Following two rounds to date, at the end of 2024 and early 2025, applications for events occurring throughout 2025 & 26 will be divided into 3 rounds of opening and closing dates:

ROUND 3 2025 – Conferences occurring September, October, November and December 2025. Applications closed 20 July 2025

ROUND 1 2026: Conferences taking place January, February and March 2026 – Applications open 11 Sept and close 21 October 2025 (extended to Friday 24 October)

ROUND 2 2026: Conferences taking place April, May and June 2026 – Applications open 21 Jan 2026and close 19 Feb 2026

The following conferences are a suggested list. You may want to suggest a different conference.

Round 3, 2025 (Conferences occurring between September – December 2025):

– AmericanaFest, Nashville, US (Sept 9 – 13)

– AXEAN, Bali, ID (Sept 13 – 14)

– Reeperbahn Festival, Hamburg, DE (Sept 17 – 20)

– Music Matters, SG (Sept 29 – Oct 1)

– Amsterdam Dance Event, Amsterdam, NL (Oct 22 – 26)

– WOMEX, Tampere, FI (Oct 22 – 26)

Round 1, 2026 (Conferences occurring between January – March 2026):

– Eurosonic, Groningen, NL (Jan 14 – 17)

– NYC Winter Jazzfest, New York, US (Jan 8-13)

– Folk Alliance International, New Orleans, US (Jan 21 – 25)

– India International Music Week, Mumbai, IN (Feb 10-12)

– SXSW, Texas, US (Mar 12 – 18)

– Bangkok Music City, Bangkok, TH (Dates TBC)

Round 2, 2026 (Conferences occurring between April – June 2026):

– Classical:NEXT, Budapest, HU (Apr 8 – 11)

– jazzahead!, Bremen, DE (Apr 22 – 26)

– The Great Escape, Brighton, UK (May 13 – 16)

– A2IM Indie Week, New York, US (Dates TBC)

– CMA Fest, Nashville, US (Jun 4 – 7)

– International Indigenous Music Summit, Toronto, CA (Dates TBC)

Contributions of up to $5000 AUD will be awarded to selected professional businesses to help cover essential costs associated with their attendance and international activity at their chosen event, such as travel expenses, accommodation and event registration costs.

The program is designed to support the challenge of covering costs travelling from Australia.

Applicants who already may be travelling from an international location may apply, however we ask applicants to seek only funds required.

You are eligible to apply if you:

– are a current financial ALMBC member (of any level)

– are currently working in the live music industry

– are an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident

– hold a current valid passport

– have not already received this funding in the last 12 months. (Applicants are only eligible to apply for funding once within a 12 month period).

Only one representative of a business can gain this funding to attend the same event within a 12 month period. Two or more different business representatives could gain funding to attend two or more different events.

An employee of a business may apply if that business is a member (or ‘Friend’ for businesses not owned in Australia) of the ALMBC. The business will be the applicant.

Successful applicants will demonstrate:
– a commitment to a career within live music that is recognised by the industry, and their peers
– a plan of activities they will undertake during their time at their specified event, demonstrating why this event – and that particular international market – is a priority territory for their business right now
– clear leads, connections, and goals (short and long term) in that marketplace
– a clear plan for how they intend to maximise the opportunities before, during and after the event
– emails or letters of support from up to 3 industry professionals / peers outside your own business

Please note that not all applicants will receive funding, and only a selected number of applicants will be successful in receiving funding per assessment.

In instances where an ALMBC Board Member or staff applies for funding, the ALMBC will withdraw from assessing these applications, and refer to the Sounds Australia team to assess independently.

The Australian Live Music Business Council (ALMBC) will pay selected funding recipients (Activity Participants) up to AU$5,000 (plus GST if registered) as a lump sum upon receipt of a
(a) fully executed Agreement and (b) a valid Tax Invoice.

Agreements will be distributed to confirmed Activity Participants promptly upon confirmation of their involvement in this program.

– The Grant Funds shall be exclusively used by Activity Participants to contribute toward their costs of attending their specified event, including their flights, accommodation, event ticketing or admission and other similar associated costs.

– No later than 60 days from the last day of the event, Activity Participants must provide ALMBC with an Activity Report that provides details about the activities they undertook with regard to this program, including achievements, goals (including those not met), industry outcomes and benefits, and a breakdown of how the funds were spent.

– Travel Permissions: The Activity Participant has, or will obtain prior to the Activity, all visas, permissions, valid documentation and any other permits or exemptions required to travel to the region where their specified event takes place.

– As a condition of receiving the Grant Funds, the Activity Participant gives their permission to allow ALMBC, Sounds Australia and Creative Australia / Music Australia to use, without compensation, the participant’s name, professional information and likeness for advertising and publicity purposes in connection with the Grant, including on websites or social media channels controlled by the ALMBC, Sounds Australia and Creative Australia / Music Australia.

– It is a requirement that you inform us of any co-funding for this activity, whether it is confirmed before submitting your application; while waiting for the result; or after (and if) your application has been successful.

– You agree to participate in industry development session/s where possible, following your successful project, which could include being part of a short online panel talking about your project, or similar. 

Please note it is the responsibility of all participants to arrange and pay for any insurance that they require to undertake this Activity. (If you wish to use some of your funding towards insurance costs, this is permitted.)