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Release: 42 Canadian music community groups commit to fostering safe and respectful workspaces

Coalition of Canadian music organizations sign Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct, announce training & education resources will be available through Unison Benevolent Fund

March 16, 2019, London, ON: A coalition of Canadian music community groups has joined in solidarity and is working towards environments free of harassment, discrimination, violence, and bullying for the music community.

Today the coalition announced that 42 music groups have formally signed on to the Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct. By signing on to the Code, the organizations are acknowledging their responsibility to build safe, respectful workplaces, and are committing to improving and implementing policies to keep the music community safe.

As a first step, members of the coalition have formed an Education, Training and Safe Support Committee, which is working to provide each member of the Canadian music community with the appropriate resources and training to identify, confront and prevent harassment, bullying and violence in any workplace. Unison Benevolent Fund has volunteered to host a suite of educational and training resources through its website at no cost. These resources will be made available to the music community at a later date.

Today’s announcement was made at Allies in Action, an event focused on initiatives undertaken or underway to create safer spaces as the Canadian music community gathers in London, Ontario for the 2019 JUNO Awards.

Because of the uniqueness of the music business and the spaces in which musicians and music workers often operate, the coalition has added the following music-specific preamble to the existing Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct:

“We, the Canadian music community signatories, support the Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct. We recognize that in the music industry, the terms work, workplace and work-related, are extremely broad and can include any physical or virtual spaces at any time.”

You can read the full Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct at www.ReadTheCode.ca

Additional organizations that would like to sign on to the Code can register online. Once the form has been completed, new signatories should email a high resolution company logo to info@readthecode.ca with your organization’s name and “Becoming Code signatory” in the subject line.

Music industry groups that have signed on to the Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct are:

– 30 –

 

Supporting quotes

“The Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct addresses the distinct circumstances of music professionals, and the unique ways in which we work. Unison exists as a resource for the Canadian music community during times of crisis, and we look forward to investing in more proactive solutions that prioritize the safety of music workers. On behalf of the Unison Board of Directors, we would like to extend our most sincere thanks to the Education, Training, and Safe Support Committee for putting such a vital program together. We’re proud to partner with them to further serve the Canadian music community.”

– Amanda Power, Executive Director, Unison Benevolent Fund

 

“As organizations, CARAS and Music Canada deeply value respect, inclusiveness and excellence. Both organizations believe everyone working in this beautiful and complex music community deserves to feel safe and supported. To achieve this, we’re working on national initiatives like the Allies in Action event, as well as local CARAS partnerships in our host cities with groups like Anova in London and Good Night Out in Vancouver to make JUNO Awards events safe for everyone.

Signing the Code is a way for Canadian music community groups to affirm our dedication to our shared values, and to reinforce those values with action. Through the work of the Education, Training and Safe Support Committee, I’m very pleased that we will be able to offer all members of the Canadian music community the resources to help make all of our workplaces safer.”

– Jackie Dean, Chief Operating Officer, CARAS, The JUNO Awards, MusiCounts
Chief Financial Officer, Music Canada

 

“Canadian Federation of Musicians (CFM), as the union for professional musicians, is committed to representing and protecting its membership in all facets of their career. Signing the Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct represents the music community’s shared action towards creating a healthy culture with zero tolerance to all forms of harassment. Working to ensure health and safety in the workplace for our membership is one of the union’s many functions. We will continue to pledge our resources, support and expertise and proudly sign on behalf of our over 17,000 active Canadian members.”

– Liana White, Executive Director, Canadian Federation of Musicians

 

“The Code is a community statement and commitment that each signatory organization and company takes their own measures to discourage and address harassment in their workplaces.  It acknowledges that music industry workplaces are often non-standard workplaces, known as extended workplaces, and include studios, venues, bars, green rooms, and tour buses, among others. If we collectively are motivated to meet the commitments in the Code, it will help musicians and all workers across the industry feel safer and more enabled to collaborate, create great music, and ensure that there is a professional platform to share the work of the world’s best artists.”   

– Michael Adam Murray, Executive Director, Toronto Musicians’ Association (TMA), local 149

 

“Canada’s live music industry is doing its part to ensure that every live music space is a safe place through our recently launched Raising the Bar program. Raising the Bar addresses safer spaces, harm reduction and event safety at live music events – be they indoors or out, and will work to complement both the ethos and practical implications of the Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct. We are all in this together, and we are vigorously working to supplant systemic issues with positive change.”

