After distributing $400,000 worth of one-time relief payments to songwriters, the SONA- and Sony Music Publishing-backed Songwriter Fund is officially preparing to reopen the application process.
Assuming that the nearly year-old entity utilizes the same relief application (and maintains the same applicant requirements) this time around, stateside songwriters who are age 18 or older, have written music professionally for at least two years, and have been part of a performing rights organization (PRO) for two years or longer can file to receive aid.
The resulting $1,000 grants, the Songwriter Fund emphasizes in an application-walkthrough video, “MUST be used for critical living expenses,” including food, housing, and/or medical bills, to name some categories. Additionally, applicants are required to disclose their personal info as well as provide a photocopy of their ID, proof of their association with a PRO, proof of their songwriting credits, and more.
Besides securing “a generous donation of resources” from the aforementioned Sony Music Publishing and SONA, the Songwriter Fund has received contributions from Amazon, Spotify, Reservoir Media, Concord, and “many generous individual donors,” according to its website.
Earlier this month, Dr. Luke’s Prescription Songs announced that it would give its songwriters the option of receiving royalty payments in Bitcoin, whereas TikTok one week ago inked multi-year licensing deals with the Johannesburg-based Southern African Music Rights Organization (SAMRO) and the Composers Authors and Publishers Association (CAPASSO).
Also worth noting is that the Songwriter Fund describes itself as “one of only two funds set up to directly care for our songwriting community in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic” – with the other presumably being PRS for Music’s Emergency Relief Fund. The UK collection society kicked off 2021 by unveiling a license for small-scale Livestream gigs, before walking back the pivot following massive indie backlash.
