For more than a decade, MusicSA’s Scouted program has helped South Australia’s emerging musicians get their talents out there. Now, the organisation is taking things a step further with the launch of The Scouted Sessions, a new initiative designed to help local artists build lasting careers.
Replacing the long-running showcase format, The Scouted Sessions will support up to 10 emerging South Australian acts each year through an intensive three-month development program focused on industry connections, mentoring and business planning.
The program begins at Indie-Con Australia 2026, where selected artists will attend alongside MusicSA and be introduced to interstate and international music industry delegates carefully matched to their career ambitions.
From there, participants will receive tailored one-on-one mentoring from industry experts, alongside workshops covering everything from stagecraft and marketing to touring, artist management, deal-making and export readiness.
The program will conclude with each artist leaving with a personalised strategic business plan, mapping out the next one to three years of their career with clear, practical goals.
MusicSA says the initiative has been created to offer a more meaningful pathway for artists looking to build sustainable careers, while also opening doors to future opportunities including BIGSOUND and international export programs.
“Scouted has given South Australian artists an incredible moment on stage for over a decade, and we’re enormously proud of what it achieved,” shared MusicSA CEO Christine Schloithe. “The Scouted Sessions takes this to the next level. Scouted Sessions isn’t a showcase, it’s sustained investment in artists, their goals and their next steps in a way that creates real career trajectory.”
The program will see an independent industry panel select participating artists, making sure they receive guidance and connections tailored to their genre, goals and stage of development.
Rather than focusing on a single performance opportunity, The Scouted Sessions aims to give musicians the skills, networks and strategic planning needed to navigate the modern music industry and create long-term, sustainable careers.
“Supported by the Government of South Australia’s Music Development Office, The Scouted Sessions continues MusicSA’s commitment to building sustainable careers for the state’s next generation of talent, further cementing Adelaide’s reputation as Australia’s only UNESCO City of Music.”
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