Seed&Spark and the Fresh Grass Institute present:
the New Music Engine Crowdfunding Rally.
Inviting musicians and composers from across the US and Canada to crowdfund projects for live music recording - for an album, soundtrack, or other live music recording.
Crowdfund your project between May 6 - October 14 2025 to qualify! The Rally winners will be chosen from among the finalists, and will be eligible to receive:
Studio Time:
- Up to 3 days of studio time in Studio 9 (North Adams, MA) for 3 winners, along with 4 nights of housing for 3 winning teams, and an opportunity to play a concert at Studio 9 (and keep the ticket revenue!) provided by Fresh Grass Institute;
- Up to 3 days of studio time at LaLaLand Recording Studios (Louisville, KY) with travel for up to four band members;
- Up to 8 Hours of Studio Time at Mecca Made (Atlanta) for 3 winners
Services:
- One year of ForeverFan Premium with white-glove onboarding (for all Studio time winners)
- Mindful Musicianship, a 12-week course on artist wellness from Spinach Records (one winner)
- 1-Hour Artist Development Consultation with Mecca Made + Social Media & Newsletter Feature to our community of 500+ creators and supporters (3 winners)
- Consultation on sync and label services from SonaBLAST! Records (3 winners)
The winners will be selected by our partners, prizes may be distributed across many artists!
Celebrating Live Recorded Music
This rally is to celebrate the collaboration, inspiration and beautiful sound of live recorded music.
As Seed&Spark's first official foray into music, we're bringing our best in class crowdfunding tools for film to music with the same dedicated spirit of helping independent creators build sustainable careers. This rally also marks the launch of Fresh Grass Institute, supporting musicians and artists to realize their dreams though artist workshops, residency programs and, of course, the beautiful Studio 9. We were inspired to reach out to our collective communities and also bring in the support of LaLaLand, SonaBLAST! records, BrandManSean/NoLabels Necessary, ForeverFan, MeccaMade, Spinach Records, and more! Joining this rally gives you the opportunity to greenlight your own project in collaboration with your audience and forge relationships with new partners!
How to Join the Rally
1. LAUNCH CAMPAIGN
Start a project to launch your crowdfunding campaign for any live recording: album, EP, film score or…whatever we haven't thought of that would be better in a recording studio!, raising at least $2,500 on Seed&Spark. You must submit your campaign for review anytime between now and August 28th, 2025 at 9pmPT. Campaigns can launch anytime between now (once you have gone through the feedback process) and September 15, and all campaigns must be completed by or on October 14 at 9pmPT.
2. BUILD & ENGAGE AUDIENCE
We recommend spending time building your crowd before launching your campaign, and you can watch our Crowdfunding to Build Independence workshop anytime here. During your campaign you must post two updates to your audience per week (at least 1 video or audio), and gather at least 350 followers.
3. FINALISTS & WINNERS
If you meet the criteria above you will become a finalist. List of finalists will be announced Oct 20. Prepare a 30-60 second pitch (video/audio) by Oct 27. Winners will be announced Nov 3.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of projects are eligible for this Rally?
We are looking for filmmakers, musicians and composers, ready to build your audiences and record your album, soundtrack, score or other music-focused audio project. It can be any genre of film (for soundtracks and scores) or any genre of music (for albums/EPs).
When can I submit and launch my project on Seed&Spark?
Start a project to launch your crowdfunding campaign for any live recording: album, EP, film score or…whatever we haven't thought of that would be better in a recording studio!, raising at least $2,500 on Seed&Spark. You must submit your campaign for review anytime between now and August 28th, 2025 at 9pmPT. Campaigns can launch anytime between now (once you have gone through the feedback process) and September 15, and all campaigns must be completed by or on October 14 at 9pmPT. Your "submission" date is the date you click "Submit for Approval" of your Seed&Spark campaign. After you submit for approval, you will receive feedback from our expert team on how to design your campaign for its greatest success. The feedback process takes 1-2 weeks to be approved for launch (that's why the final submission deadline is two weeks before the last possible launch date, to ensure everyone can make it through this process.) You can complete this process and launch your campaign anytime as long as the campaign is completed by October 14th at 9pmPT.
What happens after the crowdfunding ends?
All rally crowdfunding campaigns must end by October 14 2025 at midnight EST. The projects that have successfully raised funds and gathered at least 350 followers will be selected as finalists and will be required to create a short (30-second or less) pitch video or audio track. This video/audio track will briefly explain any additional details about you, the team or your vision for the project, and will be posted to the campaign as an update no later than October 27, 2025 at midnight (eastern US time) for continued qualification.
When will the finalists be announced?
The finalists will be announced and notified on October 20, 2025.
When will the winners be announced?
Winners will be announced on November 3, 2025.
What are the benefits for participants who do not move on to the finals or win?
All filmmakers who gather 500 or more followers are eligible for Filmmaker Rewards, worth over $9,000 in production, post and distribution technology and services, as well as festival fee waivers. They also become eligible for the additional funds and distribution from the Seed&Spark Patrons Circle. Lastly but most importantly, by raising funds and gathering an audience on Seed&Spark, participants take control of their creative future, creating a path to their own sustainable filmmaking career.