Canadian Starmaker Fund

What Canadian Starmaker Fund does

Canadian Starmaker Fund is a Toronto-based non-profit, founded in 2001, that administers grants to emerging English-language Canadian music artists. Originally known as Radio Starmaker Fund and renamed in 2017, the organization operates a mandate-driven grantmaking model structured around three core programs: touring support (up to $2,500 per show, capped at 35 shows per artist), Digital Content grants (up to $30,000 per artist per year) for the streaming era, and the Orion program (up to $20,000 per year) targeted at Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) artists. Eligibility is verified using Luminate (formerly Soundscan Canada) data, anchoring artist qualification in objective sales and airplay measurements.

The Fund is governed by a board that convenes three times per year and currently evaluates applications in Round 97 of its quarterly cycle, underscoring institutional continuity. Its operations are supported by 11–50 staff and benefit from strategic partnerships across the Canadian music ecosystem, including the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB), which administers the financial inflow, as well as CIMA and Music Canada.

The business model is a regulated, contributor-anchored grantmaking operation: private Canadian radio broadcasters contribute 3% of benefits they receive from CRTC broadcast licence transfers into the Fund, generating cumulative disbursements of over $175M since 2001. The Fund does not sell products or services to artists; rather, it disburses pooled industry contributions according to artist eligibility and program rules, with the equivalent French-language counterpart operating as Fonds RadioStar.

Name

Canadian Starmaker Fund

Legal name

Canadian Starmaker Fund

Website

https://starmaker.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Canadian Starmaker Fund is a Toronto non-profit, founded in 2001, that grants funding to emerging English-language Canadian artists through touring, Digital Content, and BIPOC-focused programs, financed by private radio broadcasters via CRTC licence transfer contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Industry Grants

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Grant Funding & Public/Nonprofit Financing (MPADAAAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Music grants
• Artist funding
• Music promotion
• Touring support
• Artist development

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Radio Broadcast Contributions: Private radio broadcasters in Canada contribute 3% of benefits payable for licence transfer transactions to fund the organization. This has resulted in over $175 million injected into the fund since 2001.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

The Canadian Starmaker Fund is a not-for-profit funding organization that provides grants to emerging English-language Canadian music artists for touring, marketing, and digital content activities. It administers two primary programs: the Core Funding Program, which offers $2,500 per performance for up to 35 shows domestically, in the USA, or internationally, plus up to $30,000 per calendar year for Digital Content; and the Orion Program, which provides up to $20,000 annually to Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour artists who have not yet met core sales criteria. The fund is sustained entirely through contributions from Canada's private radio broadcasters.

Product overview

The Canadian Starmaker Fund is a not-for-profit funding vehicle for the English-language Canadian music industry, consisting of two primary programs: the Core Funding Program and the Orion Program. The Core Funding Program provides touring subsidies (domestic, US, and international) at $2,500 per show with 35-show caps per territory, plus Digital Content funding up to $30,000 annually for music videos and online marketing tied to touring. The Orion Program is a separate $20,000 annual grant stream for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour artists with lower entry barriers (1,500 unit sales). All funding is accessed through an online application platform where artists submit eligibility proof, applications, contracts, and claims.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Orion Program: A funding stream dedicated to supporting music creation by members of the Canadian music industry who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour. It is a stepping stone program that funds a broad range of activities to support racialized artists as they develop and increase the audience and industry reach needed to apply to Starmaker's core programs.

Products and services

• Core Funding Program Provides touring and promotional support to emerging Canadian artists including domestic touring (up to 35 shows at $2,500 each), US touring (up to 35 shows at $2,500 each), and international touring (up to 35 shows at $2,500 each). Artists must meet genre-specific sales thresholds (2,000-5,000 units) and cannot exceed 150,000 total units sold.
• Orion Program A stepping-stone funding stream for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour artists who have not yet met Starmaker's core sales criteria. Provides grants up to $20,000 annually for music creation expenses including recording, promotion, publicity, advertising, digital marketing, touring, and videos. Requires 1,500 unit sales threshold or Juno/Grammy/Polaris Prize shortlist nomination.
• Digital Content Funding Marketing support for artists applying alongside touring dates. Covers videographer services, online media costs, and music video production up to $30,000 cumulative per calendar year, inclusive of taxes. Must be tied to at least 3 confirmed tour dates in Canada, US, or international territories within 8 months of the application round deadline.
• Online Application Platform Web-based portal for submitting funding applications, managing contracts, and submitting claims for reimbursement. Artists and managers can create accounts, apply for funding rounds, and track application status through board review and payment processes.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001CIMA partnered with Canadian private radio broadcasters and Music Canada to create the Canadian Starmaker Fund. CIMA also appoints members to the Board of Directors.
• Music CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001Music Canada partnered with Canadian private radio broadcasters and CIMA to create the Canadian Starmaker Fund. Music Canada also appoints members to the Board of Directors.
• Fonds RadioStarminorOthersAn equivalent program to the Canadian Starmaker Fund created uniquely for French-language Canadian artists. The Starmaker Fund is dedicated solely to the English-language music industry.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Music BC: British Columbia's provincial music industry association, providing funding, export support, and professional development to BC-based artists. Operates in a similar funding/development space but serves a single province rather than nationally.
• Alberta Music: Alberta's provincial music industry association providing grants, mentorship, and industry development to Alberta-based artists and music companies. Comparable mission of artist development support but constrained to one province.
• BreakOut West: Western Canadian music industry organization hosting an annual music conference and providing export and development support to artists in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and BC. Geographic complement to CSF's national reach.

Emerging players

• PRS Foundation: UK-based charitable foundation supporting songwriters, composers, and music creators through grants and development programs. Functionally analogous grantmaking model for early-career music talent in another major English-language music market.

Broad incumbents

• Ontario Arts Council: Provincial arts funding agency that supports Ontario-based musicians among other artists. A broader incumbent providing project and operating grants across artistic disciplines, with overlap on music funding but a wider mandate.
• Canada Council for the Arts: Federal Crown corporation providing grants to professional artists across all disciplines including music. A larger, more diversified arts funder that overlaps with CSF on music granting but operates at significantly greater scale across many art forms.
• The SOCAN Foundation: Philanthropic arm of SOCAN (performing rights organization), funding music creators through grants and capacity-building programs. Overlaps with CSF on music creator development but is funded through SOCAN royalty distributions rather than broadcaster contributions.

Direct peers

• Musicaction: Quebec's French-language counterpart to FACTOR, distributing funds from the same broadcaster contribution mechanism to Francophone artists. Directly analogous operating model to CSF for the Francophone market.
• Fonds RadioStar: The explicit French-language equivalent of the Canadian Starmaker Fund, also funded by Canadian private broadcasters through the same 3% mechanism. Same structure, same eligibility logic, same funding tiers — but serving Quebec and Francophone artists.
• FACTOR (Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings): Canada's largest private-sector music funding body, also backed by private broadcasters and the Canadian music industry. Provides recording, marketing, and touring support to Canadian artists, often mentioned alongside CSF in the Canadian music funding ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/radio-starmaker-fund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Canadian Starmaker Fund