AIR

Music Australia International Conference Contribution - Independent Labels and Distributors 2026-27

Funded by Music Australia. Delivered in partnership with Sounds Australia.
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.

About

AIR is excited to confirm that the Music Australia International Conference Contribution (MAICC) Independent Label and Distributors funding program will be renewed for another 3 rounds across 2026/27, thanks to the generosity of Music Australia.

Delivered in partnership with our friends at Sounds Australia, MAICC supports selected Independent Label and Distributors members to attend major international music conferences by providing essential funding to help ease the financial burden of international travel. 

Applicants can apply for grants of up to $5,000 AUD.

Three funding rounds have been confirmed for the period of July 2026 - June 2027:

  • ROUND 1, 2026: Provides funding for conferences occurring between August 25 - December 31, 2026

  • ROUND 2, 2027: Provides funding for conferences occurring in January, February or March 2027

  • ROUND 3, 2027: Provides funding for conferences occurring in April, May or June 2027

MAICC has provided financial support for over 80 Label and Distributor members to be on-ground at major international conferences to take advantage of invaluable real-life networking opportunities, export development, and professional growth. 

For details about this program, including key dates, the application process, eligibility criteria and more, please see below. For any further questions, please contact: membership@air.org.au

 

2026/2027 Round One Open Now

 

Program & Structure

What Do Funding Recipients Receive?

Selected via a competitive application process, successful labels will receive contributions of up to $5,000 AUD (excluding GST) to help cover essential costs associated with attending an international music conference of their choice. This may include travel, accommodation, and registration expenses.

We understand that some applicants may already be based near their chosen event at the time, or have alternative travel plans. As such, applicants are asked to request only the amount of funding they require, based on their individual circumstances.

 

How Many Applicants Will Be Funded?

There is no fixed number of recipients per round. The number of successful applicants per round will depend on available funding and the overall strength of the applications received.

 

What Events Are Eligible?

Applicants must nominate an international music conference occurring within the dates specified for that round (see below). A list of eligible conferences are provided below as a guide to some of the conferences applicants may be interested in applying for. However, applicants may apply for funding to attend a different conference that is not listed below, which aligns with their strategic goals—provided it falls within the relevant dates for the funding round they are applying for. In their application, applicants must clearly outline the conference’s relevance and value to their (and their artists) professional goals.

Examples of conferences in the 2026/2027 funding period that applicants may wish to apply for include:

Round 1, 2026

Music conferences occurring between August 25 - December 31, 2026

  • All About Music, Mumbai, India, 25–27 August 2026
  • AXEAN, Bali, Indonesia, 29–30 August 2026
  • SONIK, Manila, Philippines, 10-12 September 2026
  • AmericanaFest, Nashville, United States, 15–19 September 2026
  • Reeperbahn Festival, Hamburg, Germany, 16–19 September 2026
  • Music Matters (All That Matters), Singapore, Singapore, 2–7 October 2026
  • Amsterdam Dance Event, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 21–25 October 2026
  • WOMEX, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, 21–25 October 2026
  • Music Mex, Mexico City Mexico, 4-6 November 2026
  • SIM São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil,  29 November – 3 December 2026
  • Fluvial, Valdivia, Chile, 9–12 December 2026

Round 2, 2027

Music conferences occurring in January, February or March 2027

  • Eurosonic (ESNS), Groningen, Netherlands, 13–16 January 2027
  • NYC Winter Jazzfest, New York, United States, Dates unannounced
  • Folk Alliance International, Chicago, United States, 27–31 January 2027
  • Bangkok Music City, Bangkok, Thailand, Dates unannounced
  • SXSW, Austin, United States, 15–21 March 2027
  • India International Music Week, Mumbai, India, Dates unannounced

Round 3, 2027

Music conferences occurring in April, May or June 2027

  • CUEW, Tokyo, Japan, Dates unannounced
  • jazzahead!, Bremen, Germany, 21–24 April 2027
  • Classical:NEXT, Katowice, Poland, 11–14 May 2027
  • The Great Escape, Brighton, United Kingdom, 12–15 May 2027
  • A2IM Indie Week, New York, United States, Dates unannounced
  • CMA Fest, Nashville, United States, Dates unannounced

Application Dates

The MAICC 2026-27 funding period will comprise 3 Rounds: Round 1, Round 2, and Round 3. Please see below for application opening and closing dates for each round:

ROUND 1, 2026: For conferences occurring between August 25 - December 31, 2026

  • Applications open: Tuesday 23rd June, 2026
  • Applications close: Monday 20th July, 2026 (5pm AEST)

ROUND 2, 2027: For conferences occurring in January, February or March 2027

  • Applications open: Monday 7th September, 2026
  • Applications close: Thursday 15th October, 2026 (5pm AEDT)

ROUND 3, 2027: For conferences occurring in April, May or June 2027

  • Applications open: Monday 25th January, 2027
  • Applications close: Monday 15th February, 2027 (5pm AEDT)

When Will Applicants Be Notified?

Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their submission approximately 2–4 weeks after the application closing date for each round.

Have Further Questions?

Please contact membership@air.org.au