Music Maker Relief Foundation
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersHillsborough, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Music Maker Relief Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Music Maker Relief Foundation
- Legal name
- Music Maker Foundation, Inc.
- Website
- https://musicmaker.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Music Maker Relief Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cultural Heritage Preservation / Arts Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Music Discovery & Curation Platforms (Recommendations, Playlists) (MPAIACAH)
Keywords
Where Music Maker Relief Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hillsborough
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Music Maker Relief Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Monthly or one-time donations from individual supporters made via credit card, PayPal, or ACH transfer. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, making donations tax-deductible.
- Listener's Circle Subscription: Subscription program where members receive new recordings (CDs or digital formats) every other month, prior to public release. Members get exclusive access to featured releases including new recordings and archive tracks.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of compilation and single-artist CDs, vinyl LPs, books, and Music Maker merchandise through the online shop.
- Stock and IRA Donations: Accepts donations of stock, securities, and gifts from IRAs as additional giving mechanisms.
- Planned Giving: Legacy giving opportunities through estate planning, allowing supporters to include Music Maker in their estate plans.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly or one-time donations |
| Subscription | Monthly | Listener's Circle subscription |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise (CDs, vinyl, books) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Music Maker Relief Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Music Maker Relief Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides direct cash grants, social services, and emergency assistance to senior (55+) traditional American musicians living in poverty, while also booking their performances, producing and releasing their recorded music, and curating museum exhibitions and books that document America's roots music traditions. Its three flagship programs — Sustenance, Performance, and Education — are supported by individual donations, a Listener's Circle subscription, and merchandise sales through an online store and digital platforms.
Product overview
Music Maker Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a multi-faceted portfolio of programs and products to support traditional American music artists. The organization operates three core programs: Sustenance (emergency grants and monthly stipends for senior musicians in poverty), Performance (booking and career management), and Education (publications, recordings, and museum exhibits). Product offerings include over 200 recorded albums available on Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music; published books including 'Hanging Tree Guitars', 'Blue Muse', and 'Music Makers'; the Listener's Circle subscription service; touring museum exhibits; and a newly established recording studio in Fountain, NC. Distribution partnerships include Big Legal Mess, Bible & Tire Recording Co., and Cornelius Chapel Records.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sustenance Program Flagship program delivering life essentials to senior traditional American musicians through cash grants, monthly stipends, emergency assistance, and (since 2018) social work case management covering home health care, Medicaid applications, subsidized housing, transportation, and instruments.
- Performance Program Books performances for partner artists at venues from their hometowns to international stages, and provides professional development grants and CDs to sell in their home communities to help build sustainable careers.
- Education Program Delivers American roots music through online publications, audio/video documentation, books, museum exhibits, and workshops; maintains the permanent Timothy Duffy Collection at the Southern Folklife Collection, Wilson Library, UNC Chapel Hill.
- Recorded Music Catalog (Albums & CDs) Catalog of nearly 200 albums and CDs featuring recordings by Music Maker partner artists, available digitally on Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music and distributed through partner record labels.
- Listener's Circle Subscription Subscription program offering members new CD or digital recordings every other month, including exclusive access to new releases and archive tracks prior to public release.
- Shop (Merchandise & Recordings Store) Online gift store selling compilation and single-artist CDs, vinyl LPs, books, and Music Maker merchandise to supporters and the general public.
- Hanging Tree Guitars Book Published book by Freeman Vines about art guitar making and racial history, featuring guitars constructed from wood salvaged from a lynching site; includes a companion CD and is sold through the Music Maker gift store.
- Blue Muse: Timothy Duffy's Southern Photographs Book Tintype portrait photography book of Southern music makers by Timothy Duffy, co-published by UNC Press and the New Orleans Museum of Art, including a companion CD.
- Music Makers: Portraits and Songs from the Roots of America Book Book featuring photographs, biographies, interviews, and lyrics from sixty-six traditional American music artists, published by UNC Press.
- Freeman Vines: Hanging Tree Guitars Exhibit Touring virtual and in-person exhibition featuring sculptor and art guitar maker Freeman Vines' guitars and photography, drawing on the acclaimed Hanging Tree Guitars book project.
- Blue Muse Exhibit Touring museum exhibition of Timothy Duffy's tintype portraits of Southern music makers, curated by Russell Lord with the New Orleans Museum of Art.
- Our Living Past: Platinum Portraits of Music Makers Exhibit Touring museum exhibition of platinum palladium prints of tintype portraits of roots musicians of the American South.
- Music Maker Studios Recording studio facility in Fountain, NC under development to record albums for Music Maker partner artists, with producer Bruce Watson (Fat Possum Records, Big Legal Mess Records) advising on setup.
Quantifiable outcome
- 878 grants to 113 artists totaling $229,000 in 2022 alone
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Music Maker Relief Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Music Maker Relief Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Music Maker Relief Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Big Legal Mess RecordscoreRecord label partnership for releasing Music Maker partner artists' recordings. Worked with artists like Alexa Rose. The label produces new recordings by Music Maker artists, expanding their reach to broader audiences.
