Recording Program Preliminary Round

Program Objectives

To increase the public's knowledge of and appreciation for contemporary American concert music and contemporary jazz through the documentation and distribution of commercial recordings.

Application snapshot

• Eligibility
• How to Apply
• Review Process
• Application Cycle and Deadline
• Questions?

Eligibility

Who is eligible?

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

• 501(c)(3) non-profit status (or foreign equivalent); or
• Fiscal sponsorship by an organization with 501(c)3 non-profit status; or
• Be a Recording Company with a Federal Tax ID (EIN).

Eligible Applicant Types:

• Performing Ensembles
• Presenting Organizations
• Recording Companies
• Fiscally Sponsored Individuals

Recording companies may submit a maximum of three proposals. All other applicants may submit only one proposal.

What is eligible?

The Recording Program funds commercial recordings of contemporary (within the last 40 years) American concert music and contemporary jazz (see definitions in the Recording Program guidelines for more information). First recordings are preferred.

Recording projects must meet all of the following requirements:

• Unreleased prior to the Recording Program Application deadline;
• Professionally produced and distributed;
• All works to be included in the proposal must be completed at the time of the application—works in progress are not eligible.

NOTE: For all projects distributed digitally, grantees will be required to post liner notes and credits on an appropriate page of their web sites and to provide a permanent copy of the funded recording for the Fund’s archive.

What is not eligible?

The Recording Program does not fund the following:

• Recordings of works outside the field of American concert music and jazz; this includes commercial, pop, Broadway-style musical theater, sacred, holiday, and traditional concert band music.
• Promotional and/or marketing materials
• Archival recordings
• Live streaming activity (this activity may be funded by the Performance Program)
• Proposals to record works that have not been completed at the time of application
• Recordings made by student ensembles*
• Recordings made by volunteer, community, and amateur ensembles*
• Recordings released by educational institutions*
• Composer commissioning fees and/or honoraria
• Applicants with overdue or delinquent Recording Program projects (please contact the Grants Manager with any questions)

*Such organizations are not generally eligible but may apply if authorized in advance by the Grants Manager. Educational institutions may not apply for projects involving school-age students, student ensembles, or credit-bearing university-level activities but they may apply for eligible activities that involve professional musicians (including faculty). However, the participation of some professional musicians in an ensemble that is primarily a student activity does not make that activity eligible for support.

How to Apply

NOTE: This is the first part in a two-part application process. Please review the full eligibility requirements in the Recording Program Guidelines prior to beginning an application for the Preliminary Round.

If your organization does not already have an account:

You will need to create an account request. Staff will assess your organization’s eligibility; only organizations that are considered eligible will receive account approval. Staff may reach out via email with eligibility questions. Please allow 3-5 business days for your account status to be determined.

Please ensure that your organization does not already have an account before creating a new request; if you are not sure whether your organization already has an account, or have an account but do not have access to login credentials, please contact the Grants Manager.

If your organization already has an account:

Log in here, then click on the "apply now" button at the top of this page to begin the online application process.  

Please DO NOT create duplicate accounts. If you are not sure whether your organization already has an account, please contact the Grants Manager.

Preliminary Round applications should contain the following information. Please be as brief as possible. The Fund will not consider musical samples in the Preliminary Round.

• Project Name: Album name or working title
• Name of Record Label or Distributor
• Project Release Date
• Request Amount: (Note: Grants do not usually exceed $10,000 or more than 50% of the total cost of the project)
• Total Cost of Project
• Prior Recordings: Indicate whether any of the works have previously been recorded and released by anyone.
• Repertoire: A complete list of works for which you are seeking funding, the composer, and the year of composition.
• Personnel: A list of key project personnel, including soloists, guest artists, and ensembles with links to their websites, if available. Do not provide detailed biographies.
• Project Summary: A brief description of the proposed project
• Timetable: A detailed timeline for production, promotion, and distribution of the recording (a bulleted list is sufficient).

Review Procedures

Preliminary Round applications will be reviewed a panel of experts from the contemporary American concert music and jazz fields. The following criteria will be applied in evaluating grant proposals:

• Quality of the music and the importance of the project to the recorded repertoire, to the composer(s) and to the performer(s)
• Artistic quality and performance history of the performer(s) to be recorded
• Feasibility of the recording project, including financial and other arrangements made with the recording company, timetable for the production and release of the recording, plans for distribution and promotion, and commitment from other funders
• Demonstrated commitment to contemporary American music

Application Cycle and Deadline

• December 19, 2024: Preliminary Round deadline
• February 4, 2025: Preliminary Round notification via e-mail; invitation to apply to the Recording Program
• March 20, 2025: Invitation Application Deadline

All deadlines are at 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time on the date specified.

Applicants will be notified of funding decisions in or about June of that year. Please do not contact the Fund for information on funding decisions.

Questions?

Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to read the Frequently Asked Questions before starting an application. If a question is not answered there, please contact the Grants Manager prior to the time of application.

Telephone: 212-461-6956 (Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET)
E-mail: onlinegrants@coplandfund.org

Updated November 15, 2024