Music Creation and Audio Recording Grant

Toronto Arts Council funds individual professional musicians in any genre to write and record their own material. There are three categories and you pick one — they can't be combined, and you may only apply to one per year. Creation (up to $5,000) covers the writing and composition phase, including preparing parts; recording costs count only where they're part of writing. Recording – Demo/EP (up to $4,000) covers a short-form recording made at home or in a professional studio that isn't your own, including artist fees, mixing, editing and mastering, and packaging or manufacturing up to 500 units if done professionally. Recording – Full-Length (up to $10,000) covers an album made in professional facilities, with producer and artist costs, mixing, mastering, packaging and up to 1,000 units; you must have written most of the material. Music videos, professional development, touring and any expenses incurred outside Toronto are not eligible.

To apply you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (or have an application pending), 18 or over, a resident of the City of Toronto for at least a year — no PO boxes — and a professional artist with an independent practice of at least a year. Undergraduate students can't apply. Bands aren't eligible as such: one member applies on behalf of the group and receives the payment and the T4A.

Applications go through TAC Grants Online and close at 11:59pm on 3 September 2026. Deaf artists and artists with disabilities can request up to $500 towards application support and up to $5,000 in accessibility costs. Published assessment criteria are not on the summary page — download the full guidelines.