The Music Aid Organization was originally formed in 1998 to support children in need. It has been an important non profit music presence since then working with some of the biggest names in music. Since its launch ten years ago Music Aid has provided resources and educational opportunities to musicians worldwide; provided schooling and educational opportunities to underprivileged children in the third world; helped and supported thousands of people wishing to enter the music industry; launched the annual International Music Awards; managed volunteer opportunities with the United Nations UNV project; distributed free musical instruments with the BBC; and promoted and supported many music benefit events and CDs that have helped to fund aid projects on three continents.

Music Aid is committed to providing opportunities for new talent to enter the music business and to focusing the power of the international music community to help combat the current climate crisis.

Music Aid was founded and launched in 1998 in England by London music business executive Alan Hardman. Returning from a journey around Asia he used his contacts to help some of the poorest children he had seen during his travels. Within a few months he organised the "Art of Music Festival”  -  a huge seven day event attended by over 100,000 people that took over an entire floor of the Whitley's complex in Central London with art exhibits, live music and dance. The festival was supported by many well known names and friends from the worlds of music, art and film including Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, TV personality and artist Rolf Harris and Sliding Doors film director and actor Peter Howitt. This event holds the record for the largest exhibition of music related art ever staged and included works by Andy Warhol, John Lennon, Peter Max and others as well as signed guitars and album covers from many famous names including Paul McCartney, John Lee Hooker, Oasis and Bono. The funds raised at this event were used to provide schooling for hundreds of poor village children in SE Asia and also provided funding to launch the World Music Foundation which operated for eight years as a registered international charity working with the United Nations UNV online volunteer project in the areas of poverty relief and music education before going independent in 2006. You can see some of the children that benefited in the photographs on this page.

Music Aid has worked with many respected partners that include the World Music Foundation, the BBC, the United Nations UNV program, the BRIT Trust and others. In 2006 Music Aid launched its annual International Music Awards to help undiscovered bands, solo artists, songwriters and musicians to launch careers in the music industry. 2008 sees the launch of the Music Aid Project - an ambitious four year plan that involves musicians and supporters on every continent. The project climaxes with the Music Aid concerts and events in 2012. This is the largest music project of its kind ever undertaken and Music Aid is seeking active involvement from every part of the globe. All musicians, performers, organizers, promoters, teachers, songwriters, producers, publicists journalists and others are invited to join in. For full details of the project and event, including the timetable, see the homepage. 

The Music Aid website has recently introduced an easy to use web portal in association with Google and the Open Directory Project. This is in beta and we ask all supporters and members of the international music community to try using this portal when they search the web as clicking on sponsored links and ads will help to cover some of  the Music Aid Project's promotional and internet costs. Visit the portal here.

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