Zoe Catterall of The Buoys pictured performing live in Manchester, UK, May 2024. Photo by Anna Katrina
Sound NSW's Touring and Travel Fund
Frequently Asked Questions
The Touring and Travel Fund supports musicians and music industry professionals with the up-front travel costs associated with touring domestically and internationally and travelling for professional networking opportunities.
The Touring and Travel Fund offers grants of up to $2,500 per person for domestic activity and up to $5,000 per person for international activity, assessed monthly, to enable NSW-based artists and industry professionals to travel for what is often major career-defining breaks.
We encourage you to apply as soon as your tour is booked, confirmed and you have all the required information ready for an application. The table below shows the latest date we can accept applications, and the corresponding activity start date.
Application submitted by | Activity can start from |
|---|---|
4pm Friday 29 November | Wednesday 8 January |
4pm Friday 31 January | Wednesday 26 February |
4pm Friday 28 February | Wednesday 26 March |
4pm Friday 28 March | Wednesday 23 April |
4pm Thursday 24 April | Wednesday 21 May |
4pm Friday 30 May | Wednesday 25 June |
4pm Friday 27 June | Wednesday 23 July |
4pm Friday 25 July | Wednesday 20 August |
4pm Friday 29 August | Wednesday 24 September |
4pm Friday 26 September | Wednesday 22 October |
4pm Friday 31 October | Wednesday 26 November |
Due to the Christmas and New Year office closure period, we can't offer a December closing date. Applications for activity in January and February 2025 will need to be submitted by 4pm on Friday 29 November. The earliest date a tour can commence is 8 January 2025.
Applications submitted by 4pm on the last Friday of each month (excluding December) will be grouped together for assessment. Applicants will be notified of the decision within approximately 4 weeks of this date.
If your application is successful, you will be sent a funding agreement (contract), generally within one month of notification.
For exceptional international opportunities (excluding tours) Sound NSW may consider supporting applications outside this schedule.
An exceptional circumstance relates to international activity that will provide significant benefit to the applicant’s career, business, or the NSW music industry. The opportunity must be urgent, does not fit the programs assessment timelines, and can only be offered in a particular timeframe.
Proof of the immediate impact for the applicant is required before consideration.
Please speak to Sound NSW staff for further advice.
If you are from regional and remote NSW and you are successful, you will automatically qualify for an extra $500 per person to help support additional travel costs.
Regional NSW is defined as the areas outside Greater Sydney. Sound NSW defines Greater Sydney as including the local government areas of the Northern Beaches and Hornsby Shire to the North, Hawkesbury City to the North-West, City of Blue Mountains to the West, Wollondilly Shire to the South-West and Sutherland Shire to the South.
Artist refers to any musician, performer or producer who is recording or performing new and original contemporary music.
Act refers to two or more artists working together to record or perform new and original contemporary music (eg a band or group).
Industry professional refers to an individual that works with artists and acts performing new and original contemporary music. Applications from industry professionals should demonstrate how the opportunity benefits their career and long term business outcomes.
Music business refers to a business that works with artists and acts performing new and original contemporary music.
A significant event is a music industry conference, event or festival, either domestically or internationally, where an artist, act or industry professional will be presented with opportunities to progress their careers. These events will provide showcasing opportunities to global industry professionals, networking events to engage in business activity and conference sessions to build knowledge, all for the purpose of enhancing career pathways, and business and audience development.
Please contact Sound NSW at soundnsw@create.nsw.gov.au if you are unsure whether your event would be considered significant.
Yes. But you can only receive one of each type each financial year. So, if you receive a domestic travel grant this financial year, you can't apply for another domestic travel grant this financial year.
No. Showcase performances will count as a single event. But if there are other dates around the showcase performance it could count towards a tour.
You can receive a maximum of one domestic activity grant and one international activity grant through this program per financial year. If you have received the maximum number of grants during this timeframe, you won't be eligible again until the following financial year (1 July to 30 June).
No. We would consider this as two separate tours, and you can only receive one grant for international activity.
Yes. As long as you are performing your own new and original contemporary music that you can evidence in your application.
No, unless they are supporting the tour as the cultural support person or providing childcare support.
Our funding can cover travel and accommodation costs for childcare support, but won’t support the travel and accommodation costs of children.
We won't fund content creators, publicity or social media roles. We can fund a maximum of six people in the touring party, including musicians and a maximum of two support people, including:
- one operational crew member (eg tour manager or key technical production crew)
- one support person for people with disability, family or cultural needs.
We can't fund performance fees as part of this program. We can only fund travel and accommodation costs, which does include per diems, but not artist fees.
This could include an itinerary from a booking agent or direct invitation to perform from a festival, venue or promoter. Emails or screenshots of conversations confirming this are fine.