FACTOR Artist Development Program (ADP)

dem 1z is a Toronto-based hip-hop duo built around two artists who have spent years refining a sound that sits at the intersection of dark, high-energy production and precisely crafted lyricism. The duo operates under a clear division of creative labour — one driving the sonic architecture, the other shaping the narrative layer — and that complementary structure shows up on record. Their catalog is not prolific by accident; it is prolific by design, with each track passing through multiple versions before being committed to release. The released single "CONSEQUENCE V4" is the clearest public evidence of that discipline: a hard-hitting 131 BPM record in C that earned its version number. Based in Toronto, dem 1z distributes through DistroKid and manages their release infrastructure through VALT, a proprietary system they built to handle cataloguing, versioning, and asset management at an indie level. That operational independence is not a workaround — it is the infrastructure that lets them move quickly when a record is ready, without waiting on a label pipeline. Their upcoming 2026 release schedule represents the first time their development work is being pushed into a sustained public campaign. "INSIDE JOKE V3" is slated for May 20, 2026 — an 85 BPM record in Am with a tension between dark atmosphere and forward momentum that sits comfortably in the current landscape of experimental hip-hop with commercial crossover potential. "In DA DOE" follows June 15, 2026, giving the campaign a two-single spine. Both tracks are composed of original or cleared source material, with sample clearance documentation in order prior to this application. dem 1z holds Canadian Content eligibility under the MAPL system through DistroKid distribution. Neither member has prior FACTOR funding, making this ADP application their formal entry into the Canadian music funding ecosystem. The 2026 campaign is the moment they are choosing to build outward.

We have been making music long enough to know the difference between a track that is done and a track that is ready. Those are not the same thing. "CONSEQUENCE V4" exists because V1, V2, and V3 existed — because we kept asking what the record actually needed and kept answering honestly. That process is slow and it is the only process we trust. The music we make lives in a space that is hard to label cleanly. It is hip-hop, but it pulls from darker textures — dense low end, tempos that either drag with intent or push past 170 BPM into something almost physical. "H2k" at 176 BPM and "SEMi [REVival] v2 7.1" in Dbm are records that hit the body before they hit the brain. "INSIDE JOKE V3" does the opposite — it slows down to 85 BPM and makes you sit inside something uncomfortable. We do not want a listener to know what is coming next, but we want them to feel like what arrived was inevitable. Toronto is in every part of how we work. The city's density, its competing sonic references, the fact that you can hear five genres bleeding into each other on a single block — that pressure is in the music. We are not making Toronto music as a brand. We are making music that could only come from here. What we are building toward is a body of work where each release is a legible step in a larger argument. The May 2026 rollout is where that argument goes public at scale. We are not hedging on that.

