During the years we've seen the Nordic brand develop on quiet at few areas across the world in gastronomy, architecture, theater, living and that the list goes on. This branding have made the way of brands across the nordic countries - but what about Nordic folk music?

Towards a sustainable live music industry: Projects and initiatives from Finland, presented by ELMA

How to break through to the North American Market as a Nordic artist, festival or company

We are still a long way from a representative and inclusive music industry. But what is actually happening in the Nordic countries and how do we benefit from each other?

In this panel discussion we are going to discuss how to remove the eggs from one basket and discover new creative ways to engage musicians professionally. In recent years we have witnessed an increased interest from the health care system to test the benefits of life music and arts in general, in treatments of certain pathologies.

The competition is hardcore and you might feel like you have to be on top all the time… But how do you actually keep sane while also creating your career?

Get some caffeine to boost your network and join us for a morning mingling before all the seminars starts

Join us for a workshop presentations where Henrik fra Stevns will introduce us the project Folkedans for Fremtiden and make us stand up from our chairs and move our feet!

How is Nordic Folk positioned in the international markets? In which markets are we more successful?

Meet your peers in breakout rooms to discuss common challenges and network with peers alike.

A forum for discussing the potential of nordic folk music in series, movies and video games.

What’s in the pipeline, where are you all heading after this, and where will we meet up next time?

This peer session will provide the space and opportunity for folks who work in specific sectors of the folk music industry to get together to share experiences, practices, and insights, and foster community.

The session will gather breakout tables, where professionals with the same role in the music industry will sit together. Be aware this session is not a pitching session, but a networking session with peers alike. All delegates are welcome to join!

This session will allow musicians and other industry professionals to learn how music is placed in films & TV. It will cover song rights, metadata, tips on researching music supervisors and real examples of the dos and don'ts of reaching out. It will also address common questions such as when to register with a PRO, when is a pub/pub administrator necessary, how income is earned and split, current trends in sync licensing, placement timelines, opportunities for bespoke compositions vs pre-recorded music and how working with independent vs major labels/publishers can affect placement opportunities.

Global Music Match is an initiative started during the pandemic that connected 17 countries and 19 export organisations. After two editions it connected 172 artists and thousands of fans who participated and benefited from a mutual support network and inspirational knowledge from a team of industry professionals that included festival directors from many of the worlds leading festivals.

Is the grass greener overseas or should be make more of the Nordic inner market. Environmental, financial and logistic issues, for instance, turn our attention to the neighbouring countries but how to tour in the Nordic in real life. There are some success stories but also many attempts to organise Nordic tours have failed. Where to find the solution? Is it just about the will, travel support, personal contacts and networks, or do we need structural changes to make Nordic touring more accessible.

Export Music Swedens’s CEO Jesper Thorsson moderates this discussion about artist development together with three interesting individuals that has spent a long time doing exactly that. Karin Inde (manager of Musikcentrum Väst and chair of KLYS), Tuva Härdelin (manager of RFOD) and singer-songwriter Svavar Knútur Kristinsson, from the Westfjords of Iceland.

In this exciting songwriters panel, where we will explore the matter of writing lyrics in ones own Scandinavian language. What are the challenges and perks of writing in a Scandinavian language, when it comes to audience reach? How can we become better at working across the Scandinavian borders, when our mother tongue is so similar? What are the experiences with touring in one’s own country, Scandinavia and across the world?

Join us on this adventures journey!

Finland, Sweden and Norway share the Arctic Sámiland which has unique culture and indigenous music. Indigenous music has been in focus in the world music scene generally as e.g. North-American, Australian and other indigenous artists have been able to attract more and more attention worldwide. What is the situation in the Nordic countries: are Sámi artists an appreciated and supported asset, are they part of the global indigenous music trend?

Globalisation, immigration, student exchange and free movement, for example, are reality in Nordic countries affecting the cultural field hugely. Domestic markets are also facing needs from local minorities and ethnic groups which tend to be left with less notice. Whether about gender balance, genre balance, sexual identity or religious beliefs folk musicians and music professionals in Nordic countries cannot ignore the diversity imperatives.

Nordic countries often are considered as a “package deal” but they are five different countries with similarities and differences. As far as folk music is concerned it has developed from many sources, taken various influences and keep on evolving to many directions, becoming even so-called world music. Panelists will debate the title giving their insights on various elements which either form a Nordic folk music identity or question it, or leave it somewhere in between.

We invite all delegates, artists and their crew to join us for a drink at Musikens Hus. Get to know your fellow festival visitors before Swedish act Northern Resonance at 7 PM. Welcome!

Welcome to a long-awaited edition of Nordic Folk Alliance.

Will you be in Gothenburg in the morning of April 20?

Our supporters at RFoD, Musikcentrum Väst, Folkmusikens Hus and Bilda Folk invites you for a breakfast session at Kulturlagret.
RSVP required >>