The past year-and-a-half has been one of the most drastic and challenging periods of change in the history of the international music industry. Almost at once, and with very little warning, a world’s worth of live music disappeared, and musicians and audiences alike scrambled to find new ways of reaching each other without leaving their homes.
But adversity leads to innovation, and that’s where Global Music Match comes in. The heart of the premise is simple: folk- and roots-based musicians uplifting and promoting each other, mobilising each other’s audiences and creating new professional networks.
Each cycle of GMM takes place over twelve weeks. Teams are formed six artists, each from a different country or region, and each gets their own two-week spotlight across the whole team’s social media channels. These spotlights are a flurry of activity including interviews, live sets, unreleased material and exclusive – entirely digital – collaborations. After two editions, 172 artists and many thousands of fans have participated and benefitted from this mutual support network, with the help of music export offices from 17 countries and regions from around the world.
The exciting part of GMM is that it is not just a temporary quick-fix. It’s a new form of music export and cultural exchange, and one that is not necessarily anchored to the current situation. It is a real and effective way for artists to expand their audience in terms of numbers, as well as into new territories, opening up the possibility for new touring avenues post-pandemic.
For creating, at such short notice, a new and innovative platform that has already seen long-lasting and tangible benefits, and for being a source of optimism and comfort to musicians in a time of great struggle, we are delighted that Global Music Match will receive the WOMEX 21 Professional Excellence Award.
Photo: Just some of the hundreds of members of Global Music Match, by Eric van Nieuwland.