Music In Africa Live FAQ

Is it possible to apply for all 3 grant types?

You can submit applications for up to two of the grant types.

How many times can I apply for each grant type?

You can submit only one application per grant type.

How much may I apply for?

You may apply for the exact specified amount, per grant type. No more, no less.

  1. SHOWCASE GRANT CATEGORY 1: €10 000
  2. SHOWCASE GRANT CATEGORY 2: €6 000
  3. CAPACITY BUILDING GRANT: €10 000
  4. MUSIC ADVOCACY GRANT: €10 000

Do projects applied for have to be presented free of charge?

Recipients are free to ticket their engagements, or not charge a fee. This has no bearing on the deliverable to MIAF.

May I seek additional partners or sponsors for the proposed project?

Proposed projects may have additional partners and sponsors, in accordance with our publicity guidelines.

For Capacity Building Grants, do trainers and facilitators involved in delivering the activity have to be Africans based on the continent only?

No. Facilitators and trainers for capacity building, need not be African or based on the continent. However, the applicant (company/organisation) must be based on the continent and the beneficiaries must be African musicians or music professionals based on the continent. The project itself must take place in Africa.

For Capacity Building Grants, what areas may be covered by the project applied for?

Proposed capacity building focus areas may include (but are not limited to): Music masterclasses, tutorials, workshops covering topics the likes of; artist management, contract negotiation, financial management, digital distribution; and initiatives bringing digital innovations to grass-roots practitioners etc. 

For Showcase Grants, what qualifies as live music content?

Video showcasing acoustic musical performance, including concerts; Performance centred Artist EPK’s or Music Videos of a music performance accompanied by instrumentalists. No backing tracks.  

What are the artistic requirements for the Showcase Grants performances?

Proposed projects must showcase high-quality African talent that is regionally or internationally export-ready. All artists or performers eligible for payment must be African. Preference will be given to projects that offer audiences opportunities to discover new talent; that aim for a gender balance among performers, and projects demonstrating an effort to bridge the gap between grass-roots audiences and the digital domain. All showcases must be acoustic, and are open to all genres. 

Is there a limitation to how many performances can be put on, for Showcase Grants?

You may produce more than one performance with the allocated grant, keeping within the guidelines of the minimum number of performing individuals, and the minimum fee to perform.

For Showcase Grants, how many performers should be booked and paid for as part of the proposed project?

For Category A (€ 10,000), a minimum of 16 individual performers should be booked and paid a minimum of €200 from the grant (i.e. Showcasing four bands of 4 people each).

Category B (€ 6,000), a minimum of 10 individual performers should be booked and paid a minimum of €200 from the grant (i.e. 2 bands of 5 people each).

What types of projects are being considered for Music Advocacy Grants?

MIAL is supporting the creative packaging of advocacy programs centred around improving the lives of musicians. Projects such as panel discussion, video series, podcasts, recorded music etc.  

an we put on concerts to backing tracks for Advocacy grants?

No matter the grant type being applied for, all music concerts must be acoustic. No backing tracks.

What outcome are recipients expected to deliver to MIAF in exchange for funding?

All recipients must produce high-quality video and media content packages, to be promoted and broadcast across MIAL and partner platforms.

What are the specifications for high definition recordings?

Video:

  • Codec: MPEG-2 422P@HL Long GOP
  • Bit rate mode: Constant
  • Bit rate: 50 Mb/s (CBR)
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1080i
  • Interlacing: Upper Field First
  • Display aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Frame rate: 25 fps (50i)

Audio:

  • Track 1 (AES1) : Stereo Left /Lt
  • Track 2 (AES1) : Stereo Right /Rt
  • Codec : Uncompressed (PCM)
  • Sample Rate:  48 kHz
  • Sampling Size : 24 bit
  • Additional tracks : Duplicate tracks 1&2

Are Portuguese speaking countries allowed to apply?

Yes, we are welcoming applications from Portuguese speaking nations, provided that applicants are able to apply in English or French; and sub-title their produced content.

Will MIAF promote our proposed activities?

MIAF’s obligation is to promote the packaged content to be Broadcast online over the MIAL campaign. Recipients are welcome to submit their events for inclusion in the Gig Guide: HERE