Profiles & Ratings for Artists
As an artist applying to FACTOR, there are three profiles you may need.
In order to submit an application for funding, you will first need to create a User Profile to log in to our online system.
To apply for and accept funding from FACTOR, you need an Applicant Profile.
The third profile is the Artist Profile, which informs FACTOR more about you as an artist, and provides the information required to assess your artist rating within FACTOR’s artist rating system.
User Profile
The user profile is the core profile to access the FACTOR system. Every individual who will access the FACTOR online system requires a user profile – you only need one, and you should be the only person who uses this profile.
Applicant Profile
The applicant profile contains information on yourself or your company. It is used to apply for and accept funding if your application is successful. Remember that the individual, partnership, or corporation named in your applicant profile will be legally and financially responsible for any project that is funded by FACTOR, including any tax implications.
Artist Profile
The artist profile gives FACTOR a clear picture of the artist’s career, and provides data by which FACTOR can measure both the music industry interest and the public interest in that particular artist.
Every FACTOR application that relates to a specific artist must link to an artist profile in the FACTOR system.
How the FACTOR Artist Rating System Works
The artist rating determines which programs the artist can apply to on their own behalf; and which programs someone else can apply to for a project involving that artist. The artist rating also sets the level of funding in different programs and components.
In some programs, such as Comprehensive Music Company, the artist profile must be reviewed and rated by FACTOR, but the artist rating is not relevant to the eligibility of the project.
Only artist profiles with Additional Information are eligible for artist ratings above General Artist. If you have only completed the Mandatory Information section of your profile, you’ll receive a rating of General Artist, and you will not need to update your profile before profile review deadlines.
Annual and Semi-Annual Review
The first time you submit a new artist profile for review, you will receive a General Artist rating (even if you have provided Additional Information).
Any Additional Information that you have submitted is reviewed after the Annual Review (end of February). If you would like your Additional Information reviewed at the Semi-Annual Review (end of August), you must request a review by clicking on the Request Review button in your Artist Profile. These deadlines are the only times that FACTOR assigns ratings of Artist 2 and Artist 3. After the Annual Review, some artist ratings will increase, while others will decrease. After the Semi-Annual Review, some artist ratings will increase, though none will decrease. It’s important to make sure that you update your Additional Information with the most current information before each deadline!
The Annual Review is always set for the last business day in February. The Semi-Annual Review is always set for the last business day in August and is by request only. In 2020-21, these profile reviews will take place on:
- Semi-Annual Review: August 31, 2020
- Annual Review: February 26, 2021
Who gets Artist 2 and Artist 3?
FACTOR staff assess all the artist profiles that have submitted Additional Information data at the time of the Annual Review, and those who have requested a reassessment at the Semi-Annual Review.
Artist profiles with the strongest values across all the Additional Information sections are the likeliest to receive a rating of Artist 3 or Artist 2. FACTOR assigns as many Artist 2 and Artist 3 ratings as our budgets can support. The rating system is very competitive. Roughly 95% of all artists who apply to FACTOR will maintain their General Artist rating.
The table below provides an example of values submitted in each of the Additional Information sections that overall would result in a rating of Artist 3 or Artist 2 at the 2020-2021 Annual Review period.
Criteria |
Artist 3 |
Artist 2 |
Album Sales – Releases from Past 5 Years |
28,000 |
6,500 |
Spotify Streams – Releases from Past 5 Years |
18,900,000 |
7,800,000 |
North American Streams – Releases from Past 5 Years |
27,000,000 |
8,600,000 |
Video Streams – Past 5 Years |
9,300,000 |
500,000 |
Tour Revenue – Past 24 months |
$570,000 |
$160,000 |
Tour Dates – Past 24 months |
68 |
60 |
Tour Dates – Future 6 months |
11 |
8 |
Commercial Radio Charting – Past 5 Years |
2 |
1 |
Campus/Community Radio Charting – Past 5 Years |
1 |
0 |
Total Value of Syncs – Past 5 Years |
$69,000 |
$18,000 |
Facebook Likes |
140,000 |
42,000 |
Twitter Followers |
93,000 |
10,000 |
If your numbers across all Additional Information sections are comparable to the snapshot above, you may want to update your Additional Information before the next profile review deadline in the hopes of increasing your artist rating.
Please remember that these are not cut-off values, but are provided for comparative purposes only.
If your numbers across all Additional Information sections fall short of these values, you can choose not to complete the Additional Information sections and focus instead on creating strong project applications.