Grants for Specialized Music Sound Recording
Deadline
1 October 2009
Please note that this was the last deadline for this program. Refer to our Notice for more information.
Program Description
The Canada Council for the Arts administers this program on behalf of the Department of Canadian Heritage. Funds for this program are provided by the Canadian Musical Diversity Program of the Canada Music Fund.
This program supports the recording of Canadian “specialized music” by Canadian artists, ensembles, bands, record companies and independent producers. Its purpose is to ensure that a diversity of artistically driven Canadian music is produced and is available to the public.
Not all forms of music are eligible for support from this program. For details, please see Eligible Genres of Music and Ineligible Genres of Music and Ineligible Projects in the section on Eligibility (below).
Eligibility
“Specialized music” is defined as music whose intent or content is not shaped by the desire for wide market appeal—instead, it places creativity, self-expression or experimentation above the demands and format expectations of the mainstream recording industry. Specialized music has significance beyond being just entertainment, and it is usually found in the parallel market and alternative distribution systems.
Specialized music is primarily artistic in intent. It is understood that the definition of specialized music is changeable, depending on current public tastes and the resulting market share of various musical genres. Therefore, forms of music eligible for support through this program may change over time.
Eligible Genres of Music
Eligible practices include, but are not limited to:
- contemporary Canadian composition or songwriting in classical music of any world culture, new music (as defined in the Music Section’s New Music Program), jazz and musique actuelle, electroacoustic, folk, world music, and Canadian Aboriginal music
- original interpretations of traditional music, where the applicant is significantly interpreting or arranging existing works
- fusion of specialized music and spoken word, where the music is as or more important than the text.
It may be difficult to determine if a particular music is eligible for this program. The Music Section will decide based on the definition of specialized music, the intent of the project, the career history and objectives of the applicant, and the genres of music currently eligible for the program. If you would like help deciding if your project is eligible, please contact the responsible Music Section officer well before the program deadline. Please be prepared to submit samples of your work.
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants are Canadian music professionals who are:
- individual music artists (or their designated agents or representatives)
- ensembles, groups and bands (or their designated agents or representatives)
- independent record producers
- record companies that are at least 51 percent Canadian owned.
Individual applicants must have completed their basic training and be recognized as professional artists by other artists working in the same artistic tradition. They should also have demonstrated commitment to the development of their craft and career through ongoing career activity, and have a history of public presentation of at least three years. Basic training may include training provided by a post-secondary academic institution, and may also include mentorships, private instruction, workshops, and periods of self-study.
Ensembles, groups and bands must be made up of professional artists.
Managers or agents applying on behalf of an artist or ensemble, group or band must provide evidence of authorization to submit the application, such as a letter of agreement or management contract. Leaders of ensembles, groups or bands are not required to submit evidence of authorization.
Record companies applying on behalf of artists must submit copies of articles of incorporation as well as letters of agreement or contracts with the artist they plan to record. The letters or contracts must indicate royalty arrangements and contractual details.
This Canada Council for the Arts program is accessible to Aboriginal artists and artists of diverse cultural and regional communities of Canada.
Individual artists and ensembles may submit only one application under their own name to this program per fiscal year (1 April to 31 March). Record companies and independent producers may submit more than one application per year, but they may apply on behalf a particular artist only once per year. Please note that applications by record companies or producers on behalf of artists or ensembles that have already applied in a given fiscal year will be disqualified.
Ineligible Applicants
Non-Canadian artists or entities may not benefit directly from this program. Projects including non-Canadian artists may be eligible for this program if the majority of artists in the project are Canadian and a Canadian artist provides the artistic leadership. However, costs related to the participation of non-Canadians are not eligible expenses and should be reported separately from the budget, on a separate sheet of paper.
Non-Canadian record producers, manager or labels may not submit applications to this program.
Eligible Recording Projects
This program will fund the production of a compact disc or DVD (audio elements only) by an eligible applicant.
Applications for funding of recording projects that are already partially completed may not include the costs that have occurred before the grant deadline.
At least 50 percent of the running time of the proposed recording project must be Canadian-composed music or Canadian interpretations of traditional music.
All elements of the project, from recording to manufacturing to launch, must take place in Canada. If the album is released through a label, the label must be at least 51 percent Canadian-owned.
Ineligible Genres of Music and Ineligible Projects
Music that is created to meet current market expectations and for which an established music industry infrastructure exists are ineligible for support through this program. Ineligible music currently includes such genres as:
- pop, rock, heavy metal, country, adult contemporary and new age
- urban music, including rap, r & b, soul, new soul, hip hop, garage, soca and reggae
- electronica, including house, techno, down tempo, commercial dance, drum and bass, electro, jungle, ambient and trance
- commercial forms of folk, jazz, world music, Aboriginal music, children’s music, classical music and gospel.
The above list is broadly descriptive; it does not name all genres and sub-genres that are ineligible for this program. When considering your eligibility, consider whether your music, your practice and intent, and your desired audience are generally consistent with the definitions or genres listed above.
The Music Section reserves the right to determine the eligibility of each applicant based on the audio sample submitted.
Musicians working in forms of music that are ineligible for support from this program should explore the possibility of support from other programs of the Canada Music Fund, administered by FACTOR (the Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Records) and Musicaction.
Recordings created as fundraising projects are not eligible for support from this program.
The establishment of music-related businesses, such as labels, distributors or studios, is not eligible for support through this program, nor is the acquisition of music-related equipment.
Grant Amount
This program may cover up to 60 percent of the eligible costs listed below, to a maximum of $20,000.
Eligible Costs
This program funds the following types of costs:
- recording costs, including studio expenses and artistic fees for the principal performers, producer and guest artists
- production costs, including editing, mixing and mastering
- post-production costs, including package design, liner notes and artwork
- manufacture of 1,000 units
- some initial marketing expenses.
For projects involving large ensembles, a higher maximum grant may be approved. Before applying for an amount that exceeds the program maximum, you must contact the responsible Music Section officer for approval. In all cases, grant recipients may receive full or partial funding.
Projects must begin after the deadline date. Retroactive funding is not available. All expenses that occur before the deadline date are ineligible for support. Applicants who begin their project before receiving the results of their grant application undertake the risk of completing the project at their own expense.
Further Information
Gerri Trimble
Music Section Officer
Canada Council for the Arts
350 Albert Street, P.O. Box 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
Telephone: 1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or 613-566-4414, ext. 4103
TTY (TDD) machine, for hearing impaired callers: 613-565-5194
Fax: 613-566-4409
January 2009