We’ve put together a list of resources (primarily UK and US-based) to help anyone in the music industry affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Please note – we will update the list as new resources go live, in the meantime you can email emma@synchtank.com with suggestions.
FUNDING FROM INDUSTRY ORGANISATIONS
AFEM Members COVID-19 Hardship Fund (Global)
AFEM and Beatport have launched a fund to support WHO and AFEM member companies ‘at-risk’ workers hit hardest financially by the COVID-19 impact.
American Federation of Musicians
Check out their resource page which provides details of available funds. Additionally, disabled AFM members can apply for financial aid through its longstanding Petrillo Memorial Fund.
American Guild of Musical Artists Relief Fund (USA)
Members in good standing can apply for financial assistance through the AGMA Relief Fund. Grants are awarded on a case-by-case basis, based on need.
Arts Council England – financial support for artists, creative practitioners and freelancers (UK)
The Arts Council England are making £20 million available to individuals working in the cultural sector, including artists, creative practitioners and freelancers.
Association of Independent Music (AIM)’s £1m Crisis Fund (UK)
The Association of Independent Music (AIM) has launched a support fund aimed at contractors and freelance workers in the independent music industry whose source of income has been severed without warning due to lost work in April and May as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Blues Foundation HART Fund (USA)
The HART Fund helps underinsured or uninsured blues musicians and their families in financial need due to a range of health concerns.
Equal Sound Corona Relief Fund (USA)
Equal Sound has set up a relief fund for musicians who have lost income due to a canceled gig as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
GEMA Corona Emergency Relief Programme for its members worth up to €40m (Germany)
GEMA has launched an emergency relief programme for its members, under which composers, lyricists and music publishers can apply for financial support.
Help Musicians Coronavirus Financial Hardship Fund (UK)
London-based charity Help Musicians have created a fund of £5m to help reduce the worry many musicians are experiencing about their mounting household expenses.
International Bluegrass Music Association’s Bluegrass Trust Fund (USA)
The IBMA is offering assistance to current and former professionals in the business of bluegrass who are in a time of need.
Musicians’ Assistance Program (MAP) (USA)
The Musicians’ Assistance Program (MAP) provides support so that Local 802 members can perform with the highest artistry and productivity, while minimizing any interruption to their work.
MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund (USA)
The MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund was launched earlier this month. Those contributing funds have included Warner Music Group, Amazon Music, Pandora / SiriusXM, Spotify, TIDAL, UMG, and YouTube Music.
Musicians Foundation CV19 Emergency Aid Grant Program (USA)
Musicians Foundation is the country’s oldest independent nonprofit organization dedicated to providing financial assistance to musicians and their families in times of need, crisis or transition.
Music Fund of Los Angeles Emergency Relief Fund (USA)
The Music Fund of Los Angeles Executive Board has established an Emergency Relief Fund for AFM Local members who have lost revenue due to work stoppages.
Music Health Alliance’s guidance and resources for music creators looking for healthcare (USA)
Music Health Alliance has developed a COVID-19 & Tornado Relief Plan based on the immediate needs of our music community that follow our mission to Heal The Music.
Music Maker Relief Foundation (USA)
The foundation, which provides ongoing support to American artists 55 and older who live in chronic poverty, also gives out emergency grants to artists in crisis.
MU Coronavirus Hardship Fund (UK)
The Musician’s Union have set up a £1M hardship fund that members with genuine and pressing hardship can apply to. It must be emphasised that this is a hardship fund and not a fee replacement fund.
New Music Solidarity Fund (USA)
The New Music Solidarity Fund is designed to help new/creative/improvised music freelancers whose livelihood has been threatened as a result of performances which have been canceled during the COVID-19 crisis.
NYC Covid-19 Musician Resources and Support (USA)
An online FB community group sharing ideas, financial tips and resources.
PRS for Music Launch Emergency Relief Fund (UK)
British collection society PRS for Music has launched an immediate PRS Emergency Relief Fund. Grants will be awarded based on assessment of individual need and applicants will receive support up to a value of £1,000.
