Music Organizations

• Music organizations such as The Aaron Copland Fund For Music provides grants to people starting a music studio or stepping foot into the recording business. The organization's Recording Program grant is specifically for studio owners who record contemporary American music for distribution. Applicants must submit a demo recording with application. The fund awards grants up to $20,000. Studio owners are responsible for 50 percent of the project costs, and the recording project must be released for distribution within two years of receiving the grant.
  
  

National Arts Commissions

• The National Endowment for the Arts has nonspecific grant programs that could apply to people starting a music studio. Grant programs are organized by state, and the funding amounts vary. Additionally, the Canada Council for the Arts awards grants to professionals in contemporary music who are formally trained in the creation and production of music. The grant amount varies each year depending on available funding.
  
  

Private Foundations

• The Paul Hamlyn Foundation is a private group that awards grants in support of social issues and the arts. The foundation's art grants vary, and some can be used for nonspecific projects, including music mixing, producing and managing a music studio. Another private organization, The MacArthur Foundation, provides grants to "genius" musicians for their innovative skills in music. This award can be granted to producers as well and applied to the funding of a studio project.
  
  

Small Funding Resources

• A music studio that's registered as a business within its state may be eligible for financial assistance form a variety of sources, including the state's small business division and local art commissions. In addition, funding may be available for minority music producers and music studios involved in educational projects.