MARKETING REGULATION
International release campaigns often face limited marketing budgets. International label budgets are frequently modest, while more and more artists are releasing their music independently. As a result, the costs of international marketing and PR increasingly fall to the artist, management and professional partners.
For this reason, Dutch Music Export introduced the Marketing Regulation in 2017. The programme operates on a matching principle: Dutch Music Export funds up to 50% of the eligible marketing budget. The remaining 50% is financed by the artist, management and/or professional partners.
The contribution ranges from a minimum of €5,000 to a maximum of €20,000.
An artist may receive support once every two years and, in principle, no more than twice within a six-year period. The application must relate to an international campaign surrounding an album, EP or coherent series of singles.
Applications must be submitted before the start of the campaign. Activities that have already started and costs that have already been incurred are not eligible for support.
The programme must be completed within twelve months of the date on which funding is awarded, based on a substantive and financial final report and an analysis of the results achieved.
Application Round: First Half of 2027
If you want to submit an application for the first half of 2027, do so before October 25, 2026. Decision: November 6, 2026.
Application Round: Second Half of 2027
If you want to submit an application for the second half of 2026, do so before May 7, 2027. Decision: May 21, 2027
Marketing budgets often fall short with international release campaigns. Marketing budgets provided by labels are often very limited, and artists are increasingly releasing their music independently. This means that the budgets and planning for marketing activities need to be covered more and more by artists and their representation themselves. This requires funding. It is precisely for this reason that DME created the Marketing Budgets regulation in 2017. The subsidy is based on the so-called matching principle, meaning that 50% of the campaign budget is covered by the artists and their teams. The other half is then ‘matched’ by the DME marketing subsidy. The minimum amount that can be applied for is 5.000,- Euro with a maximum of 20.000,- Euro. Only one approved application per artist is allowed every two years and may only be submitted for the release of an album, EP, or multiple singles.
One can apply for the marketing regulation prior to the start of the campaign, so before the activities and expenses for the campaign have started. This means the marketing regulation cannot be applied retroactively. The Marketing budgest regulation must be completed within 12 months from the approval date, based on the submission of a final account and a thorough analysis of the achieved results.
Application Round: First Half of 2026
If you want to submit an application for the first half of 2026, do so before November 7, 2025.
Application Round: Second Half of 2026
If you want to submit an application for the second half of 2026, do so before May 18, 2026.
WHO IS IT FOR?
The programme is intended for internationally active artists who:
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Can demonstrate existing audience and/or market traction in the country for which support is requested;
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Are operationally, organisationally and financially ready for further international development;
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Have a concrete, realistic and market-appropriate campaign plan;
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Have a functioning professional network in the target market, for example a booking agent, label, distributor, PR or marketing agency, publisher or sync agent;
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Can finance at least 50% of the marketing budget themselves and/or together with professional partners;
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Are able to provide substantive and financial reporting on activities, expenditure and results;
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Are full members of BumaStemra in at least the country of application
CRITERIA
To be eligible for an application, the artist must in any case meet the following requirements:
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A realistic and market-oriented plan.
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There must be demonstrable international demand for the act, with at least 25% of the artist's monthly streams originating from the country for which the campaign is being requested. If other sources of income are sufficiently substantiated, they may also serve as grounds for support;
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The artist must be ready to operate internationally, both in terms of production and the necessary pre-financing;
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The artist must possess sufficient knowledge to report on activities both substantively and financially. Sustainable plans and ambitions must be adhered to and accounted for;
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The artist must be a member of Buma Stemra for the country for which the campaign is being requested;
A sufficient professional team consisting of international and local (financially) partners:
Booker or agent
Label or distributor
PR- or marketing-agency
Publisher or sync agent
Sarah Julia
INTERNATIONAL TRACTION
The application must demonstrate that international development in the target market is already underway.
Applicants must substantiate at least three relevant indicators, including at least one economic or professional indicator.