– Erin Benjamin, Canadian Live Music Association President & CEO

 

“The Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct is a wonderful initiative that provides a uniform set of standards to ensure the safety and success of of our colleagues throughout the industry.”

– Samantha Slattery, Founder, Women in Music Canada

 

“It is important that we have all signed on to the Code as a community but now it is even more important that we look at ways to proactively change the way we do business.”

– Margaret McGuffin, Executive Director, Canadian Music Publishers Association

 

For more information:
Victoria Lord, VLPR Inc.
416-484-9047
victoria@vlpr.com

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42 organismes canadiens de musique s’unissent pour promouvoir la sécurité et le respect en milieu de travail

Une coalition d’organismes canadiens de musique signe le Code de conduite des industries créatrices du Canada et annonce que des ressources de formation et d’éducation seront disponibles par l’entremise du Fonds de bienfaisance Unison

London (Ontario), le 16 mars 2019: Une coalition d’organismes de l’industrie canadienne de la musique se donnent la main pour favoriser la création de milieux de travail exempts de harcèlement, de discrimination, de violence ou d’intimidation au service de la communauté musicale.  

La coalition a annoncé aujourd’hui que 42 organismes musicaux ont formellement signé le Code de conduite des industries créatrices du Canada. Ce faisant, les organismes signataires reconnaissent la responsabilité qui leur revient de créer des milieux de travail sécuritaires et respectueux, et ce, en s’engageant à améliorer et à mettre en œuvre des politiques conçues pour assurer la sécurité au sein de la communauté musicale.

Comme premier pas, les membres de la coalition ont formé de Comité d’éducation, de formation et de soutien, conçu pour offrir à tous et chacun des membres de la communauté musicale canadienne les ressources et la formation requises pour identifier, confronter et prévenir le harcèlement, l’intimidation et la violence, quel que soit le milieu de travail. Le Fonds de bienfaisance Unison s’est porté volontaire pour mettre gratuitement à disposition sur son site Web une série de ressources d’éducation et de formation. Ces ressources seront plus tard rendues disponibles à la communauté musicale.  

L’annonce d’aujourd’hui a été faite dans le cadre d’Allies in Action, un événement centré sur les initiatives en cours ou à venir visant à créer des espaces plus sécuritaires au moment où la communauté musicale canadienne converge vers London, en Ontario, pour le gala des Prix JUNO 2019.

Compte tenu du caractère unique de l’industrie de la musique et de la nature des espaces dans lesquels les musiciens et les travailleurs de l’industrie de la musique doivent souvent évoluer, la coalition a ajouté le préambule qui suit au Code de conduite des industries créatrices du Canada afin de le rattacher spécifiquement à la musique :

« Nous, signataires issus de la communauté musicale canadienne, soutenons le Code de conduite des industries créatrices du Canada. Nous reconnaissons que, dans l’industrie de la musique, les termes de travail, de milieu de travail et d’activité professionnelle sont extrêmement vagues et peuvent renvoyer à n’importe quel espace physique ou virtuel à n’importe quel moment. »  

On peut lire le texte intégral du Code de conduite des industries créatrices du Canada au www.LireLeCode.ca

Les organisations qui souhaitent signer le Code peuvent s’inscrire en ligne. Après avoir rempli le formulaire d’inscription, les nouveaux signataires devraient envoyer un logo à haute résolution de leur entreprise à l’adresse info@lirelecode.ca avec le nom de leur organisation et la mention «Devenir signataire du Code» dans la ligne Objet.

Les associations de l’industrie de la musique qui ont signé le Code de conduite des industries créatrices du Canada sont les suivantes :

– 30 –

 

Citations à l’appui

« Le Code de conduite des industries créatrices du Canada tient compte des circonstances particulières des intervenants de l’industrie de la musique ainsi que de la singularité de nos façons de travailler. Unison existe pour venir en aide aux membres de la communauté de la musique au Canada pendant les périodes de crise, et nous sommes impatients d’investir dans des solutions plus proactives qui privilégient la sécurité des travailleurs de l’industrie de la musique. Au nom du conseil d’administration d’Unison, nous tenons à présenter nos plus sincères remerciements au Comité d’éducation, de formation et de soutien pour avoir créé un programme aussi essentiel que celui-là. Nous sommes fiers de nous associer à eux pour mieux servir la communauté musicale du Canada. »

– Amanda Power, directrice générale, Fonds de bienfaisance Unison

 

« Comme organisations, CARAS et Music Canada attachent une grande valeur au respect, à l’inclusion et à l’excellence. Ces deux organisations croient que quiconque travaille dans cette belle et complexe communauté musicale a le droit de se sentir en sécurité et entouré. Afin d’y arriver, nous travaillons sur des initiatives d’envergure nationale comme l’événement Allies in Action ainsi que sur des partenariats locaux de CARAS dans nos villes hôtes avec des groupes comme Anova à London et Good Night Out à Vancouver afin de rendre les événements des Prix JUNO sécuritaires pour tous.

