All posts by Muriel Royer

IKF 2023 – Review

22–25 January 2023, Freiburg i-Bri. (DE)

IKF 2023 – The thirst post-Corona edition

The chosen title may still seem a bit premature, but at IKF 2023 Corona was indeed hardly an issue. What a relief for the participants of the 35th Freiburg trade fair for stage productions after two cancellations due to the pandemic.

Although, as expected, the IKF had to accept a drop in visitors compared to 2020, numerous agencies and artists did not miss the opportunity to present themselves to the international professional audience at the exhibition stands and on stage from 23 to 25 January 2023.

FONDATION SUISA and Pro Helvetia were also present with the SWISS MUSIC stand, together with and for the Swiss music business. The stand was an attractive and cost-effective platform at the IKF to artists and agencies, in particular the five Swiss live showcases in the field of music: 

On Tuesday afternoon, the fair public also gathered around the two neighbouring stands SWISS MUSIC and Schweizer Künstlerbörse t. Theaterschaffen Schweiz for a 90-minute Swiss stand aperitif. A unique opportunity to network – and not least to discover Swiss wine.

The next IKF will take place from 20 to 22 January 2025 in Fribourg.

L’IKF 2023 in figures:

  • 350 exhibitors from 20 countries
  • 4’200 trade visitors from 27 countries
  • 125 showcases

SWISS MUSIC @ IKF 2023 in pictures:

Best Swiss Video Clip 2023: Online Voting begins

AUDIENCE AWARD – VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE CLIP


The race for the title of best music video is on: FONDATION SUISA, the Solothurn Film Festival and m4music, the pop music festival of the Migros Culture Percentage, are looking for the “Best Swiss Video Clip 2023”. A Jury Award and an Audience Award are up for grabs.

You have until 31 January to vote for your favourite clip from the 16 nominees:

  • Campsite by Anna Erhard, making of: Moris Freiburghaus 
  • Mediane (ou une ode à la médiocrité) by Dalai Puma,
    making of: Ramón Oliveras, Franziska Staubli, Yannik Sandhofer, Nicole Pfister 
  • Decoration by Dino Brandão, making of: Julien Chavaillaz 
  • Rainbow by Elio Ricca, making of: Drobik Siriam, Remo Schmidheiny, Elio Ricca 
  • Detergent Daze by emanuel, making of: Lucas Ackermann 
  • Pistache by Estelle Zamme & J4KIM, making of: Julien Ledermann, Joaquim Perez 
  • Trauma by Gina Eté, making of: Jelena Vujović 
  • Rainbow Machine by Harvey Rushmore & The Octopus, making of: Bianca Caderas 
  • Cadavre exquis by Hyper Duo, making of: Emmanuel Vion-Dury 
  • La La Land by Lakna, making of: Luca Perrin 
  • Deux mouches by My Name Is Fuzzy, making of: Bastien Bron 
  • Gangstaz by Nathalie Froehlich, making of: Nathalie Froehlich, Fredrik Gabrielsson 
  • Blumen by Panda Lux, making of: Kezia Zurbrügg 
  • Synaptic Failure (Aelk Minsur Remix) by Simon Grab, making of: Jonathan Jäggi 
  • Fuck by Soukey x Artbabe, making of: Jonathan Hug 
  • Rucksucre by Toutbleu, making of: Camille de Dieu, Laurent Novac 

VOTE NOW!

The Jury Award and the Audience Award for the «Best Swiss Video Clip»2023, each worth CHF 5,000, are donated by the FONDATION SUISA. The winners of both prizes will be announced in early March. The awards will be presented live at the m4music Award Show on Saturday 25 March 2023.

Demotape Clinic 2023

SOUKEY – Winner 2022, Lyrics & Beats / Demo of the Year


The Migros Culture Percentage and the SUISA FOUNDATION are looking for the new Swiss talent of tomorrow:

The most promising tracks will be awarded in the categories Pop, Rock, Lyrics & Beats, Electro and, for the first time in 2023, in the category Out of Genre. This new category is aimed at artists who push the usual genre boundaries or who are active in the fields of new jazz, avant-garde and experimental music.

A selection of the 60 most convincing demos in the five categories will be presented on 24 and 25 March 2023 at the m4music Festival in Zurich. Music professionals will give direct feedback to the musicians.

FONDATION SUISA Awards worth a total of CHF 20,000 will be presented. In addition, the winners will receive radio airplay, festival showcases, publicity on the Swiss music scene and coaching by “Double”, the Migros Culture Percentage’s mentoring platform.

The deadline for submitting demos has expired.

WOMEX 22 – Review

19–23 October 2023, Lisbon (PT)

WOMEX and the European South – a success story

The Worldwide Music Expo took place in Lisbon from 19 to 23 October 2022. More than 3,000 music professionals from all over the world met at the trade fair in the Altice Arena during the day and at the showcase concerts in the city center in the evening. 

Among them was a 30-strong Swiss delegation, consisting of promoters, agencies, managements, media professionals and artists, who could be found at the SWISS MUSIC joint stand during the four days of the fair. Here they met with their international partners, made new contacts and cultivated existing ones. 

On Thursday afternoon, a joint speed meeting with the Portuguese and Austrian delegations and the stand reception with Swiss wine and cheese specialties gave the Swiss participants the opportunity to come into contact with many international guests at once. Both events were correspondingly well attended.

Even three quarters of a year after the end of the last big Corona wave, the need for physical meetings is unbroken and apparently cannot (yet?) be thwarted by the threat of the next wave. This does not necessarily make the business easier for the music world, but it does make it a whole lot more personal.

For the coming year, WOMEX has found the city of A Coruña in northwestern Spain as the host city.

WOMEX 2022 in numbers:

  • 3’100 professional delegates
  • 113 countries
  • 676 exhibitors at 260 trade faire stands
  • 60 showcases on 8 stages

SWISS MUSIC @ WOMEX 22 in pictures:

Read more about WOMEX 2022 in Lisbon here: