South By Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference and Festival takes place every March alongside SXSW Film and Interactive.
Television crews, filmmakers, radio programmers, music magazine journalists, newspaper writers, podcasters and hundreds of independent bloggers will again be in Austin reporting on every facet of the festival and laying claim to having heard the next big act before anyone else, creating opportunities for media exposure through hundreds of national and international media outlets. Other professional attendees include booking agents, label reps, managers, promoters, publicists, sync agents, publishers and brand ambassadors and more with the potential power to elevate artists to the next stage of their career.
From unsigned bands to indie and major label headliners, SXSW continues to be the premier music event that introduces yet to be discovered talents, current buzzing artists as well as important musical acts in the world, while providing an ideal environment for bands to learn from and meet the music industry professionals that can help them further their careers.
South By Southwest Showcasing Artists benefit from career changing exposure and publicity provided by the amazing mix of influential participants who attend SXSW every year. Showcasing at SXSW means performing in one of Austin’s famous live music venues for 30,000 industry reps, 3,000 media members and thousands of fans and fellow musicians from all over the world.
See more coverage from 2016: MC Celebrates SXSW's 30th
The band submissions are open to:
• All genres
• Solo acts and/or full bands
• Artists from any region
The gig varies by assigned venue:
• Time slot, load-in
• Other venue details
Additional Compensation Details*:
• Foreign, non-U.S. acts will automatically receive SXSW artist wristbands as a benefit for performing. Artist wristbands grant free access to other official SXSW showcases, parties, conference programming, artist specific activations and more (unless otherwise noted).
• Domestic acts from the U.S. have the choice of cash compensation ($100 for solo / $250 for band or duo) in lieu of the artist wristbands (some exceptions may apply). For those who qualify to choose, only one selection may be made as no combinations of benefits are permitted.
• Some acts may perform on more than one official showcase however all acts will only be benefited once regardless of multiple performances.
Application Fees and Deadlines
• SXSW 2017 Early Deadline: Friday, Sept. 9, at 11:59PM EDT ($35 fee)
• SXSW 2017 Final Deadline: Friday, Oct. 21, at 11:59PM EDT ($55 fee)
Sonicbids is the exclusive online musical event application platform of the 2017 South By Southwest Music Festival. Visit sonicbids.com/sxsw to start the application process.
Pictured is Wolfmother at SXSW 2016. Photo by Jody Domingue
For more information and questions, contact [email protected].
*Should your band be accepted as a Showcasing Artist for SXSW 2017, you will have access to a protected block of rooms through SXSW Housing & Travel. While SXSW holds a large number of rooms in Downtown Austin for our artists, they do sell out every year, and are first come, first served among artists. Once you’re given access to your Artist Information page, you are able to make your hotel reservations there. In the meantime, check out SXSW Housing & Travel for more information about our hotels, pricing, reservation policies and travel information.
