FAQs

Touring Artist.

If you want to make any kind of income with your activities (even as a side activity), you must register them at your local tax office. After filling out a questionnaire called “Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung,” you will be assigned a tax number (“Steuernummer”) which is both specific to your local tax office and the activities you registered. You can find guidelines on how to fill out the questionnaire in English here, here, and here. Note that the tax number is not the same as the tax ID (“Steueridentifikationsnummer”) which is assigned to you automatically when you move to Germany for the first time. While the tax ID can only be used for employment, invoices as a self-employed person/freelancer can only be legally written with a valid tax number. General guidelines on becoming self-employed in Germany are provided by the BMWi business start-up portal. You can find information on which details have to go in an invoice here.
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In Germany, self-employed people are classified as either liberal professionals (sometimes also translated as ‘freelancers’ or ‘catalogue professions,’ in German: “Freiberufler”) or trade/business-style (“Gewerbe”). Most activities in the cultural and creative sectors belong to the liberal professions. But, for example, if you sell recorded music directly to a customer, start a label or organize your own concerts, you have to register a trade/business-style self-employed activity instead. Sometimes, it’s not so clear which category your activities belong to - but we can help you in an orientation consultation. You can find information sheets in English on this topic on the touring artists website and existenzgruender.de.
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A group that consists of several self-employed people can create its own entity. The most common legal structure is a civil law partnership (Gesellschaft bürgerlichen Rechts, GbR). More information and contract templates can be found (in German only) on the BackstagePro website.
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This depends on many factors. As a self-employed person, you have to pay income tax on your profit, no matter what kind of self-employed activity you conduct. Important: if you have mixed income sources (i.e., employment and self-employment), all types of income are added to determine your income tax rate for your self-employed activities. Self-employed people always have to file an income tax declaration. To roughly calculate your income tax rate, you can use a tool provided by the Ministry of Finance. Note that fees paid for gigs abroad might be subject to source taxation that the promoter abroad has to deduct from your fee. More on this in the section “On tour abroad”.
Questions? Sign up for a free orientation consultation!

According to German labour laws, some activities aren’t allowed to be conducted on a freelance/self-employed basis. Instead, your client has to give you a proper employment contract. This is mostly the case if you cannot make your own decision regarding place, duration and time of your activities, and if you are “embedded” in your client’s work environment. In the music industry, this often concerns people working technical jobs as well as music teachers who don’t recruit their own students. Note that controlling authorities investigate the individual relationship between a presumed self-employed person and their client. Having multiple clients isn’t proof in itself to be considered a “real” self-employed person. The touring artists offers an information sheet in English on the topic. The trade union ver.di has compiled information for music teachers, and PAP for contracts in the performing arts field (both in German only).
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EU citizens can work in another EU member state as an employee or as a self-employed person without any prerequisites (freedom of movement). Note that EU citizens do need to get German health insurance if they move to Germany long-term. Non-EU citizens need a residence permit to move to Germany. Privileged nationals (Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, USA) can apply for a residence permit for any economic activity directly in Germany after entering without a visa. All other nationals need to apply at a German embassy or consulate in their country of residence. Note that there is no “artist visa” for Germany. In Berlin, a pro-artist interpretation of the Residence Act exists (§ 21 Abs. 5 AufenthG) which might facilitate the application process. In general, residence permits can be applied for any purpose, but they are limited to the activities that are applied for. For instance, a residence permit might be granted for a self-employed musician. The permitted activities are then restricted to being self-employed as a musician, other economic activities (any employment, any other self-employed activities) are not allowed. More information can be found on the websites of the Federal Foreign Office and the Berlin Immigration Office. Also check out the relocation checklist provided by touring artists.
Questions? Sign up for a free consultation with the touring artists helpdesk.

