Funding Opportunities for Artists and Music Businesses
Building a career in music takes time, resources, and support. Grants can help artists and music businesses offset the costs of recording, touring, professional development, and growing their work—making it easier to access opportunities and take the next step.
In the Northwest Territories, funding is available through the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) which support both creative and business development activities. At Music NWT, we also offer our own Travel Grant, providing direct support to NWT-based artists and music companies to attend showcases, tours, and key industry opportunities outside the territory.
At the national level, organizations like FACTOR support the commercial music industry through funding for recording, touring, and business development, while the Canada Council for the Arts focuses on artistic creation, research, and professional growth. Additional regional programs, such as Creative BC, support recording, export development, and market expansion.
Together, these programs support a wide range of activities—from creating new work to building sustainable careers in music.
Explore funding programs
Music nwt travel grant
The Music NWT Travel Grant provides travel assistance to NWT-based music companies, artists and individuals to support the growth and professional development of their careers. This program supports activities in markets through both domestic and international showcases and tours, targeted and confirmed business meetings and collaborative songwriting trips.
Government of the northwest territories
Arts Project Grant – Small: Supports NWT artists and craftspeople with up to $5,000 for short-term projects such as creating new work, recording, or professional development. Great for emerging artists ready to take the next step in their practice.
Arts Project Grant – Medium: Provides up to $10,000 to support larger or more developed creative projects, including production, presentation, and marketing activities. Ideal for established artists expanding their professional reach.
Arts Project Grant - Large: Provides $15,000 to $100,000 in funding for NWT arts organizations to carry out large-scale arts activities, including creation, production, presentation, and promotion of major artistic work.
Artist Travel and Tour Fund:Supports NWT artists with costs associated with travel for touring, performances, showcases, and conferences. Individual artists can apply for up to $4,000 per year, and groups can apply for up to $8,000 per year, helping artists connect their work to audiences and industry opportunities outside their home community.
Arts Business Support Fund:Provides up to $10,000 for the start-up or growth of arts-related business activities in the NWT. This funding is for professional artists, individual entrepreneurs, or small businesses that provide (or want to provide) arts-related services or products.
Arts Operating Fund: Provides financial and developmental support to arts organizations that operate year-round in the NWT. Eligible applicants can receive between $20,000 and $200,000 per year to support core operations, including staffing, administration, programming, and day-to-day activities that sustain ongoing arts delivery in the territory.
For more information, visit the GNWT funding portal.
factor
FACTOR (the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings) is a public/private partnership that supports the production of sound recordings by Canadian musicians and helps Canadian music companies make recordings available to a wider public.
With funding and services designed to assist the spectrum of musical expressions and talent, FACTOR is committed to reflecting the diversity of the Canadian population in its programs and operations while also promoting inclusiveness within the broader Canadian music sector.
Artist Development: The Artist Development Program offers a $5,000 subsidy toward a year of artist development activities such as recording, touring & showcasing, video production, and marketing.
Artist Entrepreneur: Artist Entrepreneur funding is allocated once a year for recipients to undertake a suite of activities fostering the development of the artist and the promotion of their music.
Collective Initiatives:This program is comprised of three components that help finance music industry events, showcases, and productions that have a collective benefit for the Canadian music industry.
Company Envelope: Mid-Tier:Mid-Tier Envelope funding, for music companies to undertake various business development activities.
Company Envelope: Top-Tier:Top-Tier Envelope funding, for music companies to undertake various business development activities.
Funding for National Service Organizations: Funding for National Service Organizations helps to ensure that NSO's support Canadian music entrepreneurs to build a strong and competitive industry.
Juried Sound Recording: Album:The JSR program contributes toward the cost of acquiring, producing and marketing a full length album. Submissions are assessed by an independent jury of industry professionals.
Juried Sound Recording: Single/EP:The JSR: Single/EP program contributes toward the cost of creating up to five songs as singles or one EP. Submissions are assessed by an independent jury of industry professionals.
Live Performance: The Live Performance program subsidizes the cost of domestic and international performances including showcases and tours.
Songwriter Development:The Songwriter Development program provides a $2,000 subsidy toward a year of songwriting initiatives.
Sponsorship: The Sponsorship program allows FACTOR to support worthy music-related events that are looking for a smaller amount of support, or that do not quite fit other program mandates.
Support for Eligible Music Companies: This program provides funding for business development activities that support the promotion of the company, domestic and international business travel, and songwriting initiatives
Video: The Video program contributes to the cost of producing music videos for eligible Canadian sound recordings by artists rated 2 and 3.
For more information, head to FACTOR to find out if your project can become #FACTORfunded.
canada council for the arts
The Canada Council for the Arts provides support for the development of individuals, groups, small ensembles, orchestras and other professionals working in the Canadian music community. In addition to tours, concert production and festival programming, the Music Section funds a variety of related activities such as residencies and the commissioning of Canadian compositions. Visit Canada Arts Council for more information, deadlines, and application forms.
creative bc
Record in BC: Record in BC attracts established out-of-province and international artists to record at B.C. studios, and with B.C. producers.