mica – music austria is the professional partner for musicians in Austria.
mica – music austria was founded in 1994 as an independent, non-profit association, on the initiative of the Republic of Austria.
Mission Statement
We love music and are the professional partners of Austrian talents.
We are dedicated to strengthening their global visibility and recognition.
As experts, we research and inform about Austrian music and its international environment.
We take the time to listen to music and to listen to our clients.
We commit ourselves to their needs.
Goals of the association
- providing information on the Austrian music scene as well as researching in the field of contemporary music
- supporting Austrian based contemporary musicians with advice and information
- promoting local music at home and abroad
- improving the conditions for music productions in Austria
mica – music austria has national and international networks and is a member of EMEE (European Music Exporters Exchange), IAMIC (International Association of Music Information Centres), IAML (International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres) and IMC/EMC (International/European Music Council) and EJN (Europe Jazz Network).
All services of mica – music austria are free of charge for local musicians.
Putting theory into practice
All questions on Austrian music are answered by phone, email or in person at the mica – music austria service centre in the Stiftgasse 29 in Vienna’s 7th District. No matter if it is an enquiry about Mozart’s residence, about a children’s choir for someone’s grandchild, or about an insider info where a sold-out record from a popular Austrian New Wave band can still be found – any question on music will be answered in the Austrian Music Information Centre, either immediately, or it is forwarded to those competent and responsible for that specific issue.
mica – music austria dedicates itself with a special commitment to “helping musicians help themselves”. Nobody knows better than the mica-employees that talent alone is not enough, and on the path to success there are a few hurdles in the way, and many a pitfall, such as an adhesion contract with a management that can massively prevent a career.
Experts with years of experience advise the musicians on all issues that may come up during a musician’s life. This starts with the search for a suitable record company, continues with questions that are raised relating to the social security or promotional opportunities, and become very important for legal issues such as contract negotiations. A popular free service is the legal advice with a specialized attorney.
The mica – music austria website includes easy accessible information on counselling topics such as founding a label, live performances, record production, self-promotion, and also many external information links about music. Extensive practical knowledge is mediated in a concentrated and compact version in the form of workshops. Workshops on topics such as marketing, copyright, funding opportunities, etc. are so sought-after that sessions often have to be split up in several dates to accommodate demand.
In Austria, there are many outstanding talents and there is excellent music from various genres. Whether pop, rock, jazz, electronic, hip hop, world music, new music or other – the Austrian composers have not died out with Mozart, currently there are over 15,000 composers from all genres. Yet the Austrian market is often too small to turn a hobby into a profession. Therefore, another important function of mica – music austria is the Austrian Music Export. Joining forces in this task with the Austrian Music Fund, this venture is enhanced by the international networking activities of mica – music austria and the excellent contacts of the mica team.
Fans and professionals alike appreciate the extensive coverage in the mica music news about the local music scene. The German-language music magazine is one of the most popular features of the mica – music austria website and is the most widely read music information site in Austria. Here emerging talents are repeatedly first presented, such as Soap & Skin, or the Jazz Werkstatt Wien.
The music database is worth a journey of discovery, especially for musicians who are looking for exciting new works. The database is the most important international source of comprehensive information on Austrian-based composers, performers and ensembles, with over 42,000 compositions in the directory.
The recently launched online sheet music shop offers over 1,000 scores available for purchase and download as PDF-files in the online shop. Scores of works by contemporary Austrian composers are often difficult to find and this is where the online sheet music shop comes in. The shop’s success is evident in the ever-growing number of scores.
mica – music austria contributes with the lecture and discussion series “mica focus” to the discussion culture, and also ensures that problems in the field of music will not be ignored or swept under the carpet.