Music Funding 101

How To Find And Contact Sponsors/Bands

1. If you haven't already, go to the TalentFunding.com homepage and select "I Want To Consider Sponsoring A Band" or "I Want A Sponsor For My Band". At the bottom of the next page, click "I Want To Be A Member". Read the agreement that comes up, and enter "I Agree" at the bottom of the page. On the page after that, pick and enter a username and password, and a password reminder and email address, then click "Create User Account".

2. To search: At the top of the page, click the green oval "Search" button. On the next page, go all the way to the bottom of the page (you can skip all the choices) and click "Search". The resulting sponsors/band will show up in a list. There is no charge for this.

3. To contact someone in the list, you start by sending them a contact "request". Click on "View" next to their listing, and at the bottom of their page click "Send Message/Request". If you have not already paid for a $5 (USD) contact, it will take you to the payment page where you can pay for this contact with a credit card. After payment, it takes you to the Current Messages page. If you have already paid for several contacts, it will skip the payment page and go right to the Current Messages page.

4. If you are a band, you will see your Contact Request in the Waiting section; it is now waiting for the sponsor to approve it. If it is approved, you will see it move into the Approved section where you can then click Reply and send a text message. If it is not approved by the sponsor, you will see it in the Declined section.

If you are a sponsor, you will see your contact request already in the Approved section. You or the band can click Reply and send a text message right away.

More:

Some bands or sponsors may not have a "nearest city" or any other items filled in. These people are registered, but their information is just not filled in yet.

The band or the sponsor can decline further communication at any time by clicking Decline. If this is done, you will have to pay for the contact again if you wish to re-contact them.

If you know the username or the ID Number of the person you want to contact, you can enter it into the box at the top of the Search page, and search directly for them.

The most important thing to fill out is the "Name Of The Large City Near You", which is at the top of your My Info page. This will cause all searches to to put people in the top that are (1) in your Nearest Large City, (2) in your state, and (3) in your country.

A search for bands will find ALL bands; A search for sponsors will find ALL sponsors. But the more info you put into the Search page, the better results you will get at the top.

This site uses bank-style security to protect the users. Only if a sponsor tells a band how to reach him, will the band be able to do so. And once a user declines another user, no further communication can occur unless another payment is made.

Time should be given for the other person to reply. This especially goes for bands contacting sponsors, since sponsors are usually busy working. It may take a sponsor a week or two to decide to accept or decline a contact request.

Sponsors: Please review the contact-requests you receive, and choose Accept or Decline as soon as you can. It is better to decline now than to wait weeks and "possibly" do something later; this way the band at least gets feedback that they were not right for you. And remember, by Approving, it does not mean you have to start into any conversation. It just sends the message back to the band that you would like to talk further later.

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