International Professional and Artistic Development Program (Australia)

The program has been developed to support emerging, breakthrough and established acts and is made available to Australian citizens or permanent residents who are current practicing music professionals. This includes solo artists, instrumentalists, bands, ensembles, DJ/producers and electronic artists, producers, songwriters and composers.

Funding Information

• Amount: $3,000 to $15,000

Eligible Costs

• 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. They 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.

Eligible Activities

• The International Professional and Artistic Development Fund 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
  • Attendance by a composer at the premiere of a commissioned composition
  • Presenting lecture at an overseas academy, institute or university
  • Self-managed artist/s undertaking a series of confirmed business meetings for prospective work and professional development opportunities (evidence of confirmed meetings MUST be provided to be eligible)

Ineligible Activities

• Activity that does not meet the Music Australia definition of contemporary music
• International activity in your country of residence (if not Australia)
• Activity in Australia (regardless of country of residence)
• The manufacture of albums and merchandise
• Passport application costs
• International relocation expenses
• Capital expenditure (such as studio infrastructure and instrument purchases)
• 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. They 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

Eligibility Criteria

• Your activity must meet the following definition of contemporary music 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 their Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups, Arts Projects for Organisations, or International programs.
  • Activity must start between 1 July 2025 and 30 September 2025 and be completed within 12 months.
  • You can submit a maximum of one application to each category of the Music Australia Export Development Fund. Ensure each application is targeted to the individual category you are applying for.
  • The budget in your application must demonstrate matched funding and evidence of this matched funding must be supplied in your support material.
• Open to Australian artists, composers and creators individually or in groups
• Organisations and music businesses may apply on behalf of their artists
• If you have been successful in a previous round of the Export Development Fund, you are eligible to apply again, however funding priority may be given to first time recipients
• First Nations applicants are encouraged to apply

Ineligibility Criteria

• You cannot apply for this grant if:
  • You have already submitted an application to this category
  • You have an overdue grant report
  • You owe money to Creative Australia
  • You have applied to our Arts Project grant rounds for the same activity.

For more information, visit Creative Australia.