Beatport, the digital download store catering to the electronic music community, is again awarding grants intended to support organizations that are fostering diversity and gender equity in the electronic music industry.
This marks the third year of the program, with Beatport again offering $150,000 in grants. Along with the money, the fund will again provide marketing and editorial support to help recipients grow their initiatives. As in previous years, grant recipients will be selected through an application process and receive grants ranging between $3,000 and $15,000.
Another $10,000 will be allocated to the newly created IMS Ibiza Fund, which will support young artists in attending the 2025 edition of the annual dance music conference in Ibiza. (Beatport acquired a majority stake of IMS in 2023.)
“At Beatport, we believe that fostering a more inclusive music industry is essential to its continued evolution and success,” Sofia Ilyas, chief community officer of The Beatport Group, said in a statement. “Through our Diversity + Parity Fund, we aim to empower those working at the grassroots level to help shape a more inclusive future in electronic music. We’ve been honored to support incredible initiatives over the past two years and watch them grow and make a real impact. We look forward to seeing the impact this year’s recipients will make.”
Applications for this year’s fund can be submitted starting Thursday (Oct. 3) through Oct. 31. Last year’s grant recipients were to the organizations Change the Beat, Last Night a DJ Saved My Life, One Off Tracks, Other Village People, Saffron and We Are Moving the Needle.
In 2022, Beatport claimed to have sold 25,519,770 song downloads, making up nearly 12% of all tracks downloaded globally, based on Luminate data.
The post “Beatport Will Again Award $150,000 in Grants Supporting Diversity & Equality in Dance Music” by Katie Bain was published on 10/03/2024 by www.billboard.com