If your projected turnover/revenue is below 22000 Euro per year (proportionally less if you start your activities later in the year), you can classify yourself as a “Kleinunternehmer” and write invoices without VAT. If you are in the VAT system, you have to add either the regular VAT rate of 19 % or the reduced rate of 7 % to your invoices. The reduced rate applies to most performance fees and license fee payments. If you add VAT, you also have the privilege to claim back VAT paid on business expenses. General information can be found on the touring artists website.
Questions? Sign up for a free orientation consultation!

Every artist has their own individual needs - so it’s impossible to come up with a general answer to this question. But did you know that, in addition to our workshop program, we also offer affordable expert coachings on artist development and promotion strategies? During a free orientation consultation we can identify your needs and then match you with an expert. Other organizations that offer similar services include the Creative Service Center, the Kreativwirtschaftsberatung (free consultations for self-employed people in the culture and creative industries) and the Crowdfunding Campus.
Questions? Sign up for a free orientation consultation!

Check out our own workshop program here. The band office at ORWOhaus offers newcomers practical advice. Workshops for women, trans and non-binary persons are offered by Spoon, No Shade, Urban Arts Berlin, and Éclat. Amplify Berlin is a residency program hosted by ACUD MACHT NEU, designed to support emerging Berlin-based musicians through mentorships with more established ones in order to facilitate creative development through guidance, a focused work environment and access to resources. The project “Information about the Music Job Market in Berlin - Personal Advice and Accompaniment” makes the network of the Landesmusikrat Berlin (State Music Council) available to musicians who were forced to leave their home countries for political reasons. The GSBTB - Open Music School (OMS) is a musical skill-sharing community with a focus on the integration of newcomers into Berlin’s music scene. The Pop-Kultur “Nachwuchs” programme offers workshops, talks, and lectures to selected participants. Berlin’s district’s music schools are listed here. More providers, institutions and training possibilities are listed in Musicboard’s Popguide (in German only) and in the database of the Deutsches Musikinformationszentrums.
Questions? Sign up for a free orientation consultation!

GEMA (German Society for Musical Performing and Mechanical Reproduction Rights) is Germany’s government-mandated collecting society and performance rights organization for songwriters, composers and music publishers. Here’s a 2-minute video in English explaining how they work. GVL, on the other hand, enforces ancillary copyrights of practising artists and sound recording producers. They pay fees that they collect on a fiduciary basis e.g. from radio and TV stations and for the public performance (e.g. in restaurants or cafés) to their members. Watch the GVL’s explanation video here. In case you write and perform your own songs, you may be entitled for a remuneration from both collecting societies. If becoming a member is beneficial for you depends on many factors - we can guide you through the process.
Questions? Sign up for a free orientation consultation!

GEMA is connected with collective music management organisations (CMOs) abroad via a network of so-called reciprocal agreements which ensure a mutual rights assignment and rights administration. Find more detailed information on the GEMA website.

ClubConsult regularly organises information events such workshops, seminars, round table events and free expert consultations to give individual advice on various issues across this sector. You can also find more information on the GEMA website.
Questions? Sign up for a free consultation with ClubConsult.

In addition to our workshop program, we also offer affordable expert coachings on these topics. During a free orientation consultation we can identify your needs and then match you with an expert. You can find general information on contracts and the status of artists as well as on German copyright law on the touring artists website.
Questions? Sign up for a free orientation consultation!

BVG (Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe) allows busking under certain conditions and at certain places in the connecting tunnels of the subway network (busking in the trains is prohibited!). The permitted places are marked in the subway stations. However, a permit must be obtained for this.

"On the scale into the underground.  Playing music in Berlin's subway stations has a long tradition. BVG permits music-making at a reasonable volume at selected locations in the connecting tunnels of the subway, subject to certain conditions. Making music is not permitted in subway trains.  Currently, no music permits are issued due to Corona infection control. We thank you for your understanding!  The permit is available here: BVG customer office (Increased transport fee ticket checks) An der Michaelbrücke 10179 Berlin (entrance at the back of the building) Wednesdays from 7-11 am The permit costs 10 euros per day. Since 01.01.2019, it no longer includes a driving permit. For music groups with up to three people, a music permit is sufficient.
For information: guitar, keyboard, accordion, harmonica, violin, viola, cello, double bass, harp, balalaika, melodica, tambourine, xylophone, flute, pan flute, clarinet, didgeridoo and singing are allowed.  The use of sound reproducing devices is also allowed. Music may be played at normal volume.  Permits for brass instruments will not be issued."
https://unternehmen.bvg.de/filmen-fotografieren-musizieren/

