CFAs: Demo Recording Program (Canada)

The program is meant to support music and musicians working and living in Vancouver by addressing gaps and opportunities in Vancouver’s music ecosystem and embracing Vancouver’s vibrant and diverse music communities.

Priorities

• Reduce barriers to music creation for new and emerging artists launching careers in music
• Support systemically excluded artists and producers in gaining opportunities in the music industry
• Engage in skills development, building professional capacity for new and emerging artists
• Invest in producers to mentor and develop new talent
• Create new business opportunities for producers and recording studios

Funding Information

• Demo Recording Budget: $200,000 supporting 50 projects from Vancouver and 50 projects from the Province of BC.
• Grant amount: $2,000

Eligible Activities

• This program supports mentorship and the creation of 1-2 demo recordings for B.C. based artists with a local B.C. based producer.
• In this program, demos are recordings created to develop and workshop musical ideas that demonstrate the potential of a song, or the capabilities of a musical artist.
• Demos may be used for limited circulation in preparation for a full recording or may be used for commercial release to the public.
• Recording environments can include commercial studios, home studios, and mobile studios within B.C.
• Eligible recording activities include:
  • Demo recordings of original songs or compositions
  • Arrangements or interpretations of existing works for classical, jazz, opera, and other genres where this is common practice.

Ineligible Activities

• Ineligible activities include:
  • EPs, album projects, or remixes
  • Projects where the artist is also applying as the sole producer
  • Project activities that take place outside of B.C.
  • Standalone mixing or mastering projects
  • Projects without a mentorship component, and
  • Any work that contains elements of serious or gratuitous violence, sexual violence or exploitation, obscene, indecent or pornographic content within the meaning of the Criminal Code, or elements which are libelous or in any other way unlawful.

Eligibility Criteria

• This program supports new and emerging artists of all ages with a commitment to music creation and clear, achievable goals, who stand to benefit from working with an experienced producer.
• This program supports new and emerging artists from systemically excluded groups in B.C.’s music industry, who face barriers to participation and have been underrepresented and underserved by funding programs. This program supports the following groups:
  • Indigenous Peoples: First Nations (Status/Non-status), Métis, or Inuit
  • Black (or Afro-Canadian, including Black Caribbean, Black African and others from the African Diaspora)
  • People of Colour (this may include Arab, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Latin American, South Asian, Southeast Asian, West Asian, and people of mixed ancestry)
  • People living with one or more Disabilities (including those who live with chronic illness or are neurodivergent)
  • People who are Deaf/deaf or hard of hearing
  • 2SLGBTQIA+ people: Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, non-binary and gender diverse.

For more information, visit Creative BC.