Music Ambassador Program (MAP)
Huntsville continues to thrive as a dynamic music hub, and the Huntsville Music Office has launched an innovative and unique initiative that will continue elevating our reputation as a premier music destination – the Huntsville Music Ambassador Program, or MAP. MAP empowers local musicians to positively represent our city globally while elevating both their own careers and Huntsville’s reputation as a premier music destination.
A reality of the music industry is that touring is critical for developing a fan base, generating more revenue, and sustaining careers. Huntsville’s musicians regularly tour across the country, sometimes the world, and share our city’s uniquely vibrant music culture. Because these artists are already elevating Huntsville through their authentic voices and stories, why not empower them as brand ambassadors?
Touring musicians have a unique opportunity to promote Huntsville as a must-visit destination or even a place to call their home. The MAP subsidizes a crucial and necessary element of artists’ careers, making their touring efforts more efficient, profitable and impactful so they can keep sharing the unique story of Huntsville to their audiences each night. Musicians are some of Huntsville’s best Ambassadors and we’re excited to reward their work and provide them with resources they need to continue doing it even more.
Artists supported by MAP are eligible to receive between $750-$1,500 per tour. There’s no limit on how many times an artist can be funded, but there is an annual cap of $4,500.
Funding amounts are based on the size of the band, geographic reach of the tour and number of tour dates, with each element receiving a score based on a standard rubric. The total score across all three categories will determine the funding amount an artist receives, to remove subjectivity from the process as much as possible.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be a Huntsville-area resident
- Have at least four (4) tour dates in different cities confirmed that are outside a 100-mile radius from Huntsville. Shows must be 100+ miles from Huntsville to be considered eligible for funding.
Other considerations
- Artists with multidate residencies (multiple dates at a single venue in a single city) are typically not funded unless they are part of a bigger tour.
- Multiple members of the same band will not be funded. Bands based in the Huntsville area should submit one application and indicate the total number of people in their touring band.
- Multiple artists on a single tour can be individually funded if each artist is billed separately and promotes the tour via their respective social media accounts.
- Tours must be verified via third parties, which may include venue websites or independent promoter ticketing/event sites. Private events are typically not considered an eligible tour date.
- Artists building nontraditional tours may be funded but will be asked to provide other documentation (e.g., letters of support from house concert hosts, etc.).
No genres are excluded from MAP funding. Any artist or band meeting the program eligibility requirements as described above will be funded.
Ambassador expectations
Social media
Ambassadors must create two (2) pieces of social content about receiving support through MAP and reflecting on what it means to represent Huntsville while on the road (e.g., Instagram reel, TikTok video, Instagram, or Facebook photo and/or video with caption, etc.). The posts should either be in-feed or saved to the social profile so that it is permanently viewable (i.e., not a story), and utilize the hashtag #HSVMusic.
Post-tour reporting
Ambassadors are also required to submit a final report within 90 days of the last concert date on the MAP supported tour. This report will provide testimonials and anecdotes that can be used for official City of Huntsville reports and marketing content. Ambassadors must adhere to the program requirements to remain eligible for future MAP awards.
The online MAP application can usually be completed within 15 minutes. Applicants must list all confirmed tour dates and venues.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be a Huntsville-area resident
- Have at least four (4) tour dates in different cities confirmed that are outside a 100-mile radius from Huntsville. Shows must be 100+ miles from Huntsville to be considered eligible for funding.
Once approved, artists will be required to sign an agreement letter outlining Ambassador expectations. Artists must also provide some basic paperwork, including a completed W9.
The award of grant funds is made in two (2) installment payments following the completion of these items. The first installment payment is typically processed within two weeks of the first scheduled tour performance date listed on the application, and the second payment within two weeks of the last noted tour date. Please plan the timing of your application accordingly to ensure funding approval prior to the start of a tour.
Application review
MAP submissions are vetted by the Huntsville Music Office the first week of each month, and artists are notified within two weeks after. Funding decisions will be made based on the following formula, with the total score across all three categories determining the amount:
How many of the confirmed shows on your tour are 100+ miles from Huntsville?
- 4-9 = 1 point
- 10-14 = 2 points
- 15+ = 3 points
- International (any amount) = 4 points
How far are you going?
- Regional = 1 point
- East coast = 2 points
- West coast = 3 points
- International = 4 points
How many people are in your band?
- Solo artist = 1 point
- 2-3 members = 2 points
- 4-5 members = 3 points
- 6+ members = 4 points
Total scores: Funding tiers
- T1: $750 | 3-5 points
- T2: $1000 | 6-8 points
- T3: $1250 | 9-10 points
- T4: $1500 | 11-12 points
APPLY NOW
Huntsville’s Music Ambassador Program is the first strategic music export program in the country to be launched and administered at the municipal government level, and the Huntsville Music Office is proud to offer an innovative program that creates economic vibrancy through direct investment in the artists who power our music ecosystem.
The premise is simple – encourage our touring musicians to promote Huntsville to their audiences. Doing so elevates Huntsville’s cultural profile, driving tourism, talent attraction and economic development. When music fans engage with our local musicians and learn they proudly hail from Huntsville, they might plan a trip here and be surprised to find many more local gems and attractions. Some may even add Huntsville to their list of job searches.
MAP also serves as a workforce development and talent attraction initiative. The program provides direct financial support to touring musicians who meet the eligibility requirements and creates opportunities for them to grow their careers, showcase their music all over the world and elevate Huntsville’s profile as an inclusive, supportive city of choice for more musicians to navigate towards. This initiative will attract more professional musicians to Huntsville, but more importantly, it incentivizes the amazing talent already here to put down even stronger roots.