Sound Recording Grant Guidelines

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The Sound Recording Grant supports the production of commercially viable sound recordings for commercial release.

The Guidelines were approved on April 1, 2026 for the 2026-27 Fiscal Year. Any amendments made after the fact will be posted here:

No changes to date.

Download PDF version of this page

Note: We regularly review and update our program guidelines. If you download a PDF copy, please be aware that it may become outdated after download. It is your responsibility to check the guidelines on our website to confirm that you are referencing the most current requirements and instructions before submitting your application.

Eligible Applicants

Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria defined in the General Guidelines.

Eligible Projects

There are two streams available to eligible applicants:

Single or Extended Play (EP) Sound Recording

Purpose: This stream assists with the production of a collection of songs that are intended for release as an extended play (EP) recording package and/or as individually released singles.

Requirements:

Successful applicants must produce a minimum of one to six professionally recorded songs
The total recording length should be under 40 minutes running time. A longer total running time due to genre standards needs to be addressed within the application.
The songs are intended for commercial release.

Full Length (LP) Sound Recording

Purpose: This stream assist with the production of a full-length sound recording.
Requirements:

The project must result in at least six songs of recorded material.
The recording must be more than 30 minutes of total running time.
The recording is intended for commercial release.

Eligible Expenses

Album artwork. Single artwork and photography may be included as a marketing expense or applied for separately through Creative Saskatchewan’s Marketing Grant program.
In-house producer, engineering, and studio rental fees are capped at $500 per track.
Production expenses directly related to the project and incurred during the project term.
Manufacturing expenses for both promotional and sales purposes can be incurred both in Saskatchewan and out-of-province (applicants must provide justification of units to be manufactured and the format in their application).
Mastering of the recording (both in Saskatchewan and out-of-province).
Mixing and recording process expenses, including studio rental and producer fees in Saskatchewan at Saskatchewan facilities by Saskatchewan residents.
Musician fees for both stakeholders and hired musicians are capped at FACTOR rates of $400 per track per musician.
Professional studio rates in line with industry standard rates.
We encourage applicants to consider ensuring that their music meets MAPL guidelines, however, it is not a requirement of Creative Saskatchewan’s music grant programs.
Marketing expenses directly related to the project being applied for, no more than 10% of the total project budget.
- Please note that Creative Saskatchewan has a dedicated Marketing Grant for more robust marketing campaigns.
Travel expenses and professional fees of a non- Saskatchewan producer, as long as the recording occurs at a Saskatchewan facility and all other staff hired for the recording process are Saskatchewan residents. Please see the Travel Policy for further details.

Ineligible Projects and Expenses

Out-of-province expenses for recording or mixing.
Podcasts.
Projects that do not have commercial intent as their primary purpose and focus.
Rehearsal expenses for in-house, stakeholder, or regularly hired musicians.
Please see the General Guidelines for a list of ineligible expenses.

Financial Participation

Funding will be in the form of a grant.
Single or Extended Play (EP) Sound Recording: Successful applicants are eligible for a maximum of 50% of eligible expenses up to $10,000 (whichever is the lesser).
Full Length (LP) Sound Recording: Successful applicants are eligible for a maximum of 50% of eligible expenses up to $15,000 (whichever is the lesser).
Please note, applicants may be eligible to apply for additional support through Creative Saskatchewan’s multi-sector grants:
- Touring support is available through the Tour Support Grant;
- Marketing support is available through the Marketing Grant;
- Travel expenses to specific market opportunities can be funded through our Showcase or Sell Travel Grant; and
- Support for professional development can be obtained through our Business Improvement Grant.

Assessment

A review of applications is conducted by Creative Saskatchewan program staff to ensure the project and applicant meet the eligibility to the program.
Eligible applications with secured funding from FACTOR/Musication will be considered to have been vetted and will be “fast tracked”.
Fast tracked applications may be submitted at any time, however, they must meet Creative Saskatchewan’s criteria for this grant.
Fast tracked applications will be funded in the order in which they are received, and as the availability of funds allows.
Applications that do not qualify for fast tracked approval will be assessed by an assessment process against the criteria defined on the Creative Saskatchewan website here.

Submission Requirements and Deadlines

Please refer to the program-specific page on the Creative Saskatchewan website for application deadlines and instructions.
Applications to the Sound Recording Grant will be assessed and supported based on the availability of funds.
Incomplete applications are ineligible and will not be considered.
Creative Saskatchewan provides templates for each grant application.
- Applications that have not used and uploaded the mandatory budget template and travel itinerary template (travel itinerary template only required for projects that include travel expenses) will be considered incomplete and the application status will be set to Information Required.
  - Note: This status requires the application to be re-submitted by the applicant by the program deadline. Please keep in mind that applications must be re-submitted prior to the project start date.
By submitting an application for this grant, applicants confirm they have read the General Guidelines.
If awarded a grant, they will be obligated by all criteria in the General Guidelines, as well as criteria specific to this grant as described herein.

Required Acknowledgements

Successful recipients of a Sound Recording Grant must include Creative Saskatchewan’s logo and credit on the manufactured product, and all promotional materials.
Successful recipients will acknowledge receipt of the grant on their professional social media platforms.
The Creative Saskatchewan logo and guidelines for acknowledgement can be found here.

Confidentiality of Information

Please refer to the General Guidelines for details of Creative Saskatchewan’s Confidentiality Policy.
If you are not awarded a grant, all information in and about your application is held in confidence.
If you are awarded a grant, your name, a description of the project and the amount of funding will be made publicly available.