For live music on forecourts or in stations of the Berlin S-Bahn, a permit from the station management must also be applied for in advance.
General contact:
Customer telephone: +49 (0)30 297 - 43333

Permitting / approving street music in public spaces is the responsibility of the individual districts.
Here you can find a list of the respective public order offices of the districts: https://service.berlin.de/standorte/ordnungsaemter/.
For permission to street music please ask the respective office of the district what the current regulations, costs u. permitted places are and how to apply for a permit.

General Principles:
Street music should not be "disruptive." The Senate Department for Health, Environment and Nature Conservation has summarized what exactly is meant by this in an orientation framework for the most important principles.

No "significant disturbance" is to be assumed if:

• unamplified instruments are used and if the performance occurs during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m, does not affect a place of immission for more than 60 minutes,
• maintains a distance of 20 m from the nearest residential building and 60 m from sensitive facilities, such as hospitals and retirement homes,
• does not take place in the immediate vicinity of a church during a service, and
• Is not performed in a location that is visible from a school during school hours."

A "substantial disturbance" may exist if, for example:

• Particularly loud musical instruments are used (e.g. trombones, trumpets, timpani, drums), so that the permissible immission guide values (also for the peak level) according to No. 6.1 TA Lärm are exceeded,
• A larger number of persons participate in the musical performance, or
• Other local or temporal circumstances make the street music appear to be considerably disturbing.

Lobbying for street music is organized by Berlin Street Music and Save Mauerpark.
Whether a "significant disturbance" exists is always decided on a case-by-case basis. Berlin Street Music has compiled additional rules and restrictions.
Furthermore, every year on June 21, as part of the Fête de la Musique, there is the opportunity to make music outdoors under certain rules.
Important: in every city there are different rules for street music. At BackstagePro there is more information about this.

More help and information:
www.berlinstreetmusic.com
www.savemauerpark.de
www.fetedelamusique.de
Article BackstagePro (only in German)
 

The Open Air Starterkit, part of the “Kiez Toolbox” project provides check lists and documents on the legal and organisation aspects of music events outdoors (in German only). You can request further information and help from the Clubcommission.
Questions? Sign up for a free consultation with ClubConsult.

Music Pool Berlin puts together a monthly Community Evening featuring panels and discussions on a specific topic in the music world. The monthly Artist Meetup offers a platform for musicians to share their music projects with a wider musician community, ask for feedback, ideas or support, and get to know each other. You can find the current dates here. We also have a community group on Facebook. BackstagePro is a large concert booking networking site, and berlinmusiker.de offers contact forum connecting musicians and bands, while Creative City Berlin connects actors from the cultural and creative sector in general, including a large job exchange. Regular open mic/open stage events are listed here, here, and here, and jam/jazz sessions are featured by Berliner Sessions and Jazzy Berlin.

