Music Australia Export Development Fund Round 4: Up to A$75,000 for Contemporary Acts Touring Abroad
A new round is announced, but the portal is not yet open
Music Australia's Export Development Fund is planning its fourth 2026 round for international activities beginning between 1 April and 30 June 2027. The official FAQ projects an application opening in late October 2026 and a closing date of 1 December 2026. On the 19 October verification date, the scheme's main page still states 'Applications closed' for the previous round and 'Next round opening soon'. Applicants should not treat this article as confirmation that the new online portal already accepts submissions.
The fund is designed for contemporary Australian musicians at an export-ready stage, including pop, rock, hip-hop, electronic, roots and other contemporary approaches. It is not exclusive to jazz and does not focus on that genre. Musicians should identify which programme category matches their international goal rather than repeatedly applying to several categories for one identical project.
Category 1: A$5,000–75,000 for concerts and tours abroad
The 'International Performance and Touring Activity' category supports international headline or support tours, festival appearances, commissioned performances and official showcase performances when combined with other touring or live activity. The advertised funding is A$5,000 to A$75,000 on a matched-funding basis; the applicant must show funds equal to or greater than the request. For example, a A$20,000 request must be accompanied by evidence of at least A$20,000 from eligible matching sources, as defined in the current guidelines.
Costs considered in the scheme include appropriate artist and creative fees, flights, visas, freight, accommodation, per diems, accessibility, some management expenses and sustainable travel costs. Applicants should carefully review the restrictions and cost ratios. A tour with only a showcase and no additional performance may instead be directed to Category 2 depending on the associated business meetings.
Australia-specific citizenship, musical work and readiness
Eligible individual applicants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents practising contemporary music. They may apply as solo artists, bands, ensembles, electronic artists, producers, songwriters or composers; organisations and music companies can apply on behalf of artists. The programme defines contemporary Australian music in terms of new and original work with a meaningful Australian professional context. Artists with only a foreign nationality or no qualifying Australian artistic relationship should not assume eligibility.
A convincing application will document the confirmed tour, festival booking or promoter offer, relevant artist career evidence, overseas market rationale, likely audiences, partners, expected income and realistic expenses. The scheme explicitly requires evidence of matched funds and links to supporting materials that work without passwords. The recommended Go Global Toolkit helps artists assess export readiness.
Other categories exist, but requests are not interchangeable
Category 2 supports international professional and artistic development, with its own A$3,000–15,000 scale, and Category 3 focuses on international market and audience development, with A$2,000–10,000. These distinct streams should not be added together and represented as a universal A$100,000 or guaranteed grant. Applicants are responsible for following the category that suits their activity and respecting any restrictions on simultaneous funding for the same project.
The official programme also advises new users to register in Creative Australia's application system at least two business days before the closing date. Because the Round 4 dates are described as provisional, a tour starting in April 2027 should consult the live portal when it opens before committing to financial assumptions.
Public administration and official call
Music Australia is part of Creative Australia's public arts investment structure, working with the Australian music industry. Its website maintains the Export Development Fund's three categories, case studies and previous round dates, funding definitions, business evidence requirements and selection procedures. The public documentation makes the scheme verifiable but does not guarantee approval or full reimbursement for any artist.
Official Category 1 and Round 4 FAQ: https://creative.gov.au/investments-opportunities/music-australia-export-development-fund-international-performance-and-touring . Funding rounds provisionally open late October 2026 and close 1 December 2026. Support is for activity beginning April–June 2027 under this round. Source checked 19 October 2026.