence’ or similar
• unlike many other grant programs, your budget does not need to balance – a surplus or deficit with a clear, brief explanation is acceptable when applying to this fund.

The strongest applications:

• include clear, concise and relevant support material that is easy to access
• clearly explain why the time is right for the proposed activity, and the potential impact
• clearly demonstrate why the applicant/s are targeting the proposed country/ies or territory/ies for the activity
• show a well thought out, realistic and productive timeline of activity, leveraging available opportunities
• explain who the artist/s will be working with and why, including specific names and organisations
• include all, or a high proportion, of confirmed activity
• may use metrics and data, such as streaming numbers and audience/engagement insights (where relevant), to strengthen the application
• include a clearly articulated budget with costs that are commensurate to the proposed activity.

We encourage those who have applied and been unsuccessful for previous rounds of this fund to use this feedback to strengthen their application, and re-apply for future rounds where possible (noting date eligibility requirements).