The event magazines tip, Zitty, Exberliner (in Englisch) and the daily/weekly papers Berliner Zeitung, Berliner Morgenpost, taz.die tageszeitung, Jungle World and Tagesspiegel list dates and review concerts. Listings from the electronic music scenes are courtesy of Resident Advisor  while, Echtzeitmusik and the Initiative Neue Musik/Field notes have calendars for the experimental/improv and contemporary music scenes. Siegessäule is Berlin’s main outlet for LGBTQI+ event listings. Publications and blogs that cover shows and other scene gossip are: Ask Helmut, Berlin Beat, Berlin Sessions, The Chop, The Clubmap, Digital in Berlin, Diproton, Das Filter, Groove, Gusto, hhvmag, Indie Berlin, Kaltblut, Knox (Punk/Hardcore), Konzerttagebuch, Lola, Mai Magazine, Melodie & Rhythmus, Missy Magazine, Monarchie & Alltag, Musik Muss Mit, Nothing But Hope And Passion, Renfield, Renk Magazin, Schmutz, Spex, Stressfaktor (left-wing subcultures), Trust (Hardcore Punk), VAN (classical music) and Wahrschauer (Metal/Punk). Berlin-based independent and internet radio stations include Alex, Archipel, ByteFM, Cashmere, FluxFM, multicult.fm, Pi Radio, Radio On and reboot.fm. Radio shows dedicated to local newcomer acts are Fritz Unsigned and ByteFM Anstoß. A general overview on music venues can be found via Musicboard Berlin’s Clubkataster map and the Clubcommission’s member list. Electronic Beats has compiled an ultimative guide covering almost every club in the city.

MOST WANTED: MUSIC (MW:M) iis the most important music business event in Berlin. MW:M is organized by the Berlin Music Commission, the network of the Berlin music industry. Frei(T)räume iis the public day of the Stadt Nacht Acht-coference, that engages with international perspectives on nightlife culture and city development. Important festivals include 3hd, A MAZE., BAM! - Berliner Festival für aktuelles Musiktheater, Bang On Fest, Berlin Atonal, Berlin Brass Festival, Berliner Jazztreff, Berliner Ukulele Festival, Berlin Swamp Fest, BERvokal - A Cappella Pop Festival, CTM, DICE, Down by the River, Dystopie Sound Art Festival, Festival für selbstgebaute Musik (homemade musical instruments), Fête de la Musique, Heroines of Sound, Jazzfest Berlin, Klangteppich, Krake, MaerzMusik, Monat der zeitgenössischen Musik (contemporary music), Musikfest der Berliner Festspiele, Pop-Kultur,Radical Sounds Latin America, Rock im Grünen ,Soundwatch – Music Film Festival Berlin, Steamball, Synästhesie, Torstraßen Festival, Wassermusik, Whole - United Queer Festival, Wurzelfestival and XJAZZ.

Vinylhub and recordstores.love are databases that list almost every record store in the city. Editorial lists can be found here, here, and here, and on the Musicboard Berlin website.
 

Music Pool Berlin doesn’t offer any funding programs. Musicians who are registered in Berlin can apply for the funding programs offered by Musicboard Berlin (most ‘popular’ genres, including electronic music) and the Senate Department for Culture and Europe (contemporary music, classical modernity, sound art, and jazz). Musicboard’s funding guide (in German only) compiles further funding possibilities. On a national level, Initiative Musik and Musikfonds are fund projects. For smaller projects like concert series, the project funding programs organised by Berlin’s districts are also worth looking into. Impuls neue Musik funds projects supporting the exchange between musicians based in Germany, Switzerland, and France. Kulturförderpunkt Berlin is the city’s main free consultation service to help with funding applications and identifying suitable funding programs.

Musicboard Berlin has a program funding bands who go on tour as support acts. Berlin-based jazz musicians can apply for a program organised by the Senate Department for Culture and Europe. On a national level, the short tour funding program by Initiative Musik supports trips that include showcase festivals or events in other countries. Artists from the heavy metal and hard rock scene can apply for funding with the Wacken Foundation. Berlin-based actors from the music industry are supported by Berlin Music Commission’s Music Ambassador program to represent the city of Berlin at networking and industry events in Germany and abroad. Artists-in-residency programs for Berlin-based musicians are available via Musicboard Berlin,  the federal government and the Goethe Institute. Berlin’s Senate Department for Culture and Europe also offers travel allowances for work abroad. The information portal On the Move offers free mobility information guides and a newsletter containing current calls for applications.
Questions? Sign up for a free consultation with the touring artists helpdesk.