This application supports the marketing campaign surrounding dem 1z's May–June 2026 double-single release: "INSIDE JOKE" (May 20, 2026) and "In DA DOE" (June 15, 2026). Both singles are complete or in final post-production. All source material on both tracks is either original composition or has been cleared through licensing prior to this application, and clearance documentation is available to FACTOR upon request. The funded activity runs from March 2026 through October 2026 and is structured around three deliverables: a professional music video for "INSIDE JOKE," a paid digital advertising campaign across both releases, and playlist pitching and press outreach tied to the release window. **Music Video — "INSIDE JOKE V3"** Pre-production begins in March 2026, with the shoot scheduled for April. The video is being directed by a Toronto-based director with prior hip-hop credits, and post-production will be complete by May 1, 2026 — giving the campaign a video asset in market on or before release day. The treatment for "INSIDE JOKE" leans into the track's 85 BPM tension: visually slow, emotionally dense, cut against the grain of the instrumental. The video will be uploaded to YouTube and embedded across all DSP profiles, social channels, and EPK assets. Budget: $9,000 covering director fee, crew, location, and post. **Digital Advertising Campaign** Starting two weeks before the May 20 release, dem 1z will run targeted Meta (Instagram/Facebook) and YouTube pre-roll campaigns aimed at 18–34 hip-hop listeners in Canada and the US. Campaign creative will be developed in-house using existing visual assets from the video shoot, keeping production costs low and keeping the spend concentrated on media placement. A second campaign burst will run ahead of the June 15 "In DA DOE" release to sustain momentum across the double-single window. Budget: $7,500 covering media spend across both campaigns. **Publicist / Press and Playlist Outreach** dem 1z will engage a Toronto-based music publicist on a four-month retainer beginning April 2026, covering both releases. The publicist's scope includes Spotify editorial and third-party playlist pitching, media outreach to Canadian hip-hop press (outlets including Exclaim!, Complex Canada, and The FADER), and coordination of any performance or interview opportunities that emerge from the release cycle. This is the primary industry attachment that anchors the campaign in professional infrastructure. Budget: $6,000 for four months. **EPK Refresh and Photography** To support press outreach and any booking or sync inquiries that come from the campaign, dem 1z will commission updated press photography and a redesigned electronic press kit in March 2026. Budget: $2,500. **Distribution and Delivery** Both singles will be delivered through DistroKid with MAPL documentation filed. All assets — audio masters, metadata, artwork — will be submitted no later than three weeks before each release date to meet DSP pre-save and editorial pitch windows. Budget: $500 covering DistroKid fees and mastering contingency for "In DA DOE." Taken together, these activities constitute dem 1z's first coordinated public release campaign. The goal is not a single breakout moment but a documented, measurable increase in monthly listeners, press coverage, and industry visibility that creates a platform for the next phase of development.

The following outcomes are tied directly to the May–June 2026 release campaign and are measurable within the grant reporting period. - **Streaming growth:** Reach 5,000 Spotify monthly listeners by August 31, 2026, measured from a baseline established at the time of the May 20 release. Both singles will be submitted to Spotify editorial playlists through the publicist, with additional third-party playlist pitching targeting hip-hop and experimental curation accounts with combined followings above 100,000 subscribers. - **Press coverage:** Secure a minimum of three published pieces in Canadian music media (reviews, features, or playlist inclusions) tied to "INSIDE JOKE" or "In DA DOE." Target outlets include Exclaim!, Complex Canada, and at least one independent hip-hop blog with documented readership. - **Video views:** Achieve 10,000 YouTube views on the "INSIDE JOKE" music video within 90 days of release, supported by pre-roll advertising and social sharing. - **Social audience growth:** Grow combined Instagram and TikTok following by 30% across the campaign window (March–October 2026), tracked monthly. Paid digital advertising will be the primary driver, supported by consistent organic posting tied to the release timeline. - **Industry relationships:** Establish at least one ongoing professional relationship — publicist, booking contact, or sync licensing inquiry — resulting directly from the funded campaign. The four-month publicist retainer is structured to produce at least one warm industry introduction beyond the immediate press cycle. - **MAPL compliance and catalog documentation:** Both released singles will have confirmed MAPL scores on file with DistroKid and available for future FACTOR reporting, establishing dem 1z's catalog as fully compliant for subsequent funding applications.

FACTOR's Artist Development Program is specifically designed for the moment dem 1z is in — past the proof-of-concept stage, with records ready to release, but without the marketing infrastructure to turn those releases into measurable career traction. The ADP's explicit scope — music videos, marketing materials, digital advertising — maps exactly onto the three deliverables this application is built around. The timing matters. "INSIDE JOKE" releases May 20, 2026. That is a fixed date with assets already in progress. FACTOR funding received before that window would be deployed immediately and purposefully, not held in reserve while a project develops. This is not a speculative ask — it is a campaign that will happen, and the question is whether it happens with professional infrastructure or without it. dem 1z is Toronto-based with full Canadian Content eligibility, distributing through DistroKid with MAPL documentation in order. Hip-hop is a well-supported genre in the ADP portfolio, and the duo's catalog — "CONSEQUENCE V4" released, "INSIDE JOKE V3" and "In DA DOE" scheduled — demonstrates the kind of active release pipeline FACTOR's emerging artist tier is structured to accelerate. The program's emphasis on commercial viability is taken seriously here. The budget is built around activities with trackable outcomes: streaming numbers, press placements, video views, follower growth. The duo is not asking FACTOR to fund experimentation. They are asking FACTOR to fund the distribution of work that is already done, through channels that generate the kind of documented audience traction that makes subsequent funding applications — and industry conversations — easier to have.

