Useful links

On this page, you can find links to other sources of funding, development and support.

Funding and grants

Help Musicians UK’s Funding Wizard – allows potential applicants to find suitable funding schemes

Help Musicians UK Support
Browse HMUK’s Creative Programmes and other support

PRS for Music Members’ Fund
Financial help and advice to PRS members suffering hardship due to illness, accident, disability or conditions associated with old age. Available to those who have been members for more than 7 years.

Horizons/Gorwelion
Support for Wales based emerging artists.

BPI Music Export Growth Fund
Support for independent small-medium music businesses and artists to promote their work internationally.

British Council music funding
Funding the arts internationally.

Jerwood Arts
Grants and other support for organisations and individual artists.

Help Musicians Career Development Bursaries
Bursaries to enable young professional musicians to access exceptional career development opportunities.

Talent Development Partners, Professional Development & Other Agencies

PRS Foundation’s Talent Development Partners
PRS Foundation supports organisations from across the UK which have been selected as PRS Foundation Talent Development Partners. These organisations are working at the frontline of talent development in the UK, supporting a broad range of individual music creators across different music genres and UK regions. This reflects PRS Foundation’s commitment to supporting composers and songwriters of all backgrounds either through direct investment or by helping organisations which nurture music creators and promote their music to audiences at home and overseas.

Please click the above link to see all 45 x UK based organisations whose projects you can often access for your specialist field, genre or region.

PRS Foundation’s Professional Development Partnerships

We also partner with key organisations to offer targetted professional development, including:

Scottish Music Industry Association
Support for the Scottish music industry

Sound Exchange
Music development agency in Essex

Small Green Shoots
Developing creative projects

Funding for new businesses and start-up companies

Business Link
Information for new businesses and start-up companies

The Creative Capital Fund
Seed investment and business support

Creative Industry Finance
Arts Council England initiative offering busines development support and access to finance for creative industry enterprises in England (London, Yorkshire and Humber)

Creative Industry Finance useful links
Useful links to other sources of support for creative businesses

Cultural Industries Development Agency (CIDA)
Support agency for the grassroots creative and cultural industries in London

MeWe360
Funding, mentoring and development for creative businesses

AIM Startup Loans
Delivering loans, mentoring and support for entrepeneurs and startup businesses.

Creative Industry Finance
Delivering loans, mentoring and support for entrepeneurs and startup businesses. Relaunching later in 2014.

Resources by genre

Classical

Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland
Information for Irish composers

Making Music
Information on commissioning

Sound and Music
Opportunities for emerging composers

Urban

Bigga Fish
A performance platform for young music creators and music industry training for young people 14-25

Red Bull Music Academy
Opportunities for musicians aged 18+. Workshops covering music history, technology, skills, and business, and performance opportunities.

Electronic

Association for Electronic Music
Representing those working in and creating electronic music

Folk

English Folk Dance and Song Society
The national folk arts development agency for England

Folk works
Developing opportunities for engaging with folk in the North East

Jazz

Jazz Services
Funding programmes for jazz artists

Serious
Support of the jazz sector through producing and training

Tomorrow’s Warriors
Developing the next generation of jazz artists

World

WOMEX
A platform for the world music industry

WOMAD
Festival bringing together music from across the world

Other useful resources

Association of Charitable Foundations
Advice for individuals and organisations seeking funding from UK trusts

Attitude is Everything
Improving deaf and disabled peoples’ access to live music

Directory of Social Change
Search for Trust and Foundations funding

The Featured Artists Coalition
Campaigning for the protection of UK performers’ and musicians’ rights

Ideas Tap Fund
Funding for creative projects

Ideas Tap Creative Spa
Creative and professional development

Incorporated Society of Musicians
The UK’s professional body for musicians.

Musicians’ Union
The MU can provide information on appropriate fees for musicians and composers in the UK

Music Tank
Resources, training and events for the music industry

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations
Information on funding available from Trusts and Foundations in Scotland.

Sound and Music
Useful links and information on fundraising

Sound and Music
‘Artists’ Toolkit’

The Wales Council for Voluntary Action
Information on funding available from Trusts and Foundations in Wales.

Umbrella bodies/Representative bodies

Association of Independent Music (AIM)
A trade body for the independent music industry

The Ivors Academy for Music Creators (formerly BASCA)
Information on professional development, awards and opportunities

The Musician’s Union (the MU)
Representing over 30,000 musicians in the UK

Music Managers Forum (MMF)
The largest representative body of music managers in the world and training

Music Producers Guild (MPG)
Representing and supporting producers and engineers who are passionate about all aspects of making and recording music.

PPL
PPL licenses recorded music played in public or broadcast and then distributes the licence fees to its performer and rights holder members

PRS for Music
Collecting and distributing the royalties generated from the performance and use of music of over 95,000 members

UK Music
The umbrella body representing the interests of the UK’s commercial music industry

Information on funding for young people and projects involving young people

Awards for Young Musicians
Supporting young people through funding for instruments, tuition and opportunities

B Sharp
Resources to help plan and deliver music sessions for Early Years (0-5 years old) and young children

Capital Xtra’s Music Potential Program
Training and opportunities for young people wishing to work in the Music Industry

Diversity in Visual Arts Training (DiVA)
Apprenticeship provider focusing on creative opportunities for young people

EMI Music Sound Foundation
Supporting young peoples’ access to music education

The Mayor of London’s Fund for Young Musicians
Scholarships and Partnerships funding for young Londoners

Music For Youth instruments for young people
Providing access to audience and performance opportunities for young people

Musicians’ Benevolent Fund
Assisting young aspiring musicians

Roundhouse
Cultural venue, facilities and opportunities for musicians 11-25

The Sampling Foundation
Bringing together young emerging vocalists and pianists with professionals for masterclasses, performances and academy opportunites.

Sound Connections
Developing music opportunities for young people

The Soundhive
Development organisation for young musicians

Streetvibes Youth
Youth and urban arts development organisation

Take it Away
Interest free loans for the purchase of music instruments for young people

Youth Music
Support for young people centred music projects

Youth Music Initiative
Creating opportunities and developing music sector for young people in Scotland