In general, tip jars go to the artists 100 %. Door split deals usually involve 50 - 70 % of the fees for the artists. If a venue is rented by a promoter (or if an artist acts as the promoter), the promoter also needs to budget for mandatory fees (GEMA and KSA) and other costs (security, insurances, etc.), and deduct value-added tax from the gross ticket sales (if applicable). In this case, artists often receive a guaranteed fee according to their popularity and the venue capacity. After ticket sales cover all costs, the artists can receive a split after break even. Fees for events that receive public funding often depend on the artist’s popularity as well, but also check out the standard guidelines issued by the German Association of Independent Performing Arts (in German only) and the declaration of intent regarding minimum fees issued by the Union of German Jazz Musicians (in German only).

The platform Crowdfunding Berlin contains a list of contacts, networks, and information portals. Our own consultant Petra is a certified crowdfunding expert and can also advise you as part of a free orientation consultation.
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You can search for spaces on the platforms berlinmusiker.de, Proberaum-Auskunft, and the Performing Artists Program Proberaumplattform. Large providers include the ORWOhaus, Noisy Rooms, and the Berliner Rockhaus. Kulturräume Berlin also administers rehearsal spaces for pop and jazz bands and musicians based in Berlin.
Questions? Sign up for a free orientation consultation!

Recording studios are listed at berlin.de, the ZLB library website, and on this map. Die Senate Department for Culture and Europe, in cooperation with derArt gGmbH and the district office Marzahn-Hellersdorf offers publicly funded recording studios.
Questions? Sign up for a free orientation consultation!

The KSK is a Social Security fund for self-employed artists and writers. The KSK is not an insurance provider, but serves as an intermediary between the self-employed person and a public health insurance provider of their choice. Members of the KSK only need to pay half of their contributions to health, pension and long-term care insurance. The other half is subsidized by a Federal Government grant and a fee (“Künstlersozialabgabe”) that “users” of self-employed services have to pay to the KSK. For artists who generate the majority of their income with their self-employed artistic activities, KSK membership is always worth it and can save a lot of money. You can find a quick English-language overview and a list of prerequisites on the KSK’s website, and more information on the touring artists website. Need help with your application? Make an appointment for an orientation consultation.
 

Subsidized health care via the KSK is both financed by a grant from the federal government (20 %) and by a social security contribution paid by users who regularly hire self-employed artists and writers (30 %). This social contribution is called “Künstlersozialabgabe” (KSA). It has to be paid to the KSK whenever a self-employed artist or writer is hired, and constitutes a percentage of their net fee (the percentage changes every year, in 2020 it’s 4.2 %). The contribution also has to be paid if the self-employed person isn’t insured via the KSK, and, since the territory of application is the Federal Republic of Germany, also has to be paid if the artist doesn’t reside in Germany, but still conducts an artistic service (for example, playing a concert) in Germany (see the KSK’s English-language infosheet). KSA also has to paid if a “band leader” distributes fees to self-employed musicians “for hire”. For more information, check out the touring artists website, including the detailed checklist on social security contributions for artists.
Questions? Sign up for a free consultation with ClubConsult.

“Popambulanz,” a project by the SRH Hochschule der populären Künste (hdpk) offers events and consultation hours for Berlin-based musicians (until April 2019). Also check out Help Musicians UK and their Music Minds Matter 24/7 support line and service.

Besides liability insurances or musical instrument insurance, personal insurances like accident and occupational disability insurances are equally important for many musicians. You can find information on the different insurance types and on consultations with specialized independent insurance brokers on the touring artists website. Also consult the American Federation of Musicians’ guide to flying with musical instruments.
Questions? Sign up for a free orientation consultation!

EU citizens can perform in any other EU member state as an employee or as a self-employed person without any prerequisites (freedom of movement). Non EU-citizens need to check if they need a work permit in the country they want to perform in. This also applies to those non-EU citizens who are long-term residents in a EU member state if they want to work in another member state. While the issuance of entry visas is harmonised in the Schengen Area, work permits are still a national issue, regulated by each country individually. Note that the United Kingdom is very strict on this issue: non-EU citizens need a Certificate of Sponsorship (work permit) for all artistic activities, even if they are unpaid. This could also be implemented for EU citizens after the UK has left the EU. For performances outside the EU, thorough research is recommended to determine if an entry visa and a country-specific work permit is needed.
Questions? Sign up for a free consultation with the touring artists helpdesk.