| Category | Item | Amount | Justification | |---|---|---|---| | Music Video | Director fee | $4,000 | Toronto-based director with hip-hop credits; rate based on day rate + concept development | | Music Video | Crew (DP, gaffer, PA) | $2,500 | Minimum viable professional crew for single-day narrative shoot | | Music Video | Location rental | $1,000 | Controlled interior location in Toronto; one shoot day | | Music Video | Post-production (edit, colour, VFX) | $1,500 | Editor/colourist rate for a 3–4 minute cut with one revision round | | Digital Advertising | Meta (Instagram/Facebook) media spend | $4,000 | Two campaign bursts (May and June) targeting 18–34 hip-hop listeners in Canada and US | | Digital Advertising | YouTube pre-roll spend | $2,000 | Pre-roll placements timed to "INSIDE JOKE" video launch and "In DA DOE" release | | Digital Advertising | Ad creative production | $1,500 | Design/motion for ad units not covered by video assets | | Publicist Retainer | Four-month press + playlist campaign | $6,000 | Toronto-based music publicist; April–July 2026; covers both singles, editorial pitching, and media outreach | | EPK + Photography | Press photography session | $1,500 | Half-day session with Toronto photographer; licensing for press use included | | EPK + Photography | EPK design and copywriting | $1,000 | Redesign of digital EPK for press and booking use ahead of campaign launch | | Distribution & Delivery | DistroKid fees + mastering contingency | $500 | Annual DistroKid plan plus mastering reserve for "In DA DOE" final delivery | | **TOTAL** | | **$25,000** | |

**March 2026 — Pre-Production** - Confirm music video director and execute contract for "INSIDE JOKE" shoot - Commission press photography session and begin EPK redesign - Engage Toronto-based publicist; brief on both singles and campaign timeline - Deliver "INSIDE JOKE V3" final master and all DSP assets to DistroKid (three weeks before May 20 release date) - File MAPL documentation for "INSIDE JOKE" with DistroKid **April 2026 — Production and Campaign Setup** - Shoot music video for "INSIDE JOKE" (target: first two weeks of April) - Begin post-production on video; target picture lock by April 25 - Launch Spotify for Artists pre-save campaign; publicist submits "INSIDE JOKE" to Spotify editorial pitch portal - Publicist begins media outreach for pre-release coverage (Exclaim!, Complex Canada, blogs) - Finalize ad creative for Meta and YouTube campaigns - Deliver "In DA DOE" final master and DSP assets to DistroKid **May 2026 — "INSIDE JOKE" Release** - May 20: "INSIDE JOKE" goes live on all DSPs; music video published to YouTube - Launch Meta and YouTube pre-roll advertising campaign (Campaign 1) - Monitor Spotify for Artists data weekly; adjust playlist pitching based on early engagement - Coordinate any press coverage or interview requests through publicist - Post organic campaign content across Instagram and TikTok aligned with release week **June 2026 — "In DA DOE" Release** - June 15: "In DA DOE" goes live on all DSPs - Launch Campaign 2 Meta and YouTube pre-roll burst - File MAPL documentation for "In DA DOE" - Publicist pivots media outreach to second single; pursues any playlist adds earned from "INSIDE JOKE" **July 2026 — Campaign Sustain** - Publicist retainer concludes; document all press placements and industry contacts made - Continue organic social posting; use campaign learnings to optimize content format and timing - Review Spotify monthly listener data against 5,000 target - Begin identifying booking or sync opportunities generated by campaign **August 2026 — Assessment and Documentation** - Compile all campaign metrics: streams, video views, follower growth, press placements - Assess progress against stated outcomes; identify gaps - Begin scoping next release or project phase based on traction data **September–October 2026 — Reporting and Forward Planning** - Complete FACTOR interim or final reporting with documented metrics - Use press placements, streaming data, and industry contacts from campaign to inform next application or industry pitch - Identify follow-on recordings ("H2k," "SEMi [REVival] v2 7.1") for 2027 release planning

