Music Finland’s live music support facilitates tours, showcase performances and other individual live performances that are important to an artist’s or group’s international career development. Support may be granted to a backing organisation representing an artist or group to defray the costs of such ventures.

Live music support is not granted to profit-making ventures. Live support covers up to 50 percent of the project’s eligible costs, and up to the unprofitable share of these costs. The amount of support granted ranges from a minimum of 500 and maximum of 5,000 euros. The committee responsible for support decisions determines the size of support based on the extent and content of the venture.

Live music support can be sought for the following expenses:

• Production expenses (equipment and instrument rentals, visas, travel and cargo insurances, production services and wages paid to a tour manager, production staff, technicians and solo artist’s backing musicians or substitute musicians)
• Marketing and communications expenses (communications, PR and marketing materials related to the project – not including music videos)
• Accommodation (economy class, during the project)
• Travel tickets and transport (economy class, including cargo and overweight baggage fees)
• Per diems
• Foreign professionals’ travel expenses when invited to showcase performances in Finland (economy class)
• Company’s internal salary costs which are targeted directly to the project (max 50% of the project total expenses – clarification of targeting of these costs is required)

Live music support is distributed by Music Finland and funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture. Granting of live music support depends on a positive funding decision for Music Finland by the Ministry of Education and Culture.

Applying for grants

Application is by this electronic form. There are four application rounds per year. Application deadlines in 2020 funding round are:

• 15 April
• 15 August
• 15 October
• 15 January 2022

A single support application may be filed for several projects, such as several different showcase trips. If several artists represented by the same applicant organisation are performing at the same event, it is advisable to submit one combined application for all of them.

Applications are processed by an independent Expert Committee set up by Music Finland’s board. Applicants are informed of its decisions as soon as possible after processing of each batch of applications. With the permission of the applicant, the application may, based on a proposal by the committee, be handed on to the Finnish Music Foundation (MES) for further processing if MES support is better suited to the project or if the venture requires major investments and therefore support from both bodies.

Criteria for granting support

• The project to be supported (a showcase, other live performance or tour) must be professionally executed and significant for the artist’s or group’s international career. In order for a showcase performance to be supported, it must be attended by a representative of the artist or group (e.g. Manager, agent or record company representative).
• The project must be carried out between 1 Jan 2021 and 31 May 2022
• The support recipient, that is, the artist or group’s backing organisation, must be a company, trade name, foundation or association that is registered in Finland.
• The support recipient must be listed in the prepayment register throughout the process (including at the time of application, during the project and at the time of reporting) and be free of any tax debt.
• The support recipient commits to reporting in the directed manner on the execution and results of the project and to deliver the required materials (such as receipts, proof of payments and reports) to Music Finland.

Project evaluation criteria

• The project’s significance from the standpoint of the artist’s, group’s or songwriter’s international career
• The project’s significance for the backing organisation’s internationalisation strategy
• The professionalism of the project and the applicant
• The applicant’s history of previous support

When support is granted

Organisations who receive positive support decisions sign a contract with Music Finland agreeing on the use of the support, based on Ministry of Education and Culture guidelines. The support may only be paid to the organisation to which it was originally granted.

A reporting form is sent to the support recipient by email within a week of the support decision. Reporting must be done in electronic form within 60 days of the end of the project, showcase performance, live performance or tour, unless otherwise agreed. In cases where support is applied for retroactively, reporting must be done immediately after the support decision. Support will be paid retroactively after the recipient has submitted a report and settlement of accounts to Music Finland.

Music Finland reserves the right to reconsider the amount of support if the project’s realisation (in terms of budget or execution) differs significantly from the extent specified in the support application.

Applicants are advised to contact Music Finland if they have any questions regarding applying for support, filling out the application form or the application criteria. Contact information is listed on this page.