Musicaction — National marketing – Stream 1 - Promotion

This grant provides financial support for promoting and producing images for the national marketing of sound recordings in Canada, up to two years post-release. Financial aid is delivered in a structured manner to ensure comprehensive funding for various promotional activities.

• Aid is capped at $50,000 per project, disbursed in several distinct phases.
• The applicant may request an increase in aid for additional promotional activities, provided it stays within the maximum limit and timeframe.
• Image production funding offers a maximum of $20,000, with video clip aid limited to $15,000.
• Aid for show performances, premieres, showcases, and tours is capped at $25,000, and funds from the National Marketing Program Stream 2 are considered in this calculation.
• Financial support cannot exceed 50% of accepted costs or actual eligible costs if lower.
• An applicant can access up to $100,000 across several specific programs, including album production and artist career development.
• Initial payment of 75% of the awarded amount is provided upon contract signing, with subsequent disbursements after expense evaluations.
• The final payment is contingent upon reviewing the completion report.
• The total government funding for a project, including this grant, must not exceed 100% of the total project cost.
• Mandatory display of MUSICACTION and CANADA logos on project materials, with associated promotional recognition guidelines.
• Claimed costs must be documented and submitted for verification, with incomplete claims resulting in payment adjustments.
• Original invoices and proof of payments must be retained for five years and be available for audit upon request.

Eligibility for this grant is determined by specific requirements related to the applicant's profile and the scope of the proposed project.

• The applicant must be a Canadian artist or Canadian francophone artist, a record company, or a producer of sound recordings.
• The applicant must own the exploitation rights for the sound recording in Canada.
• The applicant can submit only one project at a time and can have only one ongoing project accepted by Musicaction.
• If the applicant is a company, they must provide all required documents to create or update a master file, including financial statements meeting current standards.
• The applicant and the artist must be Canadian citizens.
• The sound recording must comply with Canadian and francophone content standards and have an agreement with a Canadian physical or digital distribution company.
• The sound recording must have at least six tracks or twenty minutes of musical content.
• Projects with promotional material containing violence, sexual exploitation, or illegal content are not eligible.
• Applicants must not be in default of payment.
• Projects cannot be submitted to both FACTOR and Musicaction; anglophone music projects should be directed to FACTOR.

Who is eligible?

• Self-producing artists
• Canadian Francophonie artists
• Record labels
• Sound recording producers

Who is not eligible

This grant restricts certain companies from applying based on their funding status and project type. These exclusions ensure that funding is directed towards new and strategic promotional initiatives.

• Companies benefiting from a global funding envelope in the "Initiatives individuelles" component.
• Projects submitted simultaneously to both FACTOR and Musicaction, particularly those related to anglophone music.
• Record labels or production companies submitting reissues and compilations, except for re-recordings.
• Projects containing violent, sexually exploitative, obscene, indecent, hateful, defamatory, or otherwise illegal content.

Eligible expenses

Eligible expenses for this grant include costs directly associated with the commercialisation and promotion of a sound recording.

• Production of images, including music videos or other captures, integrated into the promotional strategy (up to $20,000, with a limit of $15,000 specifically for music videos).
• Showcases, opening acts, concerts, and tours (up to $25,000).
• Accommodation expenses during eligible activities, with a maximum reimbursable amount of $150 per night in commercial establishments or $50 per night in private non-commercial accommodations.
• Transport expenses, including airfare (economic class), train and bus tickets (upper class if available), car rental (intermediate class), and private vehicle usage (maximum of $0.55 per kilometer for requests after May 9, 2024, and $0.50 for requests before that date).
• Per diem allowances covering meals, local transport, and incidentals during travel, with a maximum of $100 per day.
• Costs associated with carbon credit compensation for flights.

Eligible geographic areas

This grant is specifically targeted towards Canadian entities involved in the sound recording and music industry. The focus is on supporting Canadian artistic talent in their national marketing efforts.

• Applicants and the artists must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

The evaluation and selection of projects under the Commercialisation Nationale - Volet 1 – Promotion grant require applicants to demonstrate the potential impact and feasibility of their proposed activities.

• The relevance and potential impact of the project in promoting the artist's career development.
• The quality of the commercialization plan and its alignment with professional standards.
• The professional environment surrounding the project, supporting its potential success.
• For non-funded recordings: the demand must include proof of initial commercialization efforts or recent market presence.
• Capacity of the applicant to financially manage and complete the project.

Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

• The grant allows a maximum aid of $50,000 per project, which is usually granted in several distinct phases.
• Marketing and promotional activities must adhere to Canadian content and francophone regulations.
• Debts or defaults in payment disqualify the applicant from receiving the grant.
• Documentation like contracts, promotional activity proofs, and detailed financial statements are required during application and completion of the grant project.
• Grants from this source cannot be combined with funding from FACTOR for the same project.
• Successful applicants must acknowledge Musicaction and the Government of Canada across promotional materials and platforms.