ON THIS PAGE:
Walkthrough of MusicNL’s New Application Platform!
This program fosters and supports Newfoundland and Labrador’s music industry through the funding of diverse artists and genres in singles, EP’s, full-length sound recordings, marketing and promotion materials.
DEADLINES
- The intake for submissions takes place twice yearly: a spring intake and a fall intake. These dates are subject to change. Please check back before planning an application. If the dates fall on a weekend or statutory holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.
Fiscal Year 2026-2027:
- Spring intake: Opening April 23, 2026, and closing on May 12, 2026 at 11:59 pm NT
- Fall intake: Opening Friday October 9, 2026, and closing on Friday October 30, 2026 at 11:59 pm NT
AMOUNTS
Program is broken down into a 3-tiers:
- $2500
- $5000
- $10,000
Please note that we are working with a very limited budget and, if approved, we will cover only a portion of your requested amount. You are responsible to diversify your funding sources to cover for the entirety of your project costs.
ELIGIBILITY FOR FUNDING TIERS
$2,500 – This is a multifactorial tier. Any musician(s) can apply to cover various projects including: pre-production trips, songwriting trips, marketing campaigns and production of singles.
$5,000 – Must have at least 2 songs commercially released in the last 5 years. This can be in the form of singles, or an EP/album with 2 or more songs on it.
Plus at least one of:
- Touring (a minimum of 3 confirmed dates in at least 2 different municipalities within the province, across Canada and/or internationally)
- Award and/or nomination recognition (MusicNL, ECMA, ArtsNL, Canadian Folk Music Awards, Canadian Country Music Awards, Women in Music, SOCAN awards, Polaris Music Prize etc…)
- Press coverage (Musical Connections, Out of the Fog, St John’s Morning Show with Krissy Holmes, Weekend AM with Heather Barrett, Jigs & Reels – Newfoundland Music Radio Show, CHMR 93.5, Global Frequencies- ANC, East Coast Music Hour…)
This list is non-exhaustive; please contact the Programs Manager if you are an artist who has further press coverage or awards that are not listed.
$10,000 – Required that applicant meets at least 3 of the following:
- Minimum of 1,000 lifetime units sold of all releases combined or a minimum of 10 thousand dollars worth of merchandise, sold within the last 3 years.
- Minimum of 20,000 streams across all platforms (Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, Tidal)
- Minimum of 5,000 social media followers (total) across all platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok)
- Minimum of 30 performances within the past 3 years or a 10-date tour booked in the next 12 months
- At least 2 songs commercially released in the last 5 years. This can be in the form of singles, or an EP/album with 2 or more songs on it
- At least 1 Song has charted on CBC Music Top 20, been added to a curated playlist (Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music) or achieved a sync deal (film, TV series, adverts, video games, trailers..etc)
- A professional support team that can include: artist manager, record label, booking agent, publicist, publisher.
- Award and/or nomination recognition (MusicNL, ECMA, ArtsNL, Canadian Folk Music Awards, Canadian Country Music Awards, Women in Music, SOCAN awards, Polaris Music Prize etc…)
- Previously showcased at juried music industry event in the last 3 years (Music Celebration Week, ECMA showcases, FAI, CFMA, CCMA, M for Montreal…This list is non-exhaustive; please contact the Program Manager if you are an artist who has other juried showcases that are not in this list)
If you do not neatly meet the criteria for this tier, but feel that your career arc is robust enough to merit consideration, please contact the Programs Manager before applying.
For more information on the Funding Program Refresh process, visit: https://musicnl.ca/latest-musicnl-funding-news/
GENERAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
- Applicant must have been a resident of Newfoundland & Labrador for at least six (6) months prior to the application. Proof of residency may be required.
- At least 80% of the project being funded cannot comprise previously released material by the artist.
- The majority of any material to be recorded must be original content. In some special instances, the jury may waive this requirement (i.e. specific genres). This waiver will be made at the discretion of the jury on a per project basis.
- Recordings must be completed in a studio that is located in Newfoundland and Labrador in order to access as an eligible expense. If your proposal includes recording outside of NL, please provide a rationale as to why this recording must be completed outside of the province.
IMPORTANT NOTES
- Please note that we are working with a very limited budget and we might be able to cover only a portion of your requested amount. You are responsible to diversify your funding sources to cover for the entirety of your project costs.
- Projects started but not released will be eligible for funding.
- Not-for-profit groups or associations are not eligible under this program.
- Payment will be issued with 75% up front and 25% upon receipt of the final report.
- Monies are a grant, untransferable and not repayable
- Artists that have already received funding assistance under this program are not eligible to reapply to the program for a period of 6 (six) months after the official release of the funded project.
