Funding for musicians: music grants in Australia

It can be challenging for musicians to make money doing what they love. While there are plenty of ways to diversify your revenue streams as a musician, one way to get funding for music projects, touring, and marketing is through grants.

What are music grants?

Grants are financial gifts given away by governments, educational institutions, and foundations. Unlike loans, they don’t need to be repaid.

There are dozens of music grants in Australia that support artists’ professional development and help get projects off the ground. Although funding is widely available, applicants typically have to follow a strict set of criteria to qualify for the grants.

Tips for applying for music grants in Australia 

Before you start applying to every music grant in the country, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

First off, using the same pitch on every application won’t work. Each grant is unique and designed to serve a specific purpose. For instance, some grants only allow you to use the money to tour in certain regions, while others cover the cost of recording original music.

Next, it’s important to ensure that you present yourself professionally, as any business should. This means getting clear on your artistic goals, the steps you need to take to achieve them, the challenges you face, and what makes your music unique. Having recommendations from other industry workers can be powerful in taking your application from an amateur to professionally viable level.

Lastly, don't underestimate the time you'll need to submit the application. Finding references, researching for an accurate budget, and persuasively writing about why you deserve the grant takes time. But if you do put in the work to make your application compelling, you’re probably ahead of many other applicants out there.

Australia-wide music grants

Creative Australia is a core body when it comes to grants for Australian musicians. Each year through the Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups initiative, grants of between $10,000 and $50,000 are allocated to individuals and groups for touring, recording, marketing, professional development (including mentoring), and more. Fellowships of $80,000 are available to support established artists’ activities and professional development for up to two years.

For touring-specific grants, the Contemporary Music Touring Program helps musicians perform original contemporary music. The Playing Australia Project Investment supports touring in regional and remote communities across the country.

Creatives between 21 and 35 years old can apply for the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarships, which gives young artists the chance to explore, study, and develop their gifts through travel interstate or overseas.  

The International Engagement Fund supports Australian artists who want to undertake reciprocal exchange projects with confirmed international partners. This includes creative collaboration, cultural exchange, and knowledge sharing.

Songwriters and composers should look into the Professional Development Awards and Art Music Fund offered by APRA AMCOS.

If you’re an artist who resides in a remote area of Australia, check out the Regional Arts Fund’s Project Grants and Quick Response Grants. 

Regional grants for Australian artists

Australian Capital Territory

ACT artists should check out the ArtsACT website for current information on grant programs.

New South Wales

Create NSW has music grants available for both individuals and small projects.

Northern Territory 

Check out the Arts NT Arts Projects grant, which funds projects, provides employment opportunities for NT artists, and supports community access to the arts.

Queensland

The Regional Arts Development Fund offers general arts funding, and if you want to tour, look into the Touring Queensland Fund.

First Nations artists with a one- or two-year project idea can apply for the First Nations Commissioning Fund.

South Australia

If you’re under 26 (or under 30 for First Nations artists), you can apply for the Carclew Project and Development grants.

The Music Development Office’s Project Support grants offer funding for artists, songwriters, and producers to create and/or release new original music.

Country Arts SA has a couple of grants available for regional and remote artists.

Victoria

Victorian-based artists can apply for the Music Works grant and the Touring Victoria grant.

The City of Port Phillip supports local artists through its Cultural Development Fund.

Western Australia

The Regional Performing Arts grant offers funding to support the development of new work and touring of existing work in Western Australia.