FAQ
What is Music From Ireland?
Music From Ireland, the Irish Music Export Office run by First Music Contact and funded by Culture Ireland, fund and co-ordinate the Irish artists abroad and promote Irish acts to international delegates across a number international showcases annually.
What does Music From Ireland do?
At each event Music From Ireland will subsidise costs for artists, pay for, prepare and host showcase gigs and cover costs of backline, create a promotional playlist of new and showcasing artists, and actively promote the Irish performances at each event and make sure all delegates are aware of the acts showcasing in the run up to the event through.
Who funds Music From Ireland?
Music From Ireland is funded by Culture Ireland.
How do I qualify for funding?
You must have an official invitation / booking from an overseas showcase that we have listed below and this automatically qualifies you for funding.
Exactly what festivals does Music From Ireland cover?
MFI is funded to cover Eurosonic, SXSW, The Great Escape, Primavera Pro, A2IM, Pop Kultur, Reeperbahn, IFF, and Super Booth Berlin and as we have identified these as key events in those territories.
How do I apply to these festivals?
You or your manager / agent apply directly to the event itself. Keep an eye on their and our socials / newsletters as we flag the dates when they arise.
Who picks the bands?
Showcasing acts are selected by the festival bookers in each country. MFI do not select the showcasing acts.
Is there a chance to meet the bookers?
Yes, through funding from Culture Ireland See Here award, the bookers of the 10 events we showcase at are in Dublin every year at the Ireland Music Week showcases.
How are artists funded?
Each act is given a certain amount towards the travel expenses of each band member and one sound engineer. We also fund showcasing venue hire, backline hire and promotion. After the event, receipts are collected from you, are submitted for payment, and then the grant is paid out.
Do Music From Ireland plan on adding other festivals to their remit?
Funding permitting, we are always interested in getting Irish acts more attention at other international events.
Who funds FMC?
FMC is funded by the Arts Council, An Comhairle Ealionn.
What else does FMC do?
FMC are a free information and advice resource for musicians and the Independent music sector in Ireland, they run approximately 30 one-to-one consultancies with artists per month. They have created a portal for Irish music at breakingtunes.com, run the Ireland Music Week festival, run MFI and offer supports for artists .