The group at an Amplify Music Incubator showcase gig. Photograph: Courtesy of Amplify Music Incubator
If the Indian music trade wanted extra of an ecosystem within the final couple of a long time, one has now steadily emerged. On this evolving panorama, music grants and residencies turn into much more necessary. Usually a inventive breeding floor for music throughout the board, we’ve seen the rise of a number of initiatives that both provide monetary backing to indie artists or give them an area to thrive, collaborate, and really feel extra like a group.
Himachal prog artist Sutej Singh just lately received the TuneCore Grant, giving him entry to ₹1 lakh (about $1200) in addition to professional advertising advisory and mentorship for his new album Restless | Relentless. Studio Monkey Shoulder—which is again this 12 months—awarded £10,000 ($12,700) to New Delhi’s BFR Soundsystem, who introduced again Huge Bang! Competition of Love in Assam to assist native artists.
Whether or not it’s prize cash or supporting music communities on a bigger scale, listed here are just some residencies and grants obtainable to Indian musicians inside the nation.
Studio Monkey Shoulder
The initiative by Monkey Shoulder and Worldwide FM with legendary DJ Gilles Peterson returns for its second version in India, promising £10,000 to a music challenge that can highlight their scene on a world scale. They’re in search of “community-led tasks that deserve the worldwide stage.” Along with funding, the chosen group shall be featured by means of unique content material on Worldwide FM, together with movies and radio broadcasts. The initiative’s web site states, “From impartial document shops to stay venues and radio stations, we wish to assist the trailblazing communities the place folks join, create, and uncover music.”
Get particulars here.
TuneCore Grant
Though entries are closed for 2025, music platform TuneCore India groups up with trade veterans and stakeholders to fund artists on the rise, throughout languages and genres. Whereas the 2025 grant winner is Sutej Singh, the corporate has beforehand tied up with music convention showcase competition MusicMatters in Singapore to fly in artists to carry out.
Get particulars here.
Serendipity Arts Grants and Residencies
Serendipity Arts has been identified for its annual competition on the finish of the 12 months in Goa, however they’ve additionally been placing collectively a number of music grants and residencies, together with:
SAF x Asia TOPA
Most just lately, Serendipity Arts tied up with the Australian occasion Asia TOPA, the triennial competition of Asia-Pacific efficiency, artwork and tradition. Described as a program for digital musicians in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts and the Arts Centre, Melbourne, it serves a cultural alternate, encouraging dialogues and collaborations throughout borders. This 12 months, New Delhi artist Panelia and Goa-based Zequenx received to journey to Australia as grant winners.
Particulars TBA.
Unbiased Music Manufacturing Grant by Serendipity Arts
The Serendipity Arts’ Unbiased Music Manufacturing Grant helps impartial music creators throughout genres in producing, releasing, and/or presenting new music. The grant is awarded to bands, duos, teams or particular person impartial musicians with funding of as much as ₹1,50,000. This 12 months’s grantees shall be introduced in Might.
Get particulars here.
Serendipity Arts Residency – B-Facet Music Manufacturing Residency
Along with grants, Serendipity Arts additionally provides a residency for digital artists. Titled Unlock Your Sound in its 2024 iteration (a 2025 version is but to be introduced), the 10-day residency is “designed to empower aspiring music producers by equipping them with modern music-making methods and artistic expression,” the web site says. Individuals study digital audio workstations comparable to Ableton Dwell 12, plus tutorials for different software program instruments, options, and primary setup procedures.
Get particulars here.
Amplify Incubator
An artist improvement program that’s filled with workshops, Gatecrash India’s non-profit initiative underneath Music Mulakatein additionally includes a residency factor with a powerful emphasis on collaboration and community-building. It’s additionally been a launchpad for a number of indie artists, from Sudan to Frizzell D’Souza to Anoushka Maskey. With a revamp introduced earlier this 12 months, keep tuned for extra information on how indie artists can apply to be a part of workshops, songwriting camps, and extra.
Get particulars here.
Toto Funds the Arts
One of many longest-running awards for impartial musicians in India, Toto Funds the Arts (TFA) is a non-profit belief arrange in September 2004 in reminiscence of Angirus ‘Toto’ Vellani. Previous winners embrace everybody from Disco Puppet to Prabh Deep, who not solely get a trophy but additionally prize cash (which adjustments from 12 months to 12 months). Entries are slated to open in July this 12 months.
Get particulars here.
Anahad Fellowship Program
With a concentrate on the social sector in addition to Indian folks music, the Anahad Fellowship Program is designed for younger Indians to study stay manufacturing, analysis folks music, and develop enterprise and advertising expertise in a three-month residential program. Their web site states, “Over a three-month interval, fellows interact in immersive cultural analysis throughout varied Indian states, discovering uncommon folks musical types, designing cultural improvement packages, and empowering musicians by means of modern mediums.”
Get particulars here.
The Indian Sonic Analysis Group (ISRO) Residencies
For over a decade, The I.S.R.O has been providing residencies for Indian and worldwide artists, composers, theorists, educators and researchers in “sound-based practices.” There are two residencies which cowl lodging, studio areas and funding for journey and “realization of tasks.”
Get particulars here.