You keep your masters Music heals
It helps people heal.
Songs give people a safe way to feel, grieve and find hope, together or on their own.
The community is the label.
For independent artists with the talent but not the access. We give you studio time, production, distribution, marketing, and mentorship from industry veterans, all free. Unlike a traditional label, we never take ownership of your music.
Made in the room, together.Studio · in session
REC 00:00:00
Why WeAid Music
We focus on music for good.
Empowering artists to inspire change through their music.
Music reaches people where words alone can't. A song can calm a room, give voice to what people carry quietly, and bring strangers together around something they all feel. That makes music one of the most powerful tools a community has for healing and for change.
So we invest in the artists who make it. When an independent artist has the studio, the mentors and the support to finish their record, the impact travels: to the listener who hears their own story in it, to the neighborhood that gathers around it, and to the next young artist who sees that it's possible.
Music connects
It brings people together.
A shared song turns strangers into neighbors and gives a community a voice of its own.
Music moves
It moves people to act.
Music has carried movements for generations. It turns feeling into action, and listeners into supporters.
Music is one of the most powerful tools a community has for healing and for change.
The big idea
Everything a label gives. Nothing it takes.
For a century, record labels decided who got heard, and kept the music in exchange. We turn that around: neighbors, fans, donors and mentors raise artists up, and the artist keeps what is theirs.
What happens next
From demo to release night.
Open submissions, no fees, no rights signed away. Send up to three songs and tell us who you are. We take it from there.
Applying never transfers any rights. Your music stays yours.
The road to release
- Week 0
You apply.
Songs, links and your story. Phone demos are welcome.
- Weeks 1–4
We listen.
Every submission is heard by real people, start to finish.
- Week 5
We talk.
Shortlisted artists meet the team and a mentor.
- Season start
You join a cohort.
Plan, mentor, studio days, then a release and a stage.
Season One · projected goals
The first record we press together.
12ArtistsIndependent artists in our first cohort
600Studio hoursFree recording time, given to artists
36Songs releasedNew music in the world, every right kept
100%Rights keptOf every recording, owned by the artist
Help press Season One →
Every gift is traced to the music.
Who we listen for
Voices worth the wait.
Every genre, every age, every neighborhood. If you have the songs and not the access, this door is for you.
The difference
Everything you need. Nothing you give up.
The studio, the mentor, the release and the stage, at no cost to you. And every right stays yours.
100%
Your music. Your rights.
Artists keep 100% of the rights to their recordings. Always.
$0 to you
It costs you nothing.
Studio time is a gift. No advances, nothing to pay back.
Every song
You will be heard.
Real people listen to every song, start to finish.
In your corner
A mentor walks with you.
Someone who has done it before, there for your season.
Release night
Your music goes out.
Distribution, marketing and a release night of your own.
Every benefit, every artist. Paid for by donors and partners, never by you.
Made in the room, together
You bring the gift. We bring the rest.
About WeAid Music
The reason we press record.
A nonprofit record label that refocuses the music industry on artists and their creativity.
Our mission
To refocus the music industry on artists and their creativity, giving independent artists the studio, the support and the mentors to make and release their music, while every right stays in their hands.
Our vision
A music industry where talent, not access, decides who gets heard.
Our values
Our values are SOUND.
Five words that guide every decision, from who we sign to how we thank a donor.
Our approach
Open the doors. Raise the volume. Keep it yours.
Four stages take an artist from first demo to a release the world can hear. Hover or tap a card to flip it.
Artists keep 100% of the rights to their recordings.
Our promiseOur people
The people behind the label.
Meet the board that keeps us accountable, the founder who started it all, and the mentors who give their time to our artists.
“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”Bob Marley
About · Governance & leadership
The people who keep it honest.
How we are governed, who leads us, and the mentors who give their time to our artists.
Governance
Built to be trusted.
A nonprofit label answers to its artists and its community. Here's how we hold ourselves to that.
Board of Directors
A volunteer board of artists, industry veterans and community leaders oversees our mission, finances and artist protections.
Annual impact report
Studio hours given, songs released, artists mentored and rights kept. Every gift is traced to the music.
Artist-first contracts
Plain-language agreements, reviewed with independent counsel. No ownership of masters, no publishing grabs. Ever.
Founder and Creative Director
Stefan Solea
Singer-songwriter, actor and producer Stefan Solea began as a 13-year-old street musician. He went on to tour as lead guitarist and vocalist for GRAMMY-winning artist Jelly Roll, record Angels & Outlaws with Struggle Jennings, and work on films starring Will Smith, Morgan Freeman, Tom Cruise and Jason Statham.
Determined to become the mentor he never had, he founded WeAid Music to give independent artists the studio time, mentorship and holistic support to make and release their music, while every right stays in their hands.
“Talent is everywhere. Opportunity isn't. That's the gap we're closing at WeAid Music, one artist at a time.”
Mentor circle
Legends who pass the mic.
Our mentors have made the records, played the stages and won the awards. Each one commits to a season with our artists.
Lend your experience.
Mentors, board members and advisors help an artist go further than they could alone.
Services · Everything a label does
The studio is free. The music is yours.
We give independent artists what the industry usually charges for: studio time, production, distribution, marketing and mentors. At no cost, with no strings on your rights.
What you get
Everything a label does. All of it yours.
Nine services, one season, no bill at the end.
Free
$0
Studio time
Real rooms, real gear, booked around your life. Tracking, vocals and overdubs at no cost.
- Tracking
- Vocals
- Overdubs
Free
Production
Producers, engineers, mixing and mastering. Your sound, finished to release standard.
Free
Distribution
Streaming, stores and catalog numbers. Your release goes everywhere, with your name on the ℗.
