Grow › Showcases & export offices
SXSW
Annual showcase festival in Austin, Texas, among the largest in the world, with an open application process across genres; attended by agents, labels and international festival bookers.
- Best for
- Industry exposure when you already have a story building. Career-ready artists with a strong live show, recent momentum, professional materials, a travel budget and specific industry contacts they want to meet.
- Skip if
- You would play to empty rooms — timing matters. You need a profitable guaranteed booking, cannot fund an Austin trip, lack a compelling live performance or expect the showcase alone to generate career opportunities.
- First move
- Budget the full trip honestly before applying. Apply with your strongest live video, recent releases, streaming and social growth, performance history and upcoming plans. Begin building a target meeting list before selection results arrive.
- Watch out
- Costs pile up fast; artist fees barely cover travel. Selection is highly competitive, and the application fee does not guarantee a showcase. SXSW does not cover travel or lodging; U.S. cash compensation is per act and replaces the badge package. Official artists also face restrictions on unofficial performances between 7 p.m. and 2 a.m.
- Reach
- Mainstream scale
- When
- Worth it once you are growing an audience.
- Based in
- United States