Useful links
On this page, you can find links to other sources of funding, development and support.
- Funding and grants
- Talent Development Partners, Professional Development and other Agencies
- Funding for start ups and creative businesses
- Resources by music genre
- Other useful resources
- Umbrella bodies/Representative bodies
- Information on funding for young people and projects involving young people
Funding and grants
Help Musicians UK’s Funding Wizard – allows potential applicants to find suitable funding schemes
Arts Council of Northern Ireland
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:
MOBO UNSUNG | GIRLS I RATE | TAKE FIVE | THE ORAM AWARDS | NFTS | COMPOSER BURSARIES & GLASTONBURY EMERGING TALENT COMPETITION
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
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.
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