(Credit: City of Austin)
The City of Austin’s Music and Entertainment Division, within the Economic Development Department, will be accepting applications during the month of May for ‘Tip the Band,’ a new digital tipping grant program. The initiative supports the division’s mission to grow revenue for local musicians. All local, regularly performing Austin musicians are encouraged to apply.
The ‘Tip the Band’ program aims to address affordability concerns for Austin’s music community by creating a new and convenient revenue stream for musicians. Through the use of new technology—a digital tipping vessel—artists can collect digital tips from fans using a debit and/or credit card within seconds.
The Music & Entertainment Division will grant 10 local musicians or bands with one tipping vessel through a competitive application and panel review process. Grantees will utilize the vessels to collect digital tips at live performances for a six-month period, for all local and traveling shows. Selected musicians will be required to market and promote their use of the ‘Tip the Band’ program alongside a promotional campaign by the Music & Entertainment Division. Following a six-month evaluation period, and upon submitting a final report, the band may continue utilizing the vessel to collect tips.
The intended outcome of the ‘Tip the Band’ program is to increase musician compensation to help address affordability pressures experienced by our creative class; to elevate the practice of tipping our local musicians, reinforcing Austin as a community that cares about the vitality of its artists and creatives; and, to determine the effectiveness of this type of technology as a solution for increasing revenue among Austin musicians.
“Rising affordability pressures in Austin is a complex problem affected by a myriad of factors that the Music & Entertainment Division simply cannot control,” said Erica Shamaly, Music and Entertainment Division Manager. “A way to help our local musicians survive and thrive is through providing opportunities to learn and earn more money. The Tip the Band Program will provide invaluable data on how a simple piece of technology could significantly increase earnings using an instantaneous process for fans to support their favorite artists.”
‘Tip the Band’ 2019 Program Dates:
May 1
‘Tip the Band’ Program Artist Application Opens
May 31
Deadline to apply
June 14
Selected Artists Announced
July 1
Program Launch
For information on grant guidelines and to apply for the ‘Tip the Band Program’please visit http://www.austintexas.gov/tipthebandonlineapp.
