The Salt Lick Incubator is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting emerging musicians in building sustainable careers. We offer project grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 to artists working in songful, contemporary genres. These grants can be used for projects such as producing a song or album, creating a music video, developing social media assets, pressing vinyl, touring, or enhancing branding and marketing strategies. In addition to funding, grant recipients receive mentorship and guidance from industry professionals, along with a personalized plan tailored to ensure their activities are both strategic and successful.

Please read the eligibility requirements below carefully before applying.

IMPORTANT

Our focus is on song- and lyric-driven melodic music. 

We ARE well-positioned to support artists working in the following genres: rock, folk, Americana, R&B, roots, soul, neo-soul, blues, bluegrass, and singer-songwriter (and all indie variants of these). 

We ARE NOT positioned to support artists working in the following genres: electronic, hip-hop, rap, pop country, pure pop, metal, world, spoken word, classical, jazz.

ELIGIBILITY 

     To be eligible, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible to work in the United States
• Be individuals or small groups (i.e., duos, trios, bands)
• Be an emerging artist in the early stages of their professional artist careers
• Be actively involved in contemporary music-making with no more than three (3) albums released at time of application
• Must be in control of your own copyrights / recordings
• Cannot be signed to a label or have taken an advance from a distributor, publisher, or other organization
• This grant is not subject to commission by any industry partners, managers, etc. — all funds must go directly to the artist

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Applications are reviewed by committee and go through an extensive, multiple-round evaluation process. The committee may include Salt Lick Incubator employees, members of the Artist Advisory Board, and other industry professionals, as appropriate.

Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Strength, quality, and communication of the applicant’s artistic output and vision
• Alignment with the Salt Lick Incubator’s mission, strengths, and areas of focus, including genre
• Financial or other demonstrated need as conveyed through the application
• Feasibility of the proposed project and budget
• Salt Lick Incubator’s ability to guide and support the proposed project 
• Accuracy and completeness of the application 
• Willingness to participate in program supports and engage with other Salt Lick-supported artists

SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS

A successful applicant is an emerging artist pursuing a career in song-driven music, performing at a high level, with a distinct artistic voice and vision. They submit a feasible project proposal that aligns with Salt Lick Incubator’s vision, mission, and strengths. Strong applicants provide a variety of their best work and clearly articulate their artistic vision to evaluators. A willingness to engage and collaborate with the broader musical community is highly encouraged. Before applying, please read our Statement of Purpose to learn more about the projects, artists, and music we are best suited to support. 

DEADLINES

The grant cycle dates are as follows:

• Applications open November 30, 2024 and close January 31, 2025. Awards announced by March 31, 2025

*Applications close at 11:59:59 PM ET  

No person on the basis of race, color, national origin or ancestry, native language, disability, age, religion (creed), gender or gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, socioeconomic status, or military status shall be excluded from participation in, or be denied benefits of, or otherwise be subject to discrimination of services, programs and employment provided by the Salt Lick Incubator.

About the Organization

Salt Lick Incubator is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting emerging musicians with grants, collaborative opportunities, strategy, communication, marketing support, mentorship, and a YouTube platform. The Salt Lick Incubator aims to be a  supportive community of artists operating within an exploitation-free ecosystem of partners who help new artists discover pathways to sustainable careers. 

Music is one of the most powerful tools we have to help people understand, hear, and embrace one another. To support the music-making of our emerging artists is to further a humane approach to one another and the world around us—particularly valuable in light of the division and fractiousness we see in the world.

About the Internship

The Salt Lick Incubator internship program strives to give interns a holistic view of artist development. To achieve this, internship duties are divided among three main functions: A&R, data/marketing, and administrative.

A&R

• Serve as a first-line reviewer of grant applications
• Research complementary artists for potential collaboration
• Help identify appropriate talent for future Salt Lick Sessions (YouTube video series)
• Prepare pre-session briefs

Data/Marketing

• Prepare targeting suggestions for weekly Salt Lick Sessions drops
• Track statistics for current Salt Lick Incubator artists and sessions. Use research and deductive reasoning to give context to increases and decreases in engagement. Compile weekly reports. Present to the team
• Social-media marketing 
• Strategize for and promote YouTube channel and accompanying social posts
• Capture, upload, organize, prioritize, and share in-studio/on-site social media content (where applicable.)
• Produce content for TikTok

Administrative

• Execute physical mailings (merchandise, etc.)
• Assist with load-in, setup, and load-out for Salt Lick Sessions recordings (where applicable.)
• Support the Salt Lick Incubator team across departments including operations, artist development, production, post-production, advertising, and social media.

Requirements

• A keen desire to support creators
• An obsession with music and discovering new artists
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills 
• Knowledge of and appreciation for social media and the ways it can connect fans to creatives
• Experience creating and maintaining Excel or Google spreadsheets
• Familiarity with Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Calendar, Gmail)
• Availability to work remotely 10–15 hours per week
• Familiarity with audio/video production and/or graphic design is a plus
• Familiarity with Slack is also a plus

Compensation

• $18 per hour
• College credit available