Promotional assistance for music and entertainment companies

Who is eligible?

• Legally constituted companies (corporations or cooperatives) producing and commercializing music or entertainment content
• Companies active in the Quebec music or entertainment show sector
• Artist-entrepreneurs in music who act as producers of their own works
• Specialized companies, including those controlled by members of ethnocultural communities, Indigenous Peoples, or operating in niche markets with limited commercial reach

Who is not eligible

• Sole proprietorships (individual businesses).
• Companies already supported under the program for music management and music publishing assistance.

Eligible expenses

• Costs related to commercialization, promotion, press relations, advertising, and discoverability on the Quebec market and digital platforms (e.g., creation of promotional content such as photos, graphics, press releases, videos, teasers, website creation/hosting/updates).
• Expenses for commercialization efforts including radio and platform tracking.
• Marketing costs (advertising, display, media placements, social media campaigns, online content publishing, promotional tours, digital discoverability such as web page indexing optimization and metadata structuring).
• Materials for artist branding (e.g., branded merchandise).
• Expenditures related to placement activities for Quebec works (e.g., synchronization activities).
• Costs for launch activities (other than show launches).
• Subscription fees for industry/music data analytics applications.
• Salaries and benefits tied to commercialization, marketing, and promotional activities (e.g., publicists, graphic designers, social media/content managers, marketing strategists, communications directors, metadata specialists).
• Professional fees and external costs associated with commercialization, marketing, and promotional efforts (similar roles and functions as above).
• Direct expenses related to sound recordings from pre-production to manufacturing, if applicable.
• Production costs for original sound or audiovisual content that is commercialized and intended for the public (e.g., music or comedy performance podcasts, original web productions).
• Administrative expenses for management and strategic support of Quebec music or comedy artists, including salaries/honoraria, audio demo production costs, professional event registration fees, management representation expenses, and internal costs for music publishing rights management.

Eligible geographic areas

• Quebec

• All applications must be submitted through the secure SOD@ccès portal using the program number 30-58-00.
• Only complete and compliant applications will be reviewed; incomplete submissions at the deadline are deemed ineligible and must be resubmitted.
• 100% of the grant is paid upon the signing of the financial assistance agreement, subject to appropriations and approvals by the National Assembly.
• SODEC reserves the right to request any financial statements it deems relevant, including consolidated statements for groups of related companies.