Pour les intervenants de la communauté musicale du Canada, l’adhésion au Code est une façon d’affirmer leur engagement pour nos valeurs partagées et de renforcer ces valeurs par l’action. Grâce à l’œuvre du Comité d’éducation, de formation et de soutien, je suis heureuse de pouvoir affirmer que nous pourrons offrir à tous les membres de la communauté musicale canadienne les ressources qui permettront de rendre plus sécuritaire l’ensemble de nos milieux de travail. »

Jackie Dean, chef des opérations, CARAS, les Prix JUNO, MusiCompte;
directrice financière, Music Canada

 

« À titre de syndicat de musiciens professionnels, la Fédération canadienne des musiciens (FCM) s’engage à représenter et à protéger ses membres dans tous les domaines de leur carrière. La signature du Code de conduite des industries créatrices du Canada représente une démarche collective de la communauté musicale pour la création d’une culture saine caractérisée par une tolérance zéro face au harcèlement sous toutes ses formes. Nos efforts pour assurer la santé et la sécurité du milieu de travail pour nos membres s’inscrivent dans les nombreuses fonctions du syndicat. Nous continuerons d’engager nos ressources, notre soutien et nos compétences et à adhérer fièrement au Code au nom de nos membres canadiens actifs, qui sont au nombre de plus de 17 000. »  

Liana White, directrice générale, Fédération canadienne des musiciens

 

« Le Code est un énoncé et un engagement communautaire visant à ce que chaque organisation et entreprise signataire prenne ses propres mesures pour décourager et faire face au harcèlement dans son milieu de travail. Il reconnaît que les milieux de travail de l’industrie de la musique sont souvent des espaces atypiques qu’on désigne sous le nom de milieux de travail élargis et qui peuvent être des studios, des lieux de spectacle, des bars, des salons verts et des autobus de tournée. Si nous nous engageons collectivement à respecter les engagements du Code, cela aidera les musiciens et l’ensemble des travailleurs de l’industrie de la musique à se sentir plus en sécurité et mieux encouragés à collaborer, à faire de la belle musique et à assurer l’existence d’une plateforme professionnelle permettant de partager les œuvres des meilleurs artistes du monde. »  

Michael Adam Murray, directeur général, Toronto Musicians’ Association (TMA), local 149

 

« L’industrie canadienne de la musique sur scène fait sa part pour assurer que chaque espace consacré à la musique en direct soit un milieu sécuritaire grâce au programme Raising the Bar que nous venons de lancer. Ce programme porte sur l’amélioration de la sécurité des espaces, la réduction des risques et la sécurité des événements musicaux en direct – qu’ils soient présentés en salle ou en plein air – et il servira de complément à la philosophie et aux implications pratiques du Code de conduite des industries créatrices du Canada. Nous sommes tous concernés, et nous nous affairons tous vigoureusement à remplacer les problèmes systémiques par des changements positifs. »

Erin Benjamin, présidente et chef de la direction, Association canadienne de musique sur scène

 

« Le Code de conduite des industries créatrices du Canada est une excellente initiative qui nous présente un ensemble de normes uniformes permettant d’assurer la sécurité et le succès de nos collègues à la grandeur de l’industrie. »

Samantha Slattery, fondatrice, Women in Music Canada

 

« Il est important pour chacun de nous d’avoir signé le Code en tant que communauté, mais il est maintenant encore plus important pour nous d’apprendre à modifier de façon proactive notre manière de faire des affaires. »

Margaret McGuffin, directrice générale, Association canadienne des éditeurs de musique

 

 

Pour de plus amples renseignements :
Victoria Lord, VLPR Inc.
416-484-9047
victoria@vlpr.com

 

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Pop Evil receive first Canadian Gold plaques in Toronto

American rock band Pop Evil kicked off their Canadian tour in Toronto last week with a sold out show at Lee’s Palace. Prior to hitting the stage, the band was surprised by eOne with Gold plaques for their single “Footsteps,” which is the lead track from their 2015 album Up. 