Sacem’s €6 million fund and advances on royalties (France)
Sacem has launched an “exceptional royalty advance” scheme worth up to €36m, a €6m rescue fund for those most in need, and the addition of €1m to an existing support program for publishers.
SAG-AFTRA COVID-19 Disaster Fund (USA)
SAG-AFTRA members who are in an emergency financial crisis related to coronavirus may request assistance to cover basic expenses like rent, mortgage, utilities and medical bills.
Spotify’s COVID-19 Music Relief Project (Global)
The project has been created to amplify the efforts of organizations that focus on helping those most in need. Spotify is making a donation to these organizations and will match donations made via this page dollar for dollar up to a collective total of $10 million.
Note: Spotify is also adding a feature to artists’ profile pages where they can “link out to a verified funding page for themselves, for another artist in need, or for a separate initiative of their choice”. Sign up via this link to be emailed when it’s ready.
Sound Royalties’ $20 million fund for music creators impacted by coronavirus (USA)
US-based finance firm Sound Royalties, LLC has announced a new $20m fund from which music creators impacted by Coronavirus can obtain no-fee royalty advances.
Sweet Relief’s COVID-19 Fund (USA)
The fund is intended for musicians and music industry workers affected by the coronavirus. Money raised will go towards medical expenses, lodging, clothing, food and other vital living expenses to those impacted due to sickness or loss of work.
The Jazz Foundation’s Musicians’ Emergency Fund (USA)
The Jazz Foundation’s Musicians’ Emergency Fund provides housing assistance, pro bono medical care, disaster relief and direct financial support in times of crisis.
Youth Music’s Emergency Fund (UK)
Youth Music has announced a new Emergency Fund to offer additional support to music-making organisations affected by coronavirus. The first application deadline is 5pm on Thursday 9 April.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY FUNDING INITIATIVES:
USA:
Billboard’s State-by-State Resource Guide for Music Professionals Who Need Help During Coronavirus Crisis (Updating) (USA)
To help music professionals and their loved ones navigate the crisis, Billboard has compiled a list of resources at both the national and state levels, including more than four dozen relief funds.
Music Unites US: Coronavirus Resources For Music Creators – ASCAP (USA)
ASCAP have put together some resources that will help you stay healthy, creative, connected and financially stable until we can all have in-person jam sessions again.
BMI Resource Center (USA)
BMI have put together this resource guide to ensure you stay creative and connected, while they work to protect your livelihood.
Resources to help uplift those in the music industry impacted by COVID-19, curated by the industry (USA)
This site was created to give more visibility for funds and initiatives that support crew members and musicians impacted by COVID-19.
RIAA’s MusicCovidRelief.com (USA)
RIAA have launched a central hub designed to help music professionals access information and applications to receive benefits made available by the CARES Act.
UK:
AIM’S COVID-19 BUSINESS GUIDANCE FOR MUSIC SMES (UK)
AIM will be using this document as a focal point for small to medium businesses (SMEs) within the music industry so please check back regularly for updates.
Musician’s Union Coronavirus (COVID-19) Advice (UK)
Details on financial support for musicians, government measures for the music industry, government relief for the self-employed and more.
ISM’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Advice
BPI’s COVID-19 Advice (UK)
Our aim on this site is to pull all the updated information and advice together into one place for you, and where this is not available, to help answer your questions where we can.
Help Musicians: Corona Advice For Musicians (UK)
This page has been created to be a central source of support and advice for all musicians during the coronavirus period. We will update regularly as the situation develops.
PiPA’s (Parents & Carers in Performing Arts) Coronavirus Resources (UK)
This useful list of resources includes Help and Support for Performing Arts Professionals, Home Working Guidance, Financial Aid (Non-Government) for Performing Arts Professionals, and more.
Canada:
FYI Music News’ Pandemic Resource Guide For Businesses and Artists in Canada (Canada)
The following is a blueprint for financial support on offer by the Canadian government, as approved in the upper and lower chambers last week.
Global:
COVID-19 Freelance Artist Resources (Global)
This is an aggregated list of FREE COVID-19 resources, opportunities, and financial relief options available to artists of all disciplines.