- Bible & Tire Recording Co.coreSacred soul record label partnership with Fat Possum Records. Bruce Watson scouts talent for Bible & Tire through Music Maker's network. Released 'Sacred Soul of North Carolina' compilation in conjunction with Music Maker.
- Cornelius Chapel RecordscoreRecord label partner for releasing Music Maker artists' recordings and expanding their distribution reach.
- Southern Folklife Collection at Wilson Library, UNC Chapel HillcorePermanent archive partner where Music Maker's documentation (audio, video, photography) is preserved in perpetuity. The Timothy Duffy Collection is housed there, making the work accessible to researchers and the public.
- Fat Possum RecordscoreBruce Watson of Fat Possum Records works with Music Maker on recording projects for artists like Robert Finley and Ironing Board Sam. Watson also helped facilitate Music Maker Studios development.
- GirlsRockNCminorMusic Maker sponsors workshops and programs through GirlsRockNC, connecting partner artists with youth through educational workshops.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Music Maker Relief Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Folk Alliance International: Nonprofit that serves folk music and dance communities through annual conferences, advocacy, and artist support. Comparable as a nonprofit supporting traditional and roots music communities with artist services and preservation focus.
- Americana Music Association: Trade organization supporting Americana music through the Americana Music Honors & Awards and conference programming. Comparable as an organization promoting traditional American roots music genres, though focused on industry advocacy rather than direct artist grants.
- Musicares Foundation: MusiCares (a Recording Academy-affiliated nonprofit) provides financial assistance, medical support, and human services to musicians in need. Comparable as a nonprofit providing direct human services and financial support to vulnerable musicians, though serving a broader commercial music population.
- Appalshop: Appalachian-based arts and cultural nonprofit producing films, recordings, and educational content about Appalachian traditions. Comparable as a regional nonprofit documenting and preserving traditional American music and culture.
- Blues Foundation: Memphis-based nonprofit that supports blues musicians and preserves blues heritage through the Blues Hall of Fame, grants, and education programs. Directly comparable as a music preservation nonprofit serving traditional American artists.
Broad incumbents
- Old Town School of Folk Music: Chicago-based nonprofit folk music school offering classes, concerts, and community programs. Comparable as a nonprofit supporting folk music traditions, though larger in scale and focused on music education rather than direct artist services.
- Smithsonian Folkways Recordings: The Smithsonian's nonprofit record label dedicated to supporting folk, roots, and traditional music documentation and distribution. Comparable recording catalog and archival mission, but with the institutional backing of the Smithsonian Institution.
- Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum: Nashville-based museum and nonprofit dedicated to preserving and celebrating country music history. Comparable mission of preserving traditional American music heritage through documentation and exhibitions, though at much larger institutional scale.
Regional players
- Traditional Arts Indiana: Indiana University-based program documenting and supporting traditional artists in Indiana. Comparable as a regional traditional arts documentation and support organization, though focused on Indiana rather than the Southeast.
Others
- National Endowment for the Arts: Federal agency providing grants and funding for arts and music projects including folk and traditional arts. Comparable as a major funder of traditional American music preservation, though operates as a government grantmaker rather than direct service provider.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Music Maker Relief Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceMusic Maker Relief Foundation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Music Maker Relief Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Music Maker Relief Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Music Maker Relief Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Music Maker Relief Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Music Maker Relief Foundation
What does Music Maker Relief Foundation do?
Music Maker Relief Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides direct cash grants, social services, and emergency assistance to senior (55+) traditional American musicians living in poverty, while also booking their performances, producing and releasing their recorded music, and curating museum exhibitions and books that document America's roots music traditions. Its three flagship programs — Sustenance, Performance, and Education — are supported by individual donations, a Listener's Circle subscription, and merchandise sales through an online store and digital platforms.
Is Music Maker Relief Foundation a public or private company?
Music Maker Relief Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Music Maker Relief Foundation founded?
Music Maker Relief Foundation was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Music Maker Relief Foundation based?
Music Maker Relief Foundation is headquartered in Hillsborough, United States, in the North America region.
How does Music Maker Relief Foundation make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are listener's Circle Subscription, merchandise Sales, stock and IRA Donations and planned Giving.
Who are Music Maker Relief Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Folk Alliance International, Americana Music Association, Musicares Foundation, Appalshop and Blues Foundation. Broad incumbents are Old Town School of Folk Music, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Traditional Arts Indiana is listed as a regional player. National Endowment for the Arts is listed as an others.
Does Music Maker Relief Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Music Maker Relief Foundation.
What industry is Music Maker Relief Foundation in?
Music Maker Relief Foundation's product category is Cultural Heritage Preservation / Arts Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIACAH, Music Discovery & Curation Platforms (Recommendations, Playlists). Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 7900.