Search Grants & Funding

The Music Australia Export Development Fund is a bold partnership between the Australian Government and the Australian music industry – a matched funding initiative, designed to provide financial support to a diverse range of Australian artists.   

The program supports emerging, breakthrough and established acts and is available for Australian citizens or permanent residents who are practising contemporary music artists. This includes solo artists, instrumentalists, bands, ensembles, electronic artists, producers, songwriters and composers. 

The International Professional and Artistic Development fund (Category 2) supports international professional development activity with matched funding of $3,000 to $15,000. 

The Music Australia Export Development Fund is a bold partnership between the Australian Government and the Australian music industry – a matched funding initiative, designed to provide financial support to a diverse range of Australian artists.   

The program supports emerging, breakthrough and established acts and is available for Australian citizens or permanent residents who are practising contemporary music artists. This includes solo artists, instrumentalists, bands, ensembles, electronic artists, producers, songwriters and composers. 

The International Performance and Touring fund (Category 1) supports international touring and showcase activity, with matched funding of $5,000 to $75,000. 

The Music Australia Export Development Fund is a bold partnership between the Australian Government and the Australian music industry – a matched funding initiative, designed to provide financial support to a diverse range of Australian artists.   

The program supports emerging, breakthrough and established acts and is available for Australian citizens or permanent residents who are practising contemporary music artists. This includes solo artists, instrumentalists, bands, ensembles, electronic artists, producers, songwriters and composers. 

The International Market and Audience Development fund (Category 3) is designed to support activity that includes international promotional and content creation activities with matched funding of $2,000 to $10,000. 

The Music Australia OMG Contemporary Music Opportunity aims to provide support for Australian artists when those unique career-defining 'I can’t believe it' opportunities come knocking at short notice, outside of existing grant rounds. 

The program supports emerging, breakthrough and established acts and is available to Australian citizens or permanent residents who are current practising music artists. This includes solo artists, instrumentalists, bands, ensembles, DJ/producers and electronic artists, producers, songwriters and composers. 

Eligibility

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 investments, the focus is on musical works that are new, original and relevant to contemporary Australia”. 

• the offer has come at short notice (within 3 weeks)
• the activity must start between 2 and 8 weeks from the date you make the submission
• the offer / opportunity must be 100% confirmed and guaranteed with supporting documentation provided
• the opportunity must be new and have arisen unexpectedly
• all other avenues of funding support must have been exhausted or not open or accessible at the time of making the OMG application. This includes grant programs managed by Music Australia, Creative Australia, or any State or Territory arts funding body
• you cannot apply for activity that has been unsuccessful in a previous funding round managed by Music Australia or Creative Australia.
• the opportunity must be significant for the artist with undeniable career impact. This may include a tour or other opportunity with a major Australian or international artist, a last-minute offer to perform at a major international festival or other significant event. It is acknowledged that 'career milestone' opportunities are relative to each individual applicant and will be taken into account. 

Who can apply 

• current practising solo artists, instrumentalists, bands, ensembles, DJ/producers and electronic artists, producers, songwriters and/or composers individually or in groups
• organisations and music businesses on behalf of their artists
• for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants, opportunities must be clearly professional/export‑oriented rather than primarily cultural exchange or cultural diplomacy. Activities that are primarily for cultural exchange/diplomacy should apply through other Creative Australia grant opportunities, and through agencies such as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

This program funds a range of activities that deliver benefits to the arts sector and wider public, including national and international audiences and communities. Organisations that undertake arts programs, projects, or that provide services to artists, are welcome to apply.

Organisations can propose a single project, a suite of projects or an annual program of activity.

Grants are available from $20,000 to $100,000. Supported activities must last no longer than two years from the proposed start date.

Eligibility

You can only submit one application from your organisation’s account to each closing date for Arts Projects for Organisations.

Only organisations may apply to this category.

Organisations that provide a service to the arts may apply.

International organisations can apply for projects that benefit practicing Australian artists, their work or Australian audiences.

Applications for funding to the First Nations panel must come from First Nations led organisations, with more than half (51%) or Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait membership of its governance board.

This program funds a range of activities that deliver benefits to the arts sector and wider public, including national and international audiences and communities. Grants are available from $10,000 to $50,000. Supported activities must not last longer than two years from the proposed start date.

You can only submit one application to each closing date for Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups.

Only individuals and groups may apply to this category. You must be an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident, and a practicing artist or arts professional.

Applications for funding to the First Nations panel must come from Australian First Nations individuals or groups only.

Only Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people or groups led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can submit applications to the First Nations panel.  

If you apply as a group to the First Nations panel, all members of the group must be First Nations people.  

If you are applying to the First Nations Panel on behalf of a First Nations person or group, the application should, where possible, be made in their name. As this panel only supports First Nations people or groups, if you are considering applying on behalf of a First Nations person or people you must contact Artists Services to discuss the application before applying. 

Funding is for a range of activities, for example:

• professional skills development, including mentoring and residencies
• the creation of new work
• practice based research
• creative development
• experimentation
• collaborations and exchanges
• touring
• festivals
• productions
• exhibitions
• performances
• publishing
• recording
• promotion and marketing
• market development activity
• activities that creatively engage communities.

Activities can take place nationally, internationally, online, or in a combination of in-person and online.

Playing Australia Project Investment supports organisations to undertake performing arts tours to reach regional and remote communities across Australia.

The program supports costs associated with touring to regional and remote areas of Australia. There is no limit on the amount that can be requested. Touring activity must be confirmed prior to seeking investment through this category.

Who can apply

Legally constituted organisations only may apply.

What you can apply for

You may apply for any costs necessary for the completion of a successful regional tour with a confirmed itinerary.

Creative Australia acknowledges that flexibility is required when touring and supports a variety of touring models. Applicants may seek investment for alternative touring models that:

• propose activity such as residency models with live performance outcomes or concept touring
• present a tour that includes significant and targeted community engagement
• present an annual touring program for single or multiple works
• propose a digital tour.

You can apply for support towards:

• a tour that has a confirmed itinerary
• payment of fees and salaries for artists and touring party
• costs associated with remounting or rehearsing a work
• production costs associated with touring the work or delivering the activity
• touring costs including freight, transport, accommodation and travel allowances
• tour co-ordination
• costs associated with reducing the environmental impact of your tour
• costs associated with supporting the wellbeing of the touring company.

2026 Closing Dates

• Tuesday 3 March 2026
• Tuesday 2 June 2026
• Tuesday 13 October 2026

The Contemporary Music Touring Program (CMTP) supports national touring activity undertaken by Australian musicians performing original Australian contemporary music.

The tour must comprise of performances in at least three venues or locations outside of the performer’s hometown. Tours that include regional and remote destinations, or which assist performers residing in regional and remote areas to tour, are a priority for funding.

Grants are available from $5,000 to $50,000, depending on the number of tour venues or locations in regional or remote areas.

Who can apply

You may submit a maximum of two applications to each round of CMTP.

You may apply as an individual, on behalf of a group, or as an organisation, to tour live music performances within Australia.

Touring musicians must be performing original Australian contemporary music. Funding can be provided to performers, managers, agents, and music networks on behalf of professionals working in the Australian music industry. Applications must contain one tour only.