News

MusicFutures has announced the successful applicants for the first round of its Entrepreneur Funding Call, supporting twelve exciting projects across a diverse range of music businesses and independent practitioners across the Liverpool City Region.

The funding is designed to help sole traders, freelancers and micro-businesses turn ideas into action, supporting the development of new products, services, processes and experiences across the music sector. Alongside financial support, the programme aims to help recipients build stronger, more sustainable businesses, with a focus on diversity, inclusion and equality.

The successful projects span a broad range of activity, from new approaches to business and digital platforms to educational resources and creative wellbeing initiatives, reflecting the breadth of talent and ideas within the region’s music economy.

Each successful applicant will receive up to £5,000, together with access to the MusicFutures Entrepreneur Support Programme, offering tailored business advice and development support to help bring their projects to life.

We’re pleased to introduce the twelve successful recipients, who are: –

1. Aerodrums – Aerodrums Hybrid

Aerodrums will develop an add-on for the existing Aerodrums 2 motion-tracking system. The project aims to combine the physical feel of acoustic drumming with digital flexibility, creating a more affordable and flexible alternative to high-end electronic drum systems.

2. Bump BPM – Encore by Bump

Encore by BUMP will create a retrofit upgrade kit that gives older DJ equipment modern digital functionality. The project aims to extend the life of existing hardware, reduce electronic waste and provide DJs with a more affordable alternative to purchasing new equipment.

3. Butters Innovation – Electric Erhu and Morin Khuur

This project will develop professional electric versions of the Chinese Erhu and Mongolian Morin Khuur, replacing fragile acoustic designs with durable, performance-ready instruments. Future development will introduce MIDI capability, allowing the instruments to become expressive digital controllers.

4. Echo Chamber – Beyond Stereo: Immersive Audio Development Pilot

Echo Chamber’s project will explore accessible approaches to immersive audio production outside traditional high-end studio environments. The pilot will combine portable technology, simplified workflows and public listening experiences, with a focus on increasing opportunities for women working in immersive audio.

5. EMRA – EMRA: The Prelude

EMRA: The Prelude is an interdisciplinary audiovisual live performance combining live coding, experimental music and reactive visual systems. Exploring the relationship between human creativity and technology, the project uses machine listening and real-time interaction to transform code into an active creative collaborator, shaping and responding to the performers throughout the performance.

6. James Gillaspy – Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Live Music Industry

This project will investigate how artificial intelligence can support the music industry by mapping operational processes at live music venues in Liverpool. It will explore practical AI workflows designed to reduce administrative pressures and allow teams to focus more time on creative activity.

7. Luno Academix – Slf:mde

Slf:mde developed by Luno Academix, is a behavioural financial intelligence platform designed for musicians and freelance creative workers. Rather than simply tracking transactions, the platform aims to help users understand financial stability and identify when their income position is improving or becoming more vulnerable.

8. Quarry Sound Liverpool – Quarry Membership Expansion

Quarry Sound Liverpool will develop its existing Planet Fans membership model into a more interactive digital experience. The project will explore new features including loyalty tiers, exclusive access and member benefits, beginning with detailed user research.

9. Sensory Creative Lab – Move=Music

MOVE=MUSIC is an interactive web-based platform using motion tracking to allow people with complex learning needs or physical disabilities to create music through movement. Building on previous installation work, the project aims to make inclusive music-making opportunities easier to deliver and scale.

10. The Narrative Network – The Narrative Lab

THE NARRATIVE LAB will explore a structured, evidence-led approach to songwriter development. The project will test new methods including intentional artist matching, co-writing structures and guided creative formats to understand what genuinely supports artistic progression.

11. Tobi Osekita – Audiofeather Granby Market Listening Booth

This project will create physical NFC discovery cards connecting audiences with artist landing pages through pop-up installations at Granby Street Market in Liverpool. The research project will explore how alternative approaches to discovery can support under-represented Black and Afro-derivative-genre artists.

12. Trailer Park Studios – Street Sessions

Street Sessions will create a mobile recording, performance and broadcast studio in a converted van, bringing professional-quality music opportunities to communities across Liverpool City Region estates and suburbs. The project will capture live performances, provide digital exposure for artists and create a new platform for discovering local talent.

Speaking about the entrepreneur call, MusicFutures Director, Professor Richard Koeck said:

“MusicFutures congratulates all of the successful applicants, whose projects demonstrate the breadth of entrepreneurial thinking across Liverpool City Region’s music sector and the potential for relatively small investments to help turn strong ideas into viable new products, services and creative ventures.”

The successful recipients will now begin developing their projects, working on their proposals through to March 2027. Over the coming months, participants will progress their ideas with dedicated support designed to help turn their concepts into sustainable products, services and creative ventures.

As part of the programme, each recipient will also take part in an enterprise bootcamp led by MusicFutures. The bootcamp will provide practical guidance, business development support and opportunities for participants to strengthen their entrepreneurial skills as they bring their projects to life.

Through a combination of funding, mentoring and peer learning, the programme will support the selected participants as they test, develop and refine their ideas within the Liverpool City Region’s evolving music economy.