TikTok is delighted to announce its partnership with the Youth Music NextGen Fund to help young creatives and emerging musicians take a step forward in developing their careers and changing the music industry.

Music is a huge part of the TikTok experience and we're excited to be working with Youth Music, a national charity that believes every young person should have the opportunity to change their life through music. Every year, it funds around 300 projects nationwide, supporting more than 80,000 children and young people to make music and progress on their chosen paths.

Supporting the UK music industry

Built for creatives with a stack of ideas but a lack of finance, the Youth Music NextGen Fund is available to professionals, artists and entrepreneurs working in music, aged 18-25 (and up to 30 years old for those identifying as Disabled). The fund will open on 3 June 2021 and recipients will receive up to £2500 to launch a project, idea or business.

Every day we see talented TikTok creators using music to bring joy and express themselves. We're a sound-on platform that has been transforming the way fans make, discover and engage with music and artists, helping emerging talent build a fanbase. We can't wait to support others to achieve success both on and off platform.

Elijah, Project Lead – Youth Music NextGen Fund, says: “We want to give young people the confidence to make it happen for themselves. This generation is building a fairer new industry, taking ownership of their work and imagining roles that don’t even exist yet. But they don’t all have the financial means to realise their ambitions.

“We want to rebuild an industry where every young person can see themselves, contribute and make a difference. This fund is a big step towards a more sustainable, inclusive and exciting music industry.”

Matthew Harris, Head of CSR & TikTok For Good in Europe, says: “It’s been a difficult year for many in music and as a partner to the industry, we want to help those starting out to take their careers to the next level. There is an entire generation of untapped diverse creative talent across the music industry in the UK. We see it every day on TikTok – brilliant creators and musicians sparking new trends and bringing together video and music. We are wholeheartedly committed to providing a platform for creative expression where talented individuals are given the opportunity to flourish, and we can’t wait to work more closely with Youth Music to help make that a reality for young people across the UK."

TikTok music activations & Covid-19 relief efforts

TikTok has been supporting several charities delivering critical support to those who have been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Last year, TikTok announced a £5m donation to the RCN Foundation to provide emergency funding to hundreds of frontline health and social care workers. Lewis Capaldi and KSI also used TikTok LIVEs to bring fans together and raise funds for Covid-19 relief efforts - Lewis raised £40,000 in under an hour for the British Red Cross, and KSI raised over £35,000 to support Help Musicians. We also joined forces with the London Evening Standard to announce the Future Theatre Fund, a major initiative created to help kickstart the careers of 12 emerging theatre talents across different disciplines, representing the very best of future British theatre makers.

To find out more about this fund, visit https://youthmusic.org.uk/nextgen-fund

New to TikTok? Getting involved couldn't be easier, simply download the app for free via the Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon.