Coronavirus Relief Funds For Musicians: Where to get help or donate
The ongoing global coronavirus pandemic has impacted working musicians extremely hard. With major event cancellations and all venues locked up during quarantine, performers have literally found themselves out of work and in deep financial loss.
Trying Times
The rapid spread of the SARS-CoV 2 virus has the entire entertainment industry in total disarray. According to the Guardian, the Musicians Union in the UK estimates that musicians alone have lost up to £13.9 million in earnings so far, due to the virus. Unfortunately, it looks to get worse for the foreseeable future.
Many musicians have since taken to online streaming, in both an effort to generate a little bit of revenue, and perhaps just to keep their wits about in these trying times. However, if we all pitch in, there’s a chance we can get through this crisis and come out on the other side for the better.
How we can help
We can all support our favourite working musicians right now by buying merchandise or donating to those who might be hit particularly hard.
Thankfully, various non-profit organizations have set up relief funds for artists, performers and freelancers during these times of need. Below, we are collecting links to relief funds where working musicians from nearly all corners of the world can apply for monetary and medical assistance. Hopefully, the list will grow as more people come to help out.
The Recording Academy – the guys who run the Grammys – and its affiliated charity MusiCares have already already donated $1 million each to the COVID-19 Relief Fund. Interim CEO Harvey Mason Jr added that, “We are asking the entire industry to stand with us to support the musicians, artists and professionals who are the bedrock and the future of our music community.”
The folks at Equal Sound have also set up a relief fund. And if you feel that you’re one of the musicians affected by this calamity, there’s a form that you can fill out stating your predicament and hopefully you will be eligible for some financial assistance.
Gibson, too, has pledged to lend a hand with its Gibson TV #HomeMadeMusic campaign and will be supporting the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.
We’ll keep adding links as they become available.
YouTuber Anthony Garone of Make Weird Music gives some good tips on how to help, and his video is worth checking out if you’re wondering how to support your favourite artists while we’re all in lockdown. I’ve added a link to his video below:
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While you are at it, feel free to check out our collection of free and discounted music software to help you stay creative during this crisis. We have also rounded up various online collaboration tools to help fight isolation. Remember, we’re all in this together, and together we can and will figure out how to get through this.
Stay home, stay happy and stay healthy!
Coronavirus Relief Funds For Musicians
| Fund | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Artist Relief Tree | "Anyone who is an artist (of any kind) can request funds. We plan to fulfill every request with a flat US$250 on a first-come-first-serve basis." | https://artistrelieftree.com/ |
| Billboard Coronavirus Resource Guide for Music Professionals | A State-by-State Resource Guide for Music Professionals | https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/9337908/coronavirus-resource-guide-music-professionals-help |
| Blues Foundation HART Fund | "The Blues Foundation established the HART Fund (Handy Artists Relief Trust) for Blues musicians and their families in financial need due to a broad range of health concerns." | https://blues.org/hart-fund/ |
| CERF+ Emergency Assistance | "CERF+ emergency assistance includes grants and/or brokered assistance, such as booth fee waivers and discounts or donations on supplies and equipment." | https://cerfplus.org/get-relief/apply-for-help/craft-emergency-relief-fund/ |
| Equal Sound Corona Relief Fund | "The Equal Sound Corona Relief Fund was set up on short notice to provide direct financial assistance to musicians who have lost work as a result of Corona-related event cancellations." | https://equalsound.org/project/corona-relief-fund/ |
| Freelancer COVID-19 Emergency Fund | "If you’re a creative freelancer who has been adversely affected by the COVID-19 virus and resulting public response, you can apply for temporary assistance." | https://freelancecoop.org/emergencyfund/ |
| Gibson Brands, Inc. | "Musicians And Partners Unite Across The Globe For #HomeMadeMusic To Support Musicians And Spread The Healing Power of Music" | https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7qLGYJiRJ1gZgYDvSao4hnhFGKmIBqk7 |
| Musicians Foundation | "All professional musicians, regardless of their genre or instrument, can apply for themselves or a family member if they meet the qualifications." | http://www.musiciansfoundation.org/apply/ |
| Patreon Artist Grant | "We set up a grant to support artists affected by Covid-19." | https://patreonforms.typeform.com/to/SptV8y |
| Recording Academy Musicares | "The Emergency Financial Assistance Program that provides critical funds for music people struggling with financial, medical or personal crises" | https://www.grammy.com/musicares/client-services/emergency-financial-assistance |
| Red Dirt Relief Fund | "provide a safety net of critical assistance for Oklahoma music people in times of need." | http://www.reddirtrelieffund.org/ |
| Spotify COVID-19 Music Relief Project | "Spotify will match dollar-for-dollar public donations, up to a total Spotify contribution of $10 million." | https://newsroom.spotify.com/2020-03-25/how-spotify-is-addressing-covid-19-on-platform-and-off/ |
| Sweet Relief COVID-19 Fund | "DONOR-DIRECTED FUND with a limited amount of funds available to be used specifically for musicians and music industry workers affected by the Coronavirus." | https://www.sweetrelief.org/covid-19-fund.html |
| The Creator Fund | "ConvertKit has established a $50,000 fund to help creators in need during the COVID-19 pandemic." | https://creatorfund.ck.page/ |
| The Haven Foundation | "The Haven Foundation is a charitable foundation that assists people who have made their living as freelance artists but have run into a difficult period because of illness, injury or mishap and need a helping hand to get back on their feet again." | http://www.thehavenfdn.org/guidelines/ |
| UK Musicians Union Coronavirus Hardship Fund | "£1M fund for MU members with genuine and pressing hardship" | https://www.musiciansunion.org.uk/hardshipfund |
| Virtual Festival 2020 | "VirtualFestival is a collaborative effort to help artists survive during difficult times using technology to gain exposure and provide opportunities for fans to support via Venmo and PayPal" | https://www.facebook.com/VirtualFestival2020/ |
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