Music Finland's Fast Track Music Export Program, launched in 2017, expands this year with a new Growth Program consisting of three different services: Export Artist Accelerator, Export Strategy and Export Company Incubator. 

The Export Artist Accelerator, beginning this September, is a completely new concept among Music Finland's services. Export Artist Accelerator is a mentoring and coaching class for artists and bands in the beginning stages of their international career. The Export Artist Accelerator aims to help the participants develop as artists and increase their knowledge of the international music industry. In addition, Export Artist Accelerator targets to help the Finnish music industry find new export-ready talent.

The program includes, for example, coaching, practical work (including studio sessions and live performances) and network building. Each artist or band selected for the Export Artist Accelerator will also get their personal mentors for the duration of the class, as well as their own customized export plan.

The program is carried out in cooperation with the The Finnish Musicians’ Union. Selectors, speakers and mentors include a number of Finnish music professionals, such as Miikka Koivisto (YleX), Marja Kokko (Universal Music), Asko Kallonen (Warner Music Finland), Samu Haber (Comusic Management) and pop star Isac Elliot. In addition, the program will feature international music professionals such as Manager Ulysses Hüppauf (Apocalyptica) and Lawyer Paul Spraggon (SSB Solicitors, Adele, Jamiroquai, The Prodigy).

The Export Artist Accelerator is intended for artists and bands at the beginning of their export career, and there are no genre restrictions for applicants. Mostly, however, the coaching serves artists working in a pop and rock environment. The chosen artists are selected by an independent panel of music professionals appointed by Music Finland.

The nine-month coaching program will take place between September 2019 and May 2020. Application is between May 6th and June 2nd. The electronic application form will be opened on May 6th.

Music Finland together with the Finnish Musicians' Union organizes an info night about Export Artist Accelerator at G Livelab, Helsinki. Read more about the event here (in Finnish).    

Export help from Export strategy program and the Export Company Incubator

Along with Fast Track Export Artist Accelerator, Music Finland introduces two additional new services within the Fast Track Growth Program this year.

The Export Strategy service serves Finnish export companies aiming at international growth. It supports the implementation of long-term strategies of companies and artists that they represent. Projects are goal-oriented, professionally and practically designed and have good potential for success. In addition to financial support, the service provides companies with advice on implementing an export strategy.

The Export Company Incubator aims to not only encourage export business, but also to support its early days. The Incubator assists new companies starting their export business in developing their business idea and building international activity. It is intended for new companies and prospective entrepreneurs with a potential export-oriented business idea. The incubator program includes planning a roadmap, help in seeking funds, creating networks, as well as a group of advisers available for each participating company. The export business incubator will start in 2020, you can apply in the autumn of 2019.

In addition, the Fast Track Export Program (started in 2017), which aims to support the exports of the most potential names in Finnish music industry, continues to its third year this summer.

Music Finland's Fast Track Growth Program has been designed by the Finnish music industry, which is also committed to its implementation. It is funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture and The Finnish Music Foundation.