Within the EU, posting with a A1 form is a practical solution for keeping one’s national health insurance coverage when temporarily working in another member state. Posting is only possible if the working stay abroad is limited in time beforehand (such as a scheduled concert performance). As a posted worker, your status (for example, as a self-employed person) and your national health insurance travel “with you” and temporarily overlap and disable the regulations of the country in which you temporarily work. Employees can be posted by their employer, and self-employed people can post themselves. A1 forms are issued free of charge by your health insurance provider (for other countries, here is a country-by-country list of issuing authorities). In some European countries, posting with a A1 form is necessary to avoid having to be treated as an employee and to avoid having national social insurance contributions deducted from performance fees. For shows outside of the EU, you must check if the country you are insured in has signed a social insurance agreement with the country you will perform in. You can find detailed information on the touring artists website and in the Cookbook for Cultural Managers: Social Security in an International Context.
Questions? Sign up for a free consultation with the touring artists helpdesk.

Normally, people only pay income taxes on their worldwide income in their country of residence. However, performing artists (those “on stage”) are subject to a special rule which is valid almost in every country: their performance fees can also be taxed by the country in which the performance takes place. This is called “source taxation” or “withholding taxation” (the German term is “Ausländersteuer,” foreigner’s tax). The legal basis is a so-called double taxation agreement between two countries. In most cases, the concert promoter or organizer abroad has to deduct these source taxes from the negotiated performance fee and pay it to the national tax office. To avoid double taxation in your country of residence, the promoter needs to give you a confirmation letter that the tax was paid. In general, it’s important to talk about this issue during contract and fee negotiations. You can find a checklist for negotiations, further information and a detailed information for promoters in Germany on the touring artists website, a general introduction to the topic is available in the Cookbook for Cultural Managers: Artist Taxation in an International Context. 
Questions? Sign up for a free consultation with the touring artists helpdesk.

There are different rules if the “recipient” of a service (for example, a concert promoter) is a business or a private individual. If the recipient is a business (B2B), the place-of-supply principle applies: according to the reverse charge procedure, the recipient is responsible to pay value-added tax according to the rates of the country where the performance takes place to the tax authority of that country (intra-community services). If the recipient is liable to add value-added tax, she/he can deduct the value-added tax as input tax, so that no tax is actually paid. Both artist and recipient (promoter) need to include their international VAT identification numbers on the invoice. If the recipient is a private individual (B2C, for example in the case of a private party or if the artist directly sells tickets to private individuals for concerts abroad), the place-of-performance principle applies: the artist has to add the respective value-added tax rate of the country where the performance takes place and pay it to the tax authority of that country.
Questions? Sign up for a free consultation with the touring artists helpdesk.

Within the EU customs union, musical instruments and merchandise can generally be transported without any customs formalities. When leaving the EU customs union and importing goods into another customs territory, they might be subject to import duties, for example, when selling merchandise in Switzerland. For a temporary export of goods such as musical instruments that are used on tour, customs formalities can be reduced with a document called Carnet ATA. If you intend to travel with musical instruments that include parts made out of protected or endangered species outside of the EU, you need specific CITES documents. Contact the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation for more information. General information on the topic can be found on the touring artists website and the Pearle guide for musicians and ensembles travelling with musical instruments containing protected species. The International Federation of Musicians published a ranking of airlines regarding their treatment of musical instruments.

Questions? Sign up for a free consultation with the touring artists helpdesk.