WIN’s list of COVID-19 Resources for the Independent Music Community (Global)
The Worldwide Independent Network have put together a list of resources to help those impacted by record sales losses, cancellation of concerts, conferences and other activities, and loss of work in the music sector in general.
CONFERENCES
Key Worldwide Music Industry & Sync Events List 2020
We are updating our comprehensive global music industry conference list to include date changes, cancellations and events going virtual.
VIRTUAL INDUSTRY EVENTS
Music Tectonics’ Weekly Websday
Music Tectonics are hosting a regular online music tech meetup on Zoom called Weekly Websdays at 12 pm Eastern time (9 am Pacific). They will bring in a thought leader or three, present a topic, and give everyone a chance to chat their intro, ask questions, and more.
Music Biz’s New Livestream Interview Series – Music Biz Live
This new weekly community check-in interview series held via Zoom will allow us to touch base with how the industry is responding to the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis and adjusting to what “the new normal” may look like going forward.
Let’s DEW Lunch: Digital Entertainment World Webinar Series
Digital Media Wire’s new daily webinar series covers the core pillars of Digital Entertainment World: Games, Hollywood, RightsTech, Music, and Streaming.
Guild of Music Supervisors & Mondo NYC’s Weekly Online Educational Panel Series
The Guild of Music Supervisors (“GMS”) in partnership with Mondo.NYC will be hosting a weekly educational panel series in conjunction with participating university music business programs.
Sync Summit’s Sync Cafe
SyncSummit is hosting a Sync Cafe Daily Chat at 1PM ET to bring everyone together during the Coronavirus crisis so we can come together, speak about music, business and life. If you want to take part, just fill out the form below for access.
shesaid.so’s Live Streaming Sessions
Keep an eye on shesaid.so’s Instagram and YouTube accounts where they will be hosting various live streaming sessions. Hit them up if you’d like to host one yourself.
The Panel – Curated by Troy Carter
The Panel is a weekly gathering for music industry advice and insights, hosted by Q&A and curated by Troy Carter.
Free MIDiA Research Webinar: COVID-19 Impact on Entertainment Demand and Behaviours – April 15th
Several speakers will be sharing the tools and strategies to help you respond proactively to emerging market trends and shifts.
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Cherie Hu’s Livestreaming Tool Directory & Livestreaming Event Calendar
Artist Management & Marketing – a Beginner’s Guide (free eBook)
Music Business Association’s back catalog of webinar recordings (now open to non-members)
A Complete How-To Guide To Livestreaming DJ Sets in 2020 – DJ TechTools
MIDiA Research’s Free Report: COVID-19 | Recessionary Impacts and Consumer Behaviour
Twitch Music: Getting Started Guide
Creative Marketing Playbook by Believe
Mike Warner’s Work Hard Playlist Hard Book (PDF) – Discounted to $1
The Verge’s list of free music apps, sample packs and online courses
NEWS SOURCES
MUSIC X CORONA
The MUSIC x CORONA newsletter is a daily update about the coronavirus crisis in music. The goal is to bundle and disseminate information often, so we can tackle this crisis better together. It’s curated by Bas Grasmayer, author of MUSIC x TECH x FUTURE.
Music Ally’s daily positive coronavirus-related industry news
Music Ally is trying to write a story every working day, rounding up the good, practical things happening in and around our industry: focusing on relief efforts and other initiatives from the music industry and music / tech communities.
Sign up to the Musicians’ Union Coronavirus (COVID-19) updates for musicians
The MU will be delivering regular information about how COVID-19 affects musicians in the UK – keeping you informed on sources of support and involved in our online community.
PLACES YOU CAN DONATE
Donate to the MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund
Donate to the PRS Emergency Relief Fund
Donate to the Spotify COVID-19 Music Relief project (Spotify will match donations made via this page dollar for dollar up to a collective total of $10 million)
Donate to independent music venues throughout the USA
Donate to Live Nation’s Crew Nation Fund
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[…] during the COVID-19 pandemic. A team of experts based in the UK and the US has put together a list of resources to help the music industry affected by the current global crisis. […]