Music Guidelines

GRANTS TIMELINE:

Applications Open: Tuesday, August 22, 2023 at 10:00 AM ET
Applications Close: November 1, 2023 at 11:59 PM ET*
Recipients Notified: March, 2024
Funded Project Completion: March 31, 2025

Apply: Music

*Please note that the application form on Submittable will automatically close and stop accepting applications at this time.

ELIGIBILE PROJECT TYPES:

Eligible Music projects may be one of the following:

• Recording an EP or album: Recordings must be an original, studio-recorded EP, album with a minimum total playing time of 15 minutes with at least three distinct tracks, or an album with a minimum total playing time of 30 minutes with no minimum track requirement.

• Filming and producing a music video: Applicants may apply for funding to create a music video for an original, studio-recorded track.

PROJECT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

• Projects must be made by, for, or about women and woman-identified individuals. Projects are eligible if they include and/or feature any of the following: a prominent woman-identified perspective, a meaningful woman-identified producer credit, a meaningful woman-identified writing credit, and/or a woman-identified protagonist(s).

• Project must be ready for production at time of application and be released by March 31, 2025.

• Completed projects must be distributed either physically and/or digitally, whether by download or streaming.

• The applicant (or, if different, the recipient of funds) must be a current resident of New York City (one of the five boroughs).

• The applicant can be: a producer; composer; solo musician; ensemble, band, or orchestra (not-for-profit or commercial). 

• Musicians, ensembles, bands or orchestras cannot currently be represented by a major label. Independent labels are accepted.

• Artists to be recorded must provide documentation for a minimum of two of the following:

• A growing fan base, as evidenced by screenshots of Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter followers.
• Recent or current performance schedule locally, nationally, or internationally
• Media coverage.
• Awards and honors.
• Previous funding.

• All recipients must complete an Interim Report and Final Report clearly outlining how the NYC Women’s Fund was used to complete the project, along with sharing information on the release of the project and public access plans or outcomes.

• Funds must be used to complete the project outlined in the application form. Funds may be allocated as the applicant needs to complete the project. However, funds cannot be used to purchase capital goods.

• Must follow at least one of two criteria: (i) 75% of rehearsal and recording dates take place in New York City, or (ii) 75% of its production costs are “qualified production costs.”* Funds can be used for any purpose critical to the completion of the project.

*”Qualified production costs” means the production costs only to the extent such costs are incurred directly in New York City and are attributable to the use of tangible property or the performance of services within New York City directly and predominantly in the production.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

The applicant and featured artist must provide:

• A detailed synopsis of the full project.

• Please give a project overview. This can include project inspiration, musical approach, or concepts and themes.

• How does your project prominently feature a woman-identified perspective?

• Provide a statement detailing how your project represents a prominent woman-identified perspective.

• Current state of the project and plans for completion by March 31, 2025.

• The NYC Women’s Fund is a production grant for Music. Please include a narrative or calendar of events/key milestones.

• Support for meeting New York City criteria regarding production.

• Distribution and Marketing plan.

• The means and methods of distribution, quantity of first pressing (if physical copies), project release date, record label (if any).
• Note: No more than 20% of the award funds may be used towards marketing and distribution.
• The project must include a public access component as detailed below.

• Target Audience.

• Please identify your target audience. Are there race/ethnicities, ages, genders, or geographic locations for your audience?
• How you will market the project to your target audience?

• Amount of funding requested, description of anticipated use of funds, and how they will move the project to completion.

• Please include an itemized list to describe the anticipated use of the requested NYC Women’s Fund award amount.
• Note:
  – The final grant amount is determined by the review panel, and considered on a per application basis and in relation to the entire pool of funds available and the group of projects awarded. We do not influence the review panel’s decision for grant fund allocations, except to disallow funding at less than 50% of the requested amount.
  – Purchases of equipment and other physical items are not an eligible spend of the NYC Women’s Fund. Artist or service fees, rentals, and subscriptions for the length of the project only are acceptable

• Complete the budget.

• You may choose to either (1) use the budget template provided via the application directly in Submittable, or (2) upload your own budget.
• The budget must outline proposed totals of artist fees, equipment rentals, marketing, and other project expenses. The budget should also show the total project income.

• Provide documentation of at least two of the following criteria: fan base, and/or performance history, and/or press recognition, and/or honors, and/or previous funding.

• Biography for applicant and key artists involved in the project.

• Upload work samples as detailed below.

WORK SAMPLES:

• Three work samples (of 3-5-minutes each) that are reflective of the work to be recorded.

• If available, a demo of the proposed work (including, but not limited to, a MIDI realization or a performance of the piano reduction).

• Optional: Applicants can submit a score or lyric sheet if desired for the work to be recorded.

PUBLIC ACCESS:

The NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre is a government-funded program. Accordingly, The Artist agrees to provide free public access to the Project to New York City residents. The Artist may fulfill this requirement by providing public access to the Project through a free online platform of their  choice or the Artist website, or in another manner mutually agreeable to MOME and NYFA.

ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT:

Anyone can apply and be awarded a grant regardless of actual or perceived sex, gender, gender identity or gender expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, partnership status, marital status, disability (including use of a service animal), race, color, national origin, alienage, citizenship status, military status, or any other class protected by City, State, or Federal law.

NYFA is committed to supporting artists from every background, and at all stages in their creative careers. We strongly encourage artists of color, LGBTQ+ artists, and artists with disabilities to apply.

Read NYFA’s DEIA statement on our website.

APPLICATION ASSISTANCE:

To request an accommodation or assistance in applying, please email [email protected]. We ask that requests for accommodation be made as soon as possible, preferably two weeks prior to the deadline (by October 11, 2023), to allow adequate time for staff to support you in submitting an application on time.