PASSPORT: Fostering Canadian Music in the Global Industry

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Photo by Jen Doerksen Photography
AHI
David Cox
Mars Sellars
Nuela Charles
Port Cities
Royal Canoe
Ruby Quase
Samurai Champs
SATE
Stu Anderson

Manitoba Music, Music Nova Scotia, Canada’s Music Incubator, and the National Music Centre Team up for International Music Export Masterclass and Showcase in Calgary, April 8-12

The new year kicked off with a new export market training initiative for the Canadian music industry in Winnipeg and Halifax, PASSPORT: Music Export Summit. Now, Canadian artists and managers will have a chance to continue their business expansion and marketing plan development over five days in Calgary at the PASSPORT: Music Export Masterclass. International music industry mentors will join participants at Studio Bell to share real-world knowledge in navigating markets to foster success in the global music industry.

Produced by Manitoba Music in partnership with Music Nova Scotia, Canada’s Music Incubator, and the National Music Centre, PASSPORT will deliver intensive training sessions to prepare export-ready Canadian artists and music entrepreneurs with business skills and product development to help bring Canadian music to the world. The project is funded by FACTOR with support from the Government of Canada.

Eight participants will join music industry guests from Australia, Germany, US, the UK , and Canada for discussions and one-on-one meetings at the National Music Centre from April 8 to 12. Guests will share their knowledge on developing and executing marketing plans for specific regions, as well the specifics of international music publishing, licensing, and touring. The three days of learning will wrap up with a free public showcase event on the evening of April 11 at Studio Bell featuring artists participating in the program, AHI, SATE, Samurai Champs, Nuela Charles, and Port Cities.

While participants are talking business, artists represented by participating managers will have time in the Studio Bell live rooms to write music, record new ideas, and capture their creative process on video. Each artist will experience the unique opportunities of the National Music Centre collection while creating the fresh ideas and content they need to market their work internationally.

PASSPORT launched this year with parallel Music Export Summits in Winnipeg and Halifax in February and March, providing participants with market information and skills development on topics including export strategies and marketing global releases. The Winnipeg Summit also included streams for Indigenous artists and managers, as well as Passeport for Francophone artists and managers funded by Musicaction.

Participants were selected from submissions to the PASSPORT: Music Export Summits in Winnipeg and Halifax earlier this year. Over 190 submissions came in for the PASSPORT program, and participants were selected based on their export marketing preparations, including participation in events like SXSW and Folk Alliance International in the U.S., The Great Escape in the UK, Reeperbahn Festival in Germany, and beyond. 

For more information about PASSPORT, visit passportmusic.ca

PASSPORT MASTERCLASS PARTICIPANTS

Ahkinoah Izarh, AHI
Dave Cox, CLK Creative Works 
Mar Sellars, Mar on Music
Marvin Chan, Samurai Champs
Mike Edel, Artist
Nuela Charles, Artist
Port Cities
​Royal Canoe
Ruby Quase, Jones & Co.
Stu Anderson, Mighty Cypress Talent Inc.
SATE
 

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