Kasabian drummer Ian Matthews shares details of AmplifyWorld Artist Fund

AmplifyWorld - a fan engagement platform founded by Kasabian drummer Ian Matthews and tech entrepreneur Irfon Watkins - has introduced a $500,000 Artist Fund to support musicians via cash grants. 

Having successfully trialled the initiative at this year’s Isle of Wight Festival, AmplifyWorld have since invited artists of all genres to apply for funding (in the form of grants between $1000 to $50,000) to help advance their careers, and the application deadline has just been extended due to demand. 

Applicants can be at any stage in their career; the only conditions are that they have a Discord account and Spotify Artist profile, and can demonstrate creativity, passion, and a thought-through vision for what they would do with a grant. 

“With governments in the UK and the US falling short in supporting musicians, independent players like us have to come up with solutions like this,” Ian Matthews has said of the decision to launch the Artist Fund. “We wanted to make sure grants were significant enough to really make an impact. 

“We’re looking for artists with exceptional talent who also have an ambitious and clear vision for their future that embraces innovation. Anyone not embracing innovation is going to have a much harder time cutting through.”

Applications for the AmplifyWorld Artist Fund are open until 1st October 2024, and the first recipients will be announced before the end of the year. You can find out more about the scheme and apply for funding here.