Develop audiences in new markets while understanding visas, permits, rights administration, licensing, taxation, and other legal considerations.

Outcome. Grow an audience in a market you do not live in, and handle the legal and administrative requirements of performing there.

Audience growth in a new market is the same work as at home, compressed. Local press, local radio, a local act on the bill, and something specific to that city that gives people a reason to come.

The administrative side is where independent tours fail. Performing in another country generally requires the right permission to work there, and the requirements differ by country, by length of stay and by whether you are paid. Start the process months ahead, because the deadline that matters is the consulate appointment, not the show date.

Rights and administration abroad is the part that is skipped most often. Sub publishing, neighboring rights where they exist, and local collection societies all need arranging, or you tour a territory and collect nothing from it afterward.

Withholding tax applies to performance income in many countries and is deducted before you are paid. Whether you can reclaim it, and how, depends on the treaty between the territories. Knowing the rate before you agree a fee is the difference between a profitable run and a break even one.

This module gives you the questions and the sequence. It is not legal or tax advice, and for anything binding you should take advice in the territory.

What you will produce

An international requirements checklist per target territory covering permission to work, rights administration, collection and withholding, with dates and owners against each item.