Going Global 2025: Industry Advice Straight from the Experts

We asked international Going Global delegates and industry leaders to share the questions they hear most from artists – and the guidance they find themselves giving over and over. From building a team and developing your live career to navigating international opportunities, these FAQs are a go-to resource for musicians looking to grow and connect with the wider music industry.

Kimberley Galceran (DARK MOFO)

How do I develop my profile and career as a musician?

The most important thing is developing community. Firstly – in your home town, organise line-ups with other bands, have house gigs, play and support each other, keep each other motivated. Get friendly with everyone else in your local scene – community radio hosts, indie labels, your local venue and festival bookers. Then think nationally – reach out to bands in other states/cities that you like, get on each other’s bills and have some cross-pollination between scenes. From there step it up, approach touring bands that you’d like to support, if they have agents – get on their radar for any touring artists from their roster. Reach out to a couple of A&R label people and invite them to your shows. Keep everyone updated with new releases, airplay, gigs, film clips and tours.

If you have a friend who really believes in you and has some skills – could they become your band manager? It doesn’t need to be someone already in the industry to begin with, just someone passionate and savvy.

If you sit and wait for ‘something’ to happen, it won’t happen. Never be afraid to shoot a friendly email to a stranger. The relationships you form now might turn out to be the door that opens you up to bigger opportunities.

Lucy Pitkethly (Eat Your Own Ears)

How do I get booked for more shows or How do I support X artist?

Focus on personal connections especially when you’re starting out, stay and watch the other bands on the bill if you’re playing a club night, and get to know other local bands on your scene. That way when other local bands play headline shows you can support them and vice versa, help each other grow the scene and everyone benefits.

Have a look at who’s putting on good shows that align with your musical style in local venues and get in touch with them to ask about slots, and speak to venues directly if they do in-house nights. If there’s a bigger artist who announces a show you think would work well for you musically, it can’t hurt to get in touch with them direct, we’ll often get given ideas from the headliner on who they want as support.

As sad as it is these days social media stats do help with showing promoters you have some fans, so try to post regularly and grow your fanbase online as well as on the ground.

Boyan Pinter (Believe / Spike Bulgarian Festival & Showcase)

Will you book my band? But what should be the most frequently asked question: How can we work together in building my band in your territory?

Ultimately, the question belies a lack of understanding of the overall music industry ecosystem, or is a testament to the fact that the artist is trying to skip a few steps in their career development. Sadly, these strategies don’t work in the grand scheme of things. I know from personal experience. 

I always refocus this question into long-term thinking and strategy and ask a series of questions of my own to extract more information from the artist. What do they really want to see happen?  I emphasize that the process is series of choices that lead down a path, explain about risk allocation (both financial and opportunity cost,) and try to find an answer that informs both me and the artist of the potential outcome of a given arrangement. 

Since the golden economic rule of the creative industries is “nobody knows” – risk is inherent and preparation is key. 

Rebecca Young (Collective Artists)

When is the right time to get a booking agent?

The best time for an artist / band to bring a booking agent into their team is when their live touring activity begins to grow so much that they need help to manage that aspect of their career. That could mean selling out headline shows, receiving an increased number of offers for festivals/events/support spots, fast growing social and/or streaming numbers etc. 

An agent can help the artist / band with a strategy for their live touring and assist in bringing in new opportunities for them. That said, there’s not a ‘one size fits all’ answer to that question and for some acts, they’ll have an agent on board before they’ve ever played a live show! It does vary. I think the most important thing is for an artist to find someone passionate about them and who they think can help grow their live business. 

Brian Zabinski (Tamizdat, USA)

Do I need a visa to perform in the US?!?!?!

If you’re performing before an audience and you’re not a U.S. citizen, U.S. law states that you must have a work visa. There are exceptions: if you’re performing an industry showcase, a sponsored event by your home country’s government, or you’re a business manager, you probably don’t need a US work visa. However, sometimes it’s safer to have a visa than not to because ESTA/Visa Waiver will only work if the Customs Officers at the airport believe that you’re not entering the US to work.