Toronto Arts Council’s Music Creation & Audio Recording Program – Canada

This program will support new work in any/all genres of music. Music Videos, Professional Development and Touring/Travel expenses, and expenses incurred outside the City of Toronto are not eligible for funding.

Categories

• Creation (maximum grant $5,000)
  • For artists looking for funding to support the writing/composition phase of new work. Grants awarded in this category can assist with creating and composing original music, and other project costs (e.g., the cost of copying and preparing performing parts, etc.). Recording costs are eligible only if they are directly related to the writing process.
• Recording – Demo/EP (maximum grant $4,000) paying yourself (and additional contributors, as applicable) artist fees
  • For artists looking for support to create a short-form recording in a home-based or professional facility, provided that it is not your own. A short-form recording is any recording that is considered substantially shorter in length compared to the standard in your artistic community, and is often for the purpose of demonstrating newly developed work for others in the music community (labels, funders, presenters, promoters and/or festivals) or for limited/online release direct to your audience.
  • Grants for Demo/EP recordings can assist with artistic costs, production costs, mixing, editing, and mastering by professionals. You may pay yourself (and additional contributors, as applicable) artist fees to complete the project. You cannot expense studio fees if you are using your own studio. Packaging, design, and manufacturing costs (maximum 500 units) are eligible, only if the work is completed in professional facilities. You may also include web design and online media management costs to a maximum $500 if they are associated with the proposed recording project.
• Recording – Full-Length (maximum grant $10,000)
  • For artists looking to undertake the production of a full-length audio recording in one or more professional facilities that regularly charge a fee to a variety of artists to record and produce work. The applicant must be the originator/composer of the majority of the material for the recording. Grants for full-length audio recording can assist with producer costs and artist costs (yourself and additional contributors).
  • This category also supports costs associated with recording, mixing, editing, mastering, packaging, design, and manufacturing costs (maximum 1,000 units), provided the work is completed in professional facilities. You may also include web design and online media management costs to a maximum $1000 if they are associated with the proposed recording project.

Tac Accessibility Grant

• Projects involving Deaf artists and artists with disabilities may apply for an additional TAC grant by completing the Accessibility Expenses section of the application and including the requisite information in their budget. A TAC Accessibility grant will provide up to a maximum of $5,000 towards accessibility costs for artists incurred during the project.
• Accessibility costs include but are not limited to: ASL interpretation, audio description, closed captioning, communications assistants, attendant care (including helpers for Elders), support workers and equipment rentals or other supports required to meet artists’ accessibility needs).

Duration: All projects must be completed within two years of the date that the Notification Letter was issued.

Who can apply?

• You must be a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident (Landed Immigrant) or have an application pending for Permanent Resident status and, if requested, be able to provide verification documentation. (Grant recipients must have a Social Insurance Number.)
• You must be a current resident of the City of Toronto who has lived in the City for at least one year prior to making this application Note: A Post Office Box address cannot be used to meet the residency requirement.
• You must be a professional artist who has maintained an independent practice for at least one year. TAC defines a professional artist as someone who has developed their skills through training and/or practice; is recognized as such by artists working in the same artistic tradition; actively practices their art; seeks payment for their work; and has a history of public presentation.
• Undergraduate students are not eligible to apply. Professional artists who are pursuing graduate studies may not apply for work related to their degree.
• Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.
• TAC recognizes that due to systemic barriers within the broader arts community (e.g. limited mainstream presentation opportunities for artists from equity-seeking communities) that some flexibility may be required in interpreting eligibility criteria to take into account equivalent professional experience and contexts. Potential applicants from equity-seeking communities are encouraged to discuss their eligibility with the program officer in advance of submitting an application.
• Collaborative proposals (involving a co-applicant) are eligible. For these proposals, one of the applicants must identify a principal applicant. Co-applicants are subject to the same eligibility criteria as single, individual applicant.

Ineligible

• Projects where the applicant is not the originator of the music
• Expenses Incurred outside the City of Toronto are not Eligible for funding
• Compilations
• Projects where the artist or group of artists is not in a decision-making position regarding all phases of the project
• Spoken word, narration, poetry or libretto projects
• Activities that are completed before the results of this competition are announced
• Artist/production fees claimed by applicants
• Expenses beyond the manufacturing costs of the first 500 units (demo/EP recording)/1000 units (full-length recording), such as rehearsal, second print-runs, promotion or marketing expenses
• Expenses related to web design and online media management beyond $500 (demo/EP recording)/$1000 (full-length recording)
• Projects seeking funding solely for manufacturing, online media management, and web design costs
• Projects in the name of record companies/labels, mangers, agents, lawyers
• Activities that take place outside the City of Toronto
• Purchase of equipment, computer software instruments, etc.
• Travel and touring
• Professional development, training or study
• Fundraising or benefit activities.

For more information, visit Toronto Arts Council.