The campaign is built around two fixed release dates — May 20 and June 15, 2026 — and works backward from those anchors. Everything before May 20 is about generating awareness and anticipation. Everything after is about sustaining and converting that attention into measurable audience growth. **Platforms and Channels** Spotify is the primary streaming target. Both singles will be submitted to editorial playlists through Spotify for Artists a minimum of seven days before release, with supplementary pitching to independent curators in the hip-hop, trap, and experimental lanes handled by the publicist. Apple Music and YouTube are secondary DSP targets, with the music video acting as a discoverable asset on YouTube beyond the release window. On social, Instagram and TikTok are the duo's core organic channels. In the four weeks leading up to the May 20 release, the plan calls for consistent posting — a mix of behind-the-scenes content from the video shoot, audio snippets, and release countdown assets. TikTok in particular will be used to push short clips of "INSIDE JOKE V3" at or around the release date, capitalizing on the track's 85 BPM groove, which has the right pacing for short-form video without requiring editorial acceleration. **Paid Advertising** The $6,000 in Meta and YouTube ad spend is split into two campaign bursts timed to each release. The Meta campaign will target 18–34 listeners in Canada, the US, and the UK who follow hip-hop, dark trap, and experimental rap accounts. Lookalike audiences built from the publicist's press list contacts will be layered in where the platform allows. YouTube pre-roll will run against hip-hop, rap, and Toronto music content, driving traffic to the "INSIDE JOKE" video. Ad creative will be pulled from video shoot footage to keep costs contained and visual consistency high. Each ad unit will carry a clear call to action: stream on Spotify, follow on Instagram, or watch the full video. **Press and Playlist Strategy** The publicist's primary targets are Exclaim!, Complex Canada, and The FADER for editorial coverage, with secondary targets being hip-hop-focused blogs and playlist curators on SubmitHub and equivalent channels. The goal is three published pieces minimum across both singles. Any placement, even brief, creates a searchable press record that strengthens subsequent booking or industry outreach. **Audience** dem 1z's core listener is a 20–30 year old hip-hop fan in Canada or the US who already consumes experimental and dark rap — artists in the JPEGMAFIA, Billy Woods, or Toronto-rooted underground lane. The paid campaign will use interest targeting to reach that audience directly, while organic content and press outreach build credibility within it. The two audiences — discovered through ads, found through press — are meant to meet in the Spotify monthly listener count by late summer.

Before this campaign, dem 1z has a catalog and a release schedule. After it, they have documented audience data, press coverage, and a music video — the three assets that open doors the catalog alone cannot. The most immediate shift is practical. A publicist on retainer for four months produces relationships, not just placements. Editors who review "INSIDE JOKE" in May are the same editors who open emails about the next release. A booking agent who hears the duo has landed Exclaim! coverage and 5,000 Spotify monthly listeners has a different conversation than one hearing about them cold. The campaign does not just serve the May–June window — it builds the infrastructure that makes every subsequent ask more credible. The music video for "INSIDE JOKE" matters beyond the immediate rollout. A professional visual asset lives on YouTube indefinitely and is the single most-requested item from sync licensing supervisors, press contacts, and festival programmers. Right now, dem 1z cannot point to a video. After April 2026, they can. The streaming data that comes out of the campaign — whatever the number is — becomes the baseline for every future funding application, including subsequent FACTOR programs. Canadian music funders use prior streaming performance as a primary commercial viability indicator. Running this campaign and documenting its results, even at modest scale, transforms dem 1z from an applicant with no metrics to an applicant with a trajectory. That is not a small shift. Finally, the campaign tests which audiences actually respond to dem 1z's sound at scale. The paid advertising data — click-through rates, geographic concentration, platform behaviour — will directly inform where to focus the rollout of "H2k" and "SEMi [REVival] v2 7.1," both of which are in late development. The 2026 campaign is not the destination. It is the research.