Becoming Export Ready

Being export ready means that a programmer in Berlin, Rotterdam, London or Montréal can:

• Understand what you do
• Assess its artistic value
• Evaluate the practicalities
• And book you — without friction

Artistic Clarity Comes First

Before funding, showcases, or agents you'll need absolute clarity.

This means:

• A clear artistic identity
• A short bio (100–150 words)
• A long bio (300–500 words)
• A concise project description
• Defined ensemble formats
• A realistic touring configuration

If a festival programmer asks:

"What is this project and why does it matter now?"

You should be able to answer without vagueness.

For straight-ahead players, that might mean:

• Lineage (who you’re in conversation with)
• Your specific voice within tradition
• What distinguishes your ensemble from others in the idiom

For experimental improvisers:

• Conceptual framework
• Compositional systems or methods
• Cultural or aesthetic context
• How the work lands live

Essential Professional Assets

These are non-negotiable.

Website (Your Anchor)

Your website must include:

• Updated biography
• Downloadable high-res press photos
• Live performance video
• Audio recordings
• Press quotes
• Technical rider
• Stage plot
• Contact details
• Touring history
• Clear breakdown of projects

It should be clean, mobile-friendly, and current.

If your last update was two years ago, that signals stagnation — even if you’ve been busy.

Live Video (Essential)

Quality live documentation is more important than studio releases.

Promoters want to see:

• Ensemble interaction
• Dynamic arc
• Audience engagement
• Stage presence
• Musical risk management

Ideal Standard:

• 2–3 professionally shot live tracks
• Good audio mix
• Clear lighting
• Proper camera framing

A single well-shot 20-minute live session can open more doors than a highly polished album.

Press Photos

You need:

• 3–5 professional images
• Landscape and portrait formats
• Consistent visual tone
• Clear credit
  

Visual incoherence reads as amateur, especially in an international context.

EPK (Electronic Press Kit)

A concise PDF version of your materials:

• Bio
• Project description
• Photos
• Key quotes
• Discography
• Links
• Contact

Keep it under 12 pages.

Social Media: Proof of Activity

You do not need to be viral.

You need to demonstrate:

• Active performance life
• Audience engagement
• Touring activity
• Consistency

Promoters check:

• Are you working?
• Are audiences responding?
• Are you taken seriously at home?

Inconsistency across platforms creates doubt.

Touring Infrastructure

Export-ready artists understand logistics.

Be prepared with:

• Technical rider
• Stage plot
• Backline requirements
• Fee range (e.g. domestic vs touring)
• Travel configuration
• Visa awareness (e.g. post-Brexit for UK touring)

Know the difference between:

• Showcase fee
• Guarantee
• Door split
• Buyout

Professionalism reduces perceived risk.

Showcasing: Market Access, Not Validation

Showcases are not gigs. They are marketplaces. They are about the delegates.

Programmers, agents, labels and funders are assessing three things simultaneously:

• The artistic quality
• The professional readiness
• The level of risk (viability) in booking you

A Showcase Works When:

• Your live set is tight and representative
• Your website and video are already strong
• Your fee structure is clear
• You can follow up professionally within days
• You know which territories you want to develop
• You’ve researched who is attending

In other words: the infrastructure is already in place. The showcase then accelerates momentum.

A Showcase Fails When:

• You’re still developing the project
• Your materials are inconsistent or outdated
• You don’t have a clear touring configuration
• You don’t follow up with delegates
• You treat it as validation rather than strategy

Showcases do not build careers on their own.They expose what is already built.

A Useful Reframe

Think of a showcase as:

• A trade fair presentation
• A concentrated industry meeting
• A visibility amplifier

It does not create demand. It reveals whether demand is possible. When approached strategically, it can open doors across multiple territories. When approached prematurely, it simply confirms that more groundwork is needed.

jazzahead! (Bremen, Germany)

• Europe’s largest jazz trade fair.
• National showcases (for mid-career artists, competitive)
• Showcase selection can significantly raise international visibility — but only if you are ready to capitalise on it.
• International Delegates from festivals, labels, agencies etc
• Clubnight across the city
  

Jazz Promotion Network Conference (UK & Ireland)

• A key UK and Ireland industry gathering
• Showcasing for established and emerging artists
• For Irish artists, this is strategically important due to geographic proximity and existing touring circuits.

Irish Music Week (Ireland)

• Ireland’s primary international showcase event
• Broad genre representation, strong industry presence
• For emerging export-focused artists, this can be a key stepping stone

WOMEX (Europe-wide)

Relevant for artists whose work intersects with:

• Cultural heritage
• Cross-genre collaboration
• Global improvisation traditions

Culture Ireland (Funding & Export Strategy)

For professional Irish artists presenting work internationally, Culture Ireland supports:

• Travel
• Accommodation
• Subsistence

There are four funding rounds per year (approximately quarterly).

Typically, you must demonstrate:

• Confirmed international engagements
• A coherent tour (often understood as three or more significant dates)
• Professional presentation context
• Clear budgets and contracts
• Strategic value

Audience & Territory Strategy

• Which countries align aesthetically with my work?
• Where do Irish artists already tour successfully?
• Where are there diaspora links?
• Which festivals programme my subgenre?

Agents & Managers

You do not need an agent to be export ready.

But you do need:

• Someone handling negotiations professionally
• Clear contracts
• Accurate invoicing
• Tax awareness

Agents typically come after:

• Demonstrated demand
• Touring history
• Media coverage
• Strong positioning

Approaching prematurely can damage credibility.

Artistic Readiness

• Can your ensemble deliver consistently night after night?
• Does your set have dynamic arc?
• Can you adjust to different room sizes and acoustics?
• Are you culturally literate when presenting abroad?

Common Blindspots

• Weak live documentation
• Outdated websites
• No clear fee structure
• Overestimating social media impact
• Applying for showcases without export infrastructure
• Missing funding deadlines
• No follow-up after industry meetings

The Export-Ready Checklist

You are likely export ready if:

• You have professional live video
• Your website is current and coherent
• Your touring configuration is defined
• You understand logistics
• You can articulate your artistic voice clearly
• You have regional touring history
• You can respond quickly to enquiries
• You can apply strategically for Culture Ireland support