Application deadline: September 2, 2025
For questions about this program, contact Christy DiFelice, Program Manager, Music.
Toronto Arts Council’s Music Creation & Audio Recording program offers grants to practicing professional artists to assist them in the writing and production of their original music. This program will support new work in any/all genres of music. Professional Development and Touring/Travel expenses are not eligible for funding.
Artists may apply to one of three categories for funding:
(1) 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 paying yourself (and additional contributors, as applicable) artist fees to create and compose 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.
(2) Recording - Demo/EP (maximum grant $4,000)
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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 other than yourself; you cannot pay yourself fees of any kind. 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. Projects seeking funding solely for manufacturing, online media management, and web design costs are not eligible for funding. Do not include any fees related to you in the project budget. Grants awarded in this category do not fund costs associated with the writing/composition of new work.
(3) 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 of the majority of the material for the recording. Grants for full-length audio recording can assist with producer costs (if not self-produced), guest artist costs, and 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 $1,000 if they are associated with the proposed recording project. Projects seeking funding solely for manufacturing, online media management, and web design costs are not eligible for funding. A small portion of the work may be completed in home-based facilities, but these costs are not eligible for support in this category. You cannot pay yourself artist fees. Do not include any fees related to the applicant in the project budget. Grants awarded in this category do not fund costs associated with the writing/composition of new work.
GENERAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
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Applicants must be Canadian Citizens, or Permanent Residents (Landed Immigrants), or have an application pending for Permanent Resident status, or be a Protected Person (approved refugee claimant) and, if requested, be able to provide documentation to verify this.
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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.
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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 completed her/his basic training (not necessarily at a formal educational institution). Undergraduate students are not eligible to apply. Professional artists who are pursuing graduate studies may not apply for work related to their degree.
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).
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