About

The European Talent Exchange Program is an initiative of the Noorderslag Foundation to stimulate the circulation of European repertoire on festivals, radio and media in Europe.

As the exchange and support of new European music in Europe is one of the main goals of Eurosonic Noorderslag, the special European Talent Exchange Program (ETEP) was introduced in 2003. Each year ETEP brings together the leading European festivals, radio and other media and stimulates them to ‘exchange’ a selection of artists. Since the start of the ETEP program in 2003 a total of 1359 shows by 495 European artists were presented at the 60 ETEP festivals (2003 – 2011).

This work programme has been funded with support from the European Commission.

Following Eurosonic Noorderslag, which is broadcasted by several EBU radio stations, the ETEP festivals select artists from a foreign country guaranteeing confirmed slots at their festival. Radio stations lend support for the selected acts. Written media support the acts in national press. Both radio and print media offer national exposure to these selected groups. Organizations like Network Europe support where possible. In this way the selected talented European artists are guaranteed a spot at one or more major summer festivals attracting thousands of music lovers and with the support of radio and (print) media, managers, promoters and agents resulting in an audience numbering in the millions. This guarantees maximum exposure and offers a perfect opportunity for management and the recording industry to establish and promote their artists throughout Europe. This project creates a unique cooperative working relationship between professionals in the European music business with European talent rather than US talent. It boosts the circulation of European talent both nationally and internationally, which is usually very difficult. In this way ETEP creates opportunities and builds careers for European artists in Europe. By doing this in a consistent manner, ETEP is able to create real networks and stimulate a solid flow of European talent across the continent. ETEP is simple, cost effective, has a proven track record and is of major importance in creating an expanding European music industry.

The reason for the implementation of this program is due to the great difficulties that European pop music experiences in trans-European promotion and distribution. Historically, Anglo American repertoire has been the focus of professional distribution and promotion in Europe. One of ETEP’s goals is to stimulate contacts on the cultural, business and media level between European professionals in the European music field. ETEP was initiated in order to develop a solid network among the involved parties to promote, support, motivate and encourage the free flow of creative European talent across the continent. EBU members have a strong input in the programming of Eurosonic Noorderslag since they promote their best national talent at the festival. EBU members record and broadcast many of the festival shows. This strong alliance involving the most influential parties in European music provides a network of associates who are able to reach an audience of millions, thereby guaranteeing the continuing expansion of European music. The European Talent Exchange Program (ETEP) is therefore the logical step in creating a European platform to facilitate the growth of a pan-European repertoire.

The main objective of the ETEP project is to facilitate the circulation of repertoires, artists and productions in Europe and have the European music industry and media working together to promote acts and repertoire. The project guarantees maximum exposure and offers a perfect opportunity for management and the recording industry to establish and promote their artists throughout Europe. This project creates a unique cooperative working relationship between professionals in the European music business with European talent rather than US talent. It boosts the circulation of European talent both nationally and internationally, which is usually very difficult. In this way ETEP creates opportunities and builds careers for European artists in Europe. By doing this in a consistent manner ETEP is able to create real networks and stimulate a solid flow of European talent across the continent.

There are four specific objectives:

• To have as many as possible European acts to be programmed at as many European summer festivals as possible;
• To promote these acts not only on festivals but in parallel through media coverage;
• To stimulate the music industry and media to work on European repertoire;
• To boost European careers for European artists.

ETEP 2.0. is the new version of ETEP (European Talent Exchange Program) with eight new festivals from Central Eastern Europe (CEE) joining ETEP in 2012. 

Thanks to the recent grant from the European Commission ETEP 2.0 will grow from 60 participating festivals in 2011 to 100 in 2015. 

CEETEP (Central Eastern European Talent Exchange Program) is an ETEP sub-program together with in total 13 CEETEP festivals in the CEE region and selected CEE media partners, Eurosonic Noorderslag and co-organisers Sziget and Exit Festival developed a scheme for the circulation of CEE artists and repertoire in Central and Eastern Europe at the festivals and in the media.

By working together, the CEETEP Festivals and their media partners will help more CEE artists perform across borders within Central Eastern Europe and via shows at Eurosonic Noorderslag in the Netherlands throughout the whole of Europe and beyond.

CEETEP Festivals: the following 13 festivals agreed to work together on this project: Coke Live Music Festival – Poland, Podoha – Slovakia, Rock For People – Czechia, Taksirat – R. Macedonia, T-Mobile Inmusic Festival – Croatia, Woodstock Festival – Poland, B’estfest – Romania, Exit Festival – Serbia, Wilsonic Festival – Slovakia, Sziget – Hungary, Heineken Open’er Festival – Poland, Positivus Festival – Latvia, Spirit Of Burgas – Bulgaria.

CEETEP Media: the following media partners of the 13 CEETEP festivals joined the program: MR2-Petőfi Radio – Hungary, KOMMPOT Communication – Hungary, Neston – Hungary, First Macedonian net portal – Macedonia, Radio 103 – Macedonia, Antyradio – Poland, Czech Radio - Radio Wave – Czech Republic, Radio 101 – Latvia, Metropotam portal – Romania, Radio Belgrade 1 – Serbia, Darik Radio – Bulgaria, 24 hours news paper – Bulgaria, Croatian Radio – Croatia.

The festivals of each country can suggest 5 to 6 artists from their country. These artists are put together in a pool. During the following festival season, CEETEP festivals will book artists from this pool, which are not from their own country, for a show on their festival. If a festival books a CEETEP act from the pool, they receive a support to promotional costs. The CEETEP results are presented on Exit or Sziget during the summer. The CEETEP artists who play the most CEETEP shows will get to play Eurosonic in the following year.