In the world of arts funding, people from a traditional arts background are sometimes shocked when they're told that there is financial support available for bands in the commercial music sector to help them develop their careers. It is assumed that the music industry can and does look after itself. Similarly, when those that work within the commercial music industry find out they can apply for funding, most often the response is one of surprise. But PRS for Music Foundation (PRSF) proudly and proactively funds pop and rock bands.
Set up more than a decade ago by PRS for Music, PRSF initially aimed to provide financial assistance to (mostly) classical composers that were finding it difficult to fund their commissions. An issue that has increasingly been debated since then is the need for support to develop talent in the commercial music industry – support for the work to develop artists to the point of selling out major venues, garnering regular radio playlisting and exporting internationally.
PRSF responded to these needs by expanding its remit to supporting all music genres, and in 2005 introduced the music export scheme British Music Abroad (BMA) – partnering with Arts Council England, UK Trade & Investment, British Underground, and most recently the Musicians Union. Today sees the start of the annual music industry exodus to Austin, Texas for the South by South West (SXSW) festival and conference, and BMA has funded 20 acts to get there.
For artists who are invited to showcase, and who have international labels, booking agents, promoters, publishers or sync agencies lining up to see them play, events such as SXSW are a vital opportunity for them to gain exposure in this market place. Establishing a foothold in an international territory offers the potential of significantly adding to royalty, performance and record sale earnings.
The significance of funding to perform at these kinds of events, which could be the difference between signing that new sync or record deal or not, is not lost on our musicians. One of this year's BMA artists, SOHN, said that funding has "really taken the pressure off and allowed me to think about doing what I need to at South by South West – perform at the best of my ability. It's great that such funds exist and can help UK artists to represent their art internationally."
And one of 2012's BMA-funded acts, Django Django, whose album was shortlisted for last year's Mercury Prize, echoed these sentiments: "We got so much out of attending SXSW and we couldn't have done it without the funding."
You only need to glance over the list of artists that have benefited from music export funding – such as Bat for Lashes, SBTRKT, Sam Lee, Everything Everything, Clock Opera, Future of the Left, Cate le Bon and Dutch Uncles to name a few – to get an idea of how this kind of support is making a difference, not just to artists, but to the industry and fans too.
The support provided through funding is often carried out without fanfare and public recognition. It can even fly under the radar of those who it is designed to help. This could be due to the concept of funding being outside the usual discourse of the commercial music sector – funding language can appear murky and restrictive for those who aren't familiar with it. Words like 'matchfunding', 'in kind' and 'legacy' might roll off the tongue for those working in the arts and cultural sectors, but when you're talking to someone whose skills lie in mixing and guitar feedback, it doesn't always translate.
We want to support the best new music being made in the UK regardless of genre, education, age group or region so we are getting the word out to the music industry by delivering panels at music industry conferences such as The Great Escape in Brighton, and curating showcases featuring our supported artists at events including the Camden Crawl and SXSW. Whether support is needed for hiring a splitter van for a UK tour or for a large-scale commission of a composer working with an orchestra, vital funding is available for musical projects.
Back in January, PRSF announced it would be managing and delivering the new Music Industry Talent Development Fund on behalf of Arts Council England, which will see £500,000 injected into pop and rock artist development over the next two years. To ensure that this is a useful and effective scheme, we will be applying our experience working in the commercial music industry and liaising closely with our networks of artists, managers and labels.
The application process will be straightforward, plain speaking and accessible, and most importantly funding will be given based on the quality of the music and the strength of the business case for the worked planned – be it recording, touring, marketing or collaborations. After all, this year's South by South West success stories could be next year's headline acts.
Laura Whitticase is industry and export fund manager and Sarah Thirtle is communications and events manager at PRS for Music Foundation – follow it on Twitter @prsfoundation
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