Diversity Arts Culture’s mission is to strengthen diversity within Berlin’s cultural sector: provide equal access to art and culture for everyone and dismantle discrimination within the cultural sector. The network Diskriminierungsfreie Szenen für alle (discriminatory-free scenes for all) organises events on the topic. Berlininklusion is a network for accessibility in arts and culture. Advice on the topic of accessibility is also available via Musicboard Berlin, Ramp-Up, and the “Bundesfachstelle Barrierefreiheit” (Checklist for accessible events, in German only). The Zurück zu den Wurzeln Festival is a music festival with a special focus on accessibility. The Berlin State Office for Equal Treatment and the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency provide (legal) counselling free of charge.

musicBwomen is Berlin’s advocacy group for women in the music industry. Workshops for women, trans and non-binary persons are being offered by Spoon, No Shade, Urban Arts Berlin and Éclat. Network organizations include Bang On, Creamcake,female:pressure, DICE, Heroines of Sound, LaDIYfest Berlin, Music Empowerment Mobility Exchange (MEME), Ruby Tuesday Music, Saloon Berlin and Sirens on Stage. Here’s a listing of women, femme & non-binary electronic music DJs in Berlin; Many Many Women s an index of over 1000 female artists in the field of sound art and Improvisation. The cultural centers Südblock (including the event space Aquarium), SO36 and SchwuZ are important venues for the LGBTQI+ music scene. Additional networks include Queer Music Berlin (lesbian/gay/queer music ensembles), the Schwule Museum, the Siegessäule (magazine and event calendar), Transnational Queer Underground(funding and networking of queer artists worldwide) and the Whole - United Queer Festival.

Werkstatt der Kulturen, Global Music Academy, Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), Karneval der Kulturen,  Refugio Sharehouse and YAAM. More concert series, publications and networks:. Achtung:// Hafla, African Beats & Pieces, Aiwa ايوه - Beats, Rhymes & Beyond from the Arab world, Arab Song Jam, Arab underground re:evolution, bi’bak, Black Music Resistance, Creole Global Music Contest, Freak de l’Afrique, global music festival - akkordeon akut!, Klangteppich - Festival für Musik der iranischen Diaspora, Konservatorium für türkische Musik Berlin (BTMK),  Naseer Shamma Oud Haus Berlin, Renk Magazin, salsa-berlin.de, Shtetl Neukölln Festival, Vive l’Afrique, Wassermusik and World Wide Music.

The GSBTB - Open Music School (OMS) is a musical skill-sharing community with a focus on the integration of newcomers into Berlin’s music scene. In 2019, subject to the availability of funds, Berlin’s Senate Department for Culture and Europe will provide funding for “Weltoffenes Berlin” fellowships for a period of up to a year for professionals working in art, media, and culture who have left or intend to leave their countries of origin due to the current political situation there. The Senate Department also supports the project “Information about the Music Job Market in Berlin - Personal Advice and Accompaniment” that makes the network of the Landesmusikrat Berlin (State Music Council) available to musicians who were forced to leave their home countries for political reasons. International Artists Info Berlin, a joint project of touring artists with the Universität der Künste Berlin – Berlin Career College offers individual consultations on international projects as well as on questions on how to achieve a future career in Germany for arriving artists. Artist Training for Professionals is a qualification opportunity offered by the Berlin Career College for the qualification, consulting and networking of artists in exile. General information for both artists and cultural institutions can be found on the touring artist website, including a large section for artists from Turkey, translated into both Turkish and English.

There are multiple companies based in Berlin specialized for touring musicians. For a list, simply conduct an online search, for example “Tourbus mieten (+Berlin)”. Listings and offers can also be found on the platform bands-vans.net and in Facebook groups like this one.

A tech rider lists the technical prerequisites needed for a performance. You can find general tips on the CDBaby and Sonicbids blog,  Platforms like Ridline, Tecrider, and Musicotec can help you generate tech riders and stage plots online.

Check out the Green Touring Guide compiled by students of the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg in collaboration with the Green Music Initiative and kollektif. More initiatives that deal with mobility and sustainability can be found on the touring artists website.

You can find some basic information in the checklist published by VUT (Association of Independent Music Companies) and the information sheet by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) Berlin (both in German only). The Berlin Music Commission can help with the basics of starting a record label in Berlin.
Questions? Sign up for a free consultation with Berlin Music Commission.