How music funding works in Canada

Almost every Canadian jurisdiction funds musicians through two separate bodies, and most artists only ever apply to one of them.

An arts council funds you as an artist — creation, research, professional development. A music industry or creative-industries agency funds you as a business — recording, marketing, touring, export.

They have different applications, different juries, and different definitions of "eligible". Applying to only one leaves money on the table.

Federal money stacks with provincial money

Federal funders (FACTOR, Musicaction, the SOCAN Foundation) and your province's funders are not mutually exclusive. A single recording or tour can draw federal money for one component and provincial money for another — check both this hub's jurisdiction pages and your own province's page before assuming you've found everything you're eligible for.

Language matters more than geography

Some federal programs split by working language rather than by region — a francophone artist and an anglophone artist based in the same city can face completely different application landscapes. Check the language noted on each organization before you apply.

Start here

Pick your jurisdiction below to see who funds music there, what each organization does, and how the two-body split applies locally.