A fter a decade of quietly helping Australian artists achieve self-sufficiency, the Seed fund started by WA musicians John Butler and his wife Danielle Caruana is calling on music fans to chip in.
The Seed has launched a Pozible campaign offering rewards ranging from â€oeSeedy Mixed Tapesâ€ and Elton John or Robbie Williams tickets to house concerts from Little   May, Marlon Williams or Butler and Caruana. 
The crowd-sourcing initiative, which aims to raise $40,000, follows the announcement of a big benefit gig in Melbourne next month featuring Butler, Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins, San Cisco and Emma Louise.
â€oeAustralian music fans are so passionate about Australian music, why donâ€[TM]t we let them get involved,â€ Butler says.
Since launching in 2005, the Seed has funded 400 band managers, projects and artists to the impressive tune of more than $920,000.
Butler and Caruana first had the idea on tour in 2003 after witnessing the wealth of Australian talent struggling financially.
â€oeWe were watching a lot of artists struggling to pay the rent and feed themselves through doing their art,â€ the 40-year-old former Fremantle busker says. â€oeWe thought â€˜Wouldnâ€[TM]t it be cool if we can help the artists along the way on the long road to becoming self-sustainedâ€[TM].â€
The following year Butlerâ€[TM]s single Zebra and chart-topping album Sunrise Over Seas were successful â€oeright in the last golden age of CD sales and we had some good finances to make this dream come trueâ€.
Initially called the JB Seed, the â€oeJBâ€ was dropped after the first few years to reflect funding from other high-profile acts, including Kelly, Higgins, Gotye and the Cat Empire, their management and other people.
The small team behind the fund quickly identified a lack of quality music managers within the Australian music industry.
â€oeThere are so many good artists out there and theyâ€[TM]re all looking for decent management,â€ Butler says.
â€oeManagers are off stage, out of the spotlight but extremely creative. I think a lot of people, especially artists, downplay how creative all the aspects of the music industry are sometimes.â€
Each year since 2005, 25 emerging managers or self-managed musicians, including at least one from each State, have attended annual three-day workshops featuring top Australian industry figures. The intensive seminars were held in the Blue Mountains until this year, when it will shift to Melbourne.
Managers sharing their experience and donating their time include Bill Cullen (Paul Kelly, Sarah Blasko), John Watson (Silverchair, Missy Higgins), Danny Rogers (Gotye, the Temper Trap) and Butlerâ€[TM]s manager Philip Stevens, who also looks after the Waifs and San Cisco. 
Tame Impala manager Jodie Regan attended in 2007 and has returned as a speaker.
â€oeEveryone leaves massively inspired and almost burnt out, they have so much information in their head,â€ Butler says. 
â€oeApart from all the information they walk away going â€˜Wow, thereâ€[TM]s so much generosity in the Australian music industryâ€[TM].â€ 
Other artists assisted, directly or indirectly, by the Seed include Dan Sultan, Boy & Bear, Ruby Boots, Husky Gawenda, the Veronicas, the Rubens and Holy Holy.
â€oePeople have even made their own versions of the workshops, which is very flattering, like (Melbourne singer-songwriter) Jen Cloherâ€[TM]s I Manage My Music,â€ says Butler.
The Seed  campaign at Pozible runs until   October 14. For more information, visit theseedfund.org .