Possible indicators include:
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relevant absolute streaming figures, growth in active listeners and repeat listening behaviour;
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ticket sales, paid performances or festival bookings;
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income from streaming, copyright, neighbouring rights, physical sales, tickets or merchandise;
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relevant airplay, press coverage, editorial playlisting or other media exposure;
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concrete collaboration with a local booking agent, label, distributor, publisher, sync agent or marketing partner;
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demonstrable investment or financial contribution from a local professional partner;
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a concrete follow-up plan for the market concerned.
Reach, streams, follower counts or non-binding letters of intent are not sufficient on their own.
Sums provided through this scheme are supplied to focus countries selected by Dutch Export policy. See here for the list of focus countries..
FINALISING AN APPLICATION
After completion of the campaign, the project must be finalised both substantively and financially.
The remaining 50% of the awarded contribution will be paid after Dutch Music Export has approved the final report.
For finalisation, applicants must submit:
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a substantive evaluation report;
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the mandatory Excel template showing both budgeted and actual expenditure;
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all invoices and proof of payment, submitted in the same order as the budget;
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an updated Campaign Targets Sheet.
1. Evaluation Report
Briefly describe which activities were carried out, which elements were changed or not carried out and why.
The report should also address:
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the extent to which the original objectives were achieved;
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the results generated by the campaign;
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the sustainable international development resulting from the campaign;
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the next steps planned in the relevant market.
The evaluation should not only include figures relating to reach, followers and streams, but also, where applicable, information on active and returning listeners, saves and engagement, direct fan contacts, ticket and merchandise sales, income, media results, bookings, syncs, new professional collaborations and concrete follow-up activity.
2. Overview of actual costs in regards to initial budget
The same mandatory Excel template used for the original application must be used for the financial final report.
Actual expenditure must be entered alongside the original budgeted costs.
Only eligible costs that were demonstrably incurred and paid may be included in the final report.
If actual eligible costs are lower than originally budgeted, the final contribution may be reduced proportionally.
3. Invoices overview sheet
Complete the final financial reporting form. Please note that the final reporting form must be submitted as one PDF file.
The completed cost overview below should be used as the cover sheet. All corresponding receipts and invoices must then be added in the same order as listed in the cost overview, together forming one PDF file.
If the documents are not submitted in this order and as one complete PDF file, the application cannot be finalised.
4. Updated targets sheet
Upload the same targets sheet you submitted with your application, now completed with the actual results (actuals). If certain data is not available, briefly explain this in the sheet or in the evaluation report.
SUSTAINABLE FAN DEVELOPMENT
The programme is aimed at sustainable international audience development. A campaign may therefore not consist solely of purchasing reach, views, followers or streams.
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No more than 40% of the eligible budget may be spent on advertising and platform costs.
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At least 20% of the eligible budget must be invested in sustainable fan conversion and retention, for example through CRM, mailing lists, community development, retargeting, ticket and merchandise conversion or campaign landing pages.
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The application must include a baseline measurement and concrete objectives for the target market. In addition to reach, at least one fan-retention objective and one economic or professional objective must be included.
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The artist or management must retain access to advertising accounts, campaign data, dashboards and fan contacts generated through the campaign.
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Guaranteed streams, paid playlist placements, purchased followers and non-transparent campaigns are not eligible.
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The principle is that each campaign should not merely generate attention, but leave demonstrable and sustainable international value with the artist.
ASSESMENT
Meeting the eligibility criteria does not automatically result in support.
If the available budget is insufficient to support all suitable applications, applications will be compared and ranked.
Applications are assessed on the basis of:
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existing traction and growth in the target market: 30%;
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local professional infrastructure and concrete commitments: 20%;
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quality, timing and additionality of the campaign: 20%;
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sustainable fan development and measurability: 15%;
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economic and artistic export potential: 10%;
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alignment with the priority markets of Dutch international cultural/export policy: 5%.
Applications are ranked higher where they receive a stronger overall assessment against these criteria. Funding is awarded according to ranking and subject to the available budget.
Dutch Music Export gives priority to campaigns where its contribution can demonstrably accelerate growth or enable a breakthrough.