Free
Marketing & branding
Artwork, photos, a release plan, press, playlists and social built around you.
Every artist
Mentorship
A veteran in your corner for a whole season, plus a personal artist development plan.
Every artist
Wellness support
Careers are grown, not rushed. Access to counseling, rest and balance built into every season.
Clinics
Songwriting & sound
Workshops on writing, production and sound design, taught by people who do it for a living.
Live
Showcases & release nights
Every release ends on a stage, in front of the community that made it possible.
On air
Artist-led podcast
Our artists tell their own stories, interview mentors and premiere new music.
“Music can change the world because it can change people.”Bono
The difference
The label that doesn't own its artists.
Studio time, not "A&R resources." Your rights, not "IP." Each card shows our answer. Flip it to see how a traditional deal compares.
Questions
Straight answers.
Tap a question and we'll answer it, the way we would in the studio.
WeAid MusicStraight answers
On airStill wondering? Write to submissions@WeAidMusic.org
Yes. Studio time, production, distribution, marketing and mentorship cost artists nothing. Donors, partners and merch drops pay for it.
No. You keep 100% of the rights to your recordings and your songs. The ℗ line on every release names you as owner.
Independent artists of any genre and any age who aren't signed to a label. Artists under 18 apply with a parent or guardian's consent.
Artists join a cohort. Each season runs from first session to release night: a development plan, a mentor, studio time, a release and a showcase.
Up to three songs or demos (phone recordings are welcome), a few links, and your story. That's it.
Call for artists · Open submissions, no fees
Got songs? We've got a studio.
Free, mentored, and yours to keep. Tell us who you are, send up to three songs, and apply to become a WeAid Music artist.
- No fees, ever
- You keep 100% of your rights
- Phone demos welcome
All you need to apply.
Up to three songsDemos are fine. Phone recordings are welcome.
A few linksStreaming, video or socials, if you have them.
Your storyWhere your music comes from, in your words.
What happens next
From demo to release night.
- Week 0
You apply.
Songs, links and your story. Phone demos are welcome.
- Weeks 1–4
We listen.
Every submission is heard by real people, start to finish.
- Week 5
We talk.
Shortlisted artists meet the team and a mentor.
- Season start
You join a cohort.
Plan, mentor, studio days, then a release and a stage.
Your music stays yours. Applying never transfers any rights.
Application
Send us your music.
Application received
Your music is in the room.
Real people will listen, start to finish. Watch your inbox over the next four weeks.
Preview only: this demo form isn't connected to an inbox yet.
“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.”Maya Angelou
Merch store · Limited, numbered drops
Wear the song. Fund the record.
Merch people choose to wear, not just get handed. Organic cotton, heavyweight fleece and knits people keep for years. Every piece pays for studio time.
Drop 01 · Spring
Press Record. Tee
Organic cotton · Heart Red · Numbered edition of 250
The story
Every shirt in this drop pays for studio time on our first cohort artist's first record.
Drop goal0 of 250 claimed
Drop 01
Spring · Press Record. Tee
Drop 02
Summer · Announced with our next artist
Drop 03
Holiday · The cold-weather drop
The core collection
Studio clothes, stage ready.
Every tee carries the bug printed small at the back of the neck. Every purchase is traced to the music.
Suggested launch prices. Store checkout connects at launch.
“Without music, life would be a mistake.”Friedrich Nietzsche
Get involved · One song, every listener
Hear them first. Help them rise.
The community is the label. Mentor a season, partner on a cohort, fund a release or simply come to a showcase and sing along.
Ways to get involved
Find your part in the song.
Four ways to stand behind an artist. Pick the one that fits, and we'll take it from there.
Mentors
Mentor a season
Remember your first break? Be someone's. One season, one cohort, a lifetime of credit in the liner notes.
I'm interested →
Corporate partners
Partner on a season
Put your brand behind the music, not in front of it. Real culture, community impact and pride at work.
Talk partnerships →
Foundations & government
Fund a cohort
Artists served, songs released, rights kept, jobs created. Measurable outcomes for the creative economy.
Request our impact brief →
Community
Volunteer & in-kind
Give gear, space, travel, legal or marketing services. Or lend your hands on release night.
Offer your help →Corporate partners
Put your brand behind the music.
Real culture, community impact and pride at work. Choose a way to partner and start the conversation.
Ways to partner Select one or more
Behind the music, not in front of it. Every partnership puts artists first and keeps their rights in their hands.
Start a conversation
Let's make a record together.
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”Aesop
Donate · Every gift is traced to the music
Give a voice a record.
Your gift becomes studio time, a mix, a release. Turn the dial, or type the amount that feels right. Each year we report studio hours given, songs released, artists mentored and rights kept.
DRAG THE DIAL
$50
per month
$
Every month, your gift goes to the music.That's $600 a year for studio time, mentors and releases.
♥ Liner Notes member
Thank you for pressing record
You're in the liner notes.
Giving circles
Every gift makes a record.
Pick a circle and we'll set the dial for you. As you turn the dial, your circle lights up.
Where it goes
What your gift makes possible.
Everything an independent artist needs, from the first lesson to release night. Always free to the artist.
Every gift is traced to the music. Studio hours, songs released, artists mentored and rights kept, reported every year.Learn
Songwriting & sound clinics
Hands-on sessions where artists sharpen their craft.
Record
Studio time
Hours in a professional studio, with an engineer at the board.
Grow
Mentor sessions
One-on-one time with artists who have made the records.
Polish
Mixing & mastering
The final polish that gets a song ready for the world.
Release
A full release
Distribution, artwork and marketing for a single or an EP.
Launch
An artist's whole season
From the first session to release night, start to finish.
Open books. We'll publish actual costs in our first impact report.