- Persons applying for funding are encouraged to hire individuals and businesses based in Newfoundland and Labrador. Any portion of the project not completed by an NL resident vendor (where applicable) will only be eligible for 80% of costs reimbursed. If your proposal includes expenses incurred outside of NL, please provide a rationale as to why these expenses must be incurred outside of the province. Successful applicants in the 10k tier, will be able to access the 100% of eligible costs.
- All music genres are eligible for support.
- Artists are required to submit a complete budget that reflects the full cost and projected revenue of the project (i.e., all expenses incurred even if not eligible under this program.) The projected revenue should include other applicable funding sources (personal contribution, ticket sales, merch sales, FACTOR Funding, SOCAN Foundation, Canada Council, label contribution etc).
Commercial Release: A commercial release is the event of a recording being legally available to the public for sale, stream, download, radio or another method of public consumption (via a music retailer or digital music service) that activates a revenue stream where the artist is entitled to a share of payment based on their recording performance. Proof of commercial release will be requested. All formats must be assigned an ISRC number. Physical and digital formats must include a UPC and catalog number.
ELIGIBLE COSTS
- Production/Pre-production
- Mixing
- Producer fees
- Engineer fees
- Musician fees
- Mastering
- Manufacturing (covered at a maximum of 25% of requested amount)
- Merchandising (covered at a maximum of 25% of requested amount)
- Design & layout if applicable
- Equipment rentals
- Eligible Costs for Marketing and Promotion:
- Website Design/redesign related to the project
- Printing Costs for Release (posters, invitations)
- Social media marketing
- Advertising costs (product release) -radio, television, newspaper ads
- Publicist
- Radio tracker
- Video content creation
- Only those expenses incurred following the submission date of the application
- Consultant fees related to the project (consultation, grant writing, etc.) (covered at a maximum of 10% of requested amount)
*Note: If the applicant is also a professional studio owner, a cap of 25% will be applied to eligible studio expenses.
INELIGIBLE COSTS
- Management and legal fees
- Equipment purchases
- All local transportation and all food expenses
- Payments without proper receipts
- Donated services
- Album release party expenses
- Expenses not mentioned under eligible expenses
- Expenses incurred prior to the submission of application
HOW TO APPLY
- All applications must be submitted electronically via the application form page.
- If you have any technical questions regarding your submission, email programs@musicnl.ca
- It is strongly recommended that MusicNL be contacted in advance to discuss the proposed project before an application is submitted. Appointments must be made via programs@musicnl.ca.
To help you prepare your application content in advance, we’ve provided an offline version of the Artist Development application questions below. Below you will find tier-specific application templates directly from our platform Good Grants:
To help you understand how jurors score applications, please read the Juror Rubric below.
Applications open on Friday October 9, 2026, and close on Friday October 30, 2026 at 11:59 pm NT
PAYMENT PROCESS
- MusicNL recognizes the need for cash flow so payment will be issued with 75% up front. The remaining 25% of the grant will be provided upon the completion and submission of the final report and accompanying Expense Claim.
- Once you have submitted your payment and tax information, and signed your contract in Good Grants, MusicNL will issue your first installment payment. This can take up to 2 weeks from the receipt of your signed contract, depending on how quickly you complete the contracting steps.
PROJECT COMPLETION
The deadline for project completion will be one calendar year from the date of application approval. All components must be delivered including a final report. The final 25% of funds will not be released until final report is processed. No extensions will be granted.
- Upon project approval the applicant will be required to sign a funding agreement contract.
- The final report must consist of:
- A written narrative outlining details of the project including a recap of the project and next steps moving forward
- A completed expense claim (linked above)
- All invoices/receipts associated with the expense claim (zip folder).
- Recordings must be commercially released (available for purchase) and, if applicable, manufactured.
- Payment will be made on electronic and/or photo-copied receipts and paid invoices only. MusicNL reserves the right to request original receipts to review if needed.
- No cash expenditures will be accepted without receipts.
- One physical copy of all manufactured albums/EP’s must be submitted to the Library and Archives Canada (learn more here: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/services/legal-deposit/Pages/music-and-video-recordings.aspx).
LOGOS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
- The contribution from the Government of Newfoundland & Labrador and MusicNL MUST be acknowledged on all projects receiving support.
- Logos of both must be visible on the outside cover of the finished recording jacket, on promotional materials, videos, and/or on online streaming sites or websites.
Walkthrough of MusicNL’s New Application Platform!
On April 2, 2025, we hosted a live webinar, where we took participants on a guided tour of the new platform, walked through the application process, and answered questions.
Whether you’re applying for funding this April or preparing for future applications, this session is a great opportunity to get familiar with the system as soon as it rolls out.