Routine marketing activity, campaigns that are already financed, and campaigns that would proceed unchanged without DME support are not prioritised.
APPLICATION
PROCEDURE
An application can be submitted via the online application form of Dutch Music Export. In addition to the fully completed application form, the following documents must be submitted:
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Campaign plan (download template)
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Budget and financing plan ( download mandatory excel template)
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Completed campaing target sheet (download form)
The Campaign Targets Sheet is used both for the application and for the final reporting. When finalising the grant, an updated version must be submitted showing the actual results achieved.
Only costs directly related to the international marketing campaign may be included in the budget.
Eligible costs include international PR and marketing, advertising and platform campaigns, audience analysis and campaign strategy, CRM, fan conversion and community development, dedicated campaign landing pages and digital applications, and content, video and visuals that are directly part of the campaign.
Costs for video and visuals may be included for up to 50%, with a maximum of 25% of the total budget.
The following costs are not eligible: travel and accommodation, fees for artists and crew, visas and tour support, recording, mixing and mastering, general artwork, the development of a general artist website, guaranteed streams, paid playlist placements, purchased followers, and activities that have already been carried out or paid for.
For tour support, an application can be made to the Snelloket of Fonds Podiumkunsten.
Following approval, 50% of the contribution will be paid as an advance. The remaining 50% will be paid after approval of the substantive and financial final report.
It is not possible to appeal a decision.
APPLICATION
PROCEDURE
One can apply via the website by filling in the application form and uploading the 3 required attachments:
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Campaign strategy document (download set-up)
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Budget
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Campaign targets sheet (download here)
The budget may only contain marketing-related expenses, which excludes costs for travel and accommodation and fees for artists and crew. Product-related costs are also not allowed (recording costs, mix costs, mastering, artwork, website). The marketing regulation is explicitly not intended for tour support or marketing of tours. You can apply for toursupport at Dutch Performing Arts.
50% of the subsidy will be paid as an advance when the application is approved. The second half will be paid when the campaign is finalised appropriately (more about this later on this page).
Sums provided through this scheme are supplied to focus countries selected by Dutch Export policy. Find an overview of focus-countries below. With regards to the streaming figures, in addition to the aforementioned required percentages the total amount of (monthly) streams is also taken into account.
It is not possible to object to a decision.
Iguana Death Cult
Gita Buhari
FINALISING AN APPLICATION
After the campaign one can finalise the application and request the 2nd half of the subsidiary by providing Dutch Music Export with the following documents:
1. Evaluation Report
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Evaluation of the activities: did you manage to execute all the initiated activities for the campaign?
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Has the campaign led to predefined goals? Why yes / no?
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Factual breakdown of results: streaming numbers, physical sales, media coverage, shows etc.
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What now? Further steps.
2. Overview of actual costs in regards to initial budget
Take the budget sheet you provided with the original marketing application. Insert an extra row of cells behind the budgeted expenses, and fill in the actual costs you made for the specific activity. This way the budgeted costs and actual costs are listed side by side in one overview.
3. Invoices overview sheet
Fill in the costs & invoices overview sheet. Save this sheet as a pdf, and add all the necessary invoices in the same order as listed in the costing overview sheet, so it becomes a single pdf file. Download the invoices overview sheet.
DATA ASSETS
When a marketing regulation application is approved, the applicant agrees to the provision of data assets for the monitoring of the results. Dutch Music Export will collect the required data regarding streaming and social media growth, and will subsequently request from the applicant to provide data about live-shows and syncs.
DATA ASSETS
DATA ASSETS
By accepting support, the applicant agrees to monitoring by Dutch Music Export and to making the required data available.
The applicant also agrees that relevant data, where necessary for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the programme, may be shared with the funding and collaboration partners involved, including BumaStemra and SENA.
Dutch Music Export may request additional data during and after the campaign, including information relating to streaming, social media, live activity, syncs, income and other relevant international results, in order to assess the longer-term impact of the campaign.
Ferdous