The Music Fund Honest Review: Legit or Scam?

The Music Fund started up in 2017 with the goal in mind to make the artist-funding landscape more beneficial for actual artists. The company is passionate about helping artists get money so they can advance their careers, without hurting them in the long run. They’ve crafted an easily accessible platform where artists can choose to split a percentage of their royalties for two years and then get paid upfront by doing so. 

Basically, the company will take into account your key metrics and statistics from your streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, as well as your previous royalty statements, and then they plug those factors into their data-driven pricing engine to determine a prediction of what they think you will earn.

The artist can choose what percentage of their royalties they want to sell to The Music Fund (from 1%-99%) depending on how much money they need up front. Then for two years The Music Fund will collect that percentage of royalties from your music. This is not to be confused with a loan or a royalty advance because the artist will never have to pay anything back, even if the TMF over-scales your original payment. Since the company is the ones pricing your tracks future earnings, they understand they are accountable for the number they choose to pay out—not the artists. So yes you read that correctly, even if their investment is not recouped, you still don’t have to pay anything back.

It’s pretty simple, they buy a portion of your existing catalog’s streaming royalty income for two years—you decide the percentage. Then they give you cash upfront, and then for two years TMF receives a split of whatever those tracks earn.

The payments artists receive are typically between $5,000 and $50,000 (depending on the factors mentioned above) and the company recommends that artists who apply for funding have a minimum of 100,000 monthly streaming-service listeners. There are also no rules on what the artist can or cannot use it for, although it's hoped that you invest it into something music related that will help advance your future career.

Qualifying for funding through The Music Fund isn’t difficult to do, but there are a few stipulations you will want to take into consideration before going through the application process. First, you will obviously need to have songs on Apple Music and Spotify, as these are the only streaming services they work off of. 

You will also need to make sure that you own at least a percentage of the recording rights to the songs. Furthermore, the tracks will need a minimum of two-years streaming history on the platform. Lastly, you will need to have made at least $5,000 from streaming in the last 12 months from the qualified tracks described above.

Again, it’s recommended that you have around 100,000 monthly listeners but this isn’t necessarily a deal breaker as long as the points mentioned above are met. Another note to mention is that you must be an artist or producer to qualify, no songwriters are allowed funding through TMF at this time. 

You can also be a record label to receive funding, as long as the label owns a percentage of song royalties and meets the criteria mentioned above. Artists and producers of any genre can qualify, but they can only provide funding to those who live in the United States.

The Music Fund application process is extremely simple and user friendly. Once you have met the criteria mentioned above to qualify, next you can begin applying. 

Step 1 - Share your music stats by adding TMF to your Spotify and Apple Music for Artists teams then upload your royalty statements from the last two years.

Step 2 - Choose an offer. This is strictly based on your personal needs, you can choose to sell anywhere between a 1%-99% split of your royalties to TMF for two years. 

Step 3 - Verify your ID and enter your PayPal/Stripe so you can receive payment if approved.

Step 4 - Wait to get paid! If they approve your application, you will receive a notification with an offer. If you choose to accept, you’ll be taken through a closing process that typically takes 1-5 days. Once you meet the closing conditions, TMF will send you the money instantly via PayPal/Stripe.

As the saying goes, “you have to have money to make money”. This is especially relevant for independent artists who don’t have a label behind them or a marketing team with a big budget to spend at their disposal. With The Music Fund, artists are able to get the funding they need with no strings attached so they can begin advancing their careers and accomplishing their music goals.

Oftentimes, artists come across financial subsidiaries and don’t know how to use it to their full advantage. There is a big misconception among musicians that they need thousands and thousands of dollars in order for their music to be recognized and make an impact on the charts. However, this isn’t necessarily true if you know how to spend the little bit of money you have in the right way.

Having extra funds in your account is never a bad thing. Especially for artists, it’s important to spend your money wisely and invest in something that will benefit your career in the long run. A little bit truly goes a long way when you know how to properly manage your finances. 

If you are considering The Music Fund to help you attain some quick cash, make sure you are spending it on an investment that will help you achieve your goals and push you further in the music industry. If you aren’t exactly sure what to spend your extra money on, here are some ideas that are highly likely to be lucrative and valuable to you in the grand scheme of things:

• Marketing & Promotion

• Touring

• Music Videos

• Studio Sessions

• Merchandise

• Equipment & Gear

• Mixing & Mastering Services

• Playlist Placement

• Rehearsal Space

• Paying off debt 

If you are an artist who is looking to advance in the music industry, but don't necessarily have the funds to accomplish your goals, The Music Fund is an easy and quick alternative to get cash with no strings attached. There is nothing more important than investing in yourself and your career. With The Music Fund's transparent business model, artists are able to take on new opportunities without fear of debt or backlash. 

Musicians should always consider themselves and their brand as a business. If you've ever dealt with any sort of financial headaches, I highly recommend you looking into The Music Fund to help alleviate the burden.