The band shared the news on Instagram, thanking their fans and label for help making the song reach Gold status in Canada.

The band will wrap the Canadian leg of their tour on December 3 in Saskatoon, SK. Watch the video for “Footsteps” below, and stream the song now on our Gold In Canada playlist.

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IFPI releases Music Consumer Insight Report 2018, highlighting global trends in music listening habits

Today, IFPI released its 2018 Music Consumer Insight Report, an in-depth study of global music listening habits across 20 of the world’s largest music markets, including Canada, among music consumers aged 16-64.

“This year’s Music Consumer Insight Report tells the story of how recorded music is woven into the lives of fans around the world.  As it becomes increasingly accessible, it continues to be embraced across formats, genres and technologies,” said IFPI Chief Executive Frances Moore in a release. “Record companies are working with their partners to sustain and develop these rich and diverse ways in which music is being enjoyed, ensuring that it continues on its exciting journey around the world.”

One of the key highlights from the report is the ubiquity of on-demand streaming. 86% of consumers globally are listening to music through an audio or video on-demand service. 56% of listeners in Canada engage with music through on-demand audio services, just slightly below the global average of 61%.

Within this high usage of on-demand streaming though, it is user-upload services that continue to dominate consumption. The report notes that globally, 47% of time spent listening to on-demand music is on YouTube, compared to 28% on paid audio streaming services and 20% on free audio streaming.

Music piracy also remains a significant issue, as 38% of music consumers reported obtaining music through methods that infringe copyright. 32% of consumers report obtaining music through stream ripping, making it the most dominant form of copyright infringement.

“However, this report also shows the challenges the music community continues to face – both in the form of the evolving threat of digital copyright infringement as well as in the failure to achieve fair compensation from some user-upload services,” said Moore. “Policymakers around the globe have been scrutinising these issues and increasingly acting to address them.”

Recent votes in the United States Senate and European Parliament have added even more urgency for Canadian policymakers to take similar action. Music Canada remains committed to working with the federal government to address the challenges hindering the proper functioning of our music marketplace, and to close the Value Gap in Canada.

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Dan + Shay receive Platinum plaques in Toronto

Photo Credit: Warner Music Canada

Country stars Dan + Shay have had an incredible 2018 lead by the success of their single “Tequila,” which was officially certified Canadian Platinum on June 1, 2018. Ahead of their opening slot for Rascal Flatts at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage last week, Warner Music Canada presented with duo with plaques commemorating the Platinum certification.

“Tequila” is their second Platinum certification in Canada, having received one in 2017 for their hit “From The Ground Up.” They also have two more Gold certifications in Canada for “19 You + Me” and “Nothin’ Like You.”

Watch the music video for “Tequila” below.

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Polaris Music Prize reveals 2018 Short List

 

The ten album Short List for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize was announced earlier today at CBC headquarters in Toronto. CBC Music Morning host and Polaris juror Raina Douris, who will host the 2018 Polaris Music Prize Gala, announced this year’s list alongside Polaris founder and Executive Director Steve Jordan.

The 2018 Polaris Music Prize Short List is:

  • Alvvays – Antisocialites
  • Jean-Michel Blais – Dans ma main
  • Daniel Caesar – Freudian
  • Jeremy Dutcher – Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
  • Pierre Kwenders – MAKANDA at the End of Space, the Beginning of Time
  • Hubert Lenoir – Darlène
  • Partner – In Search Of Lost Time
  • Snotty Nose Rez Kids – The Average Savage
  • U.S. Girls – In A Poem Unlimited
  • Weaves – Wide Open

The annual Polaris Music Prize recognizes excellence in Canadian music based solely on artistic merit, judged by a panel of music critics, with no regard for sales, popularity, or genre. This year’s winning artist will be awarded a $50,000 prize, while the nine other acts on the Short list will receive $3,000 each courtesy of Slaight Music. The winning album will be announced at the Polaris Gala at The Carlu in Toronto on September 17, and will also be live streamed by CBC Music.

The 2018 Polaris Music Prize Short List reveal can we viewed below.

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Music Cities Summit 2018: ‘From Scratch’ Panel Recap

On Saturday May 12th, Music Canada held its third annual international Music Cities summit The Mastering of a Music City during Canadian Music Week. City professionals, policy-makers, industry executives, and music community members all gathered to discuss topics related to the value of music, its economic impact, and its relationship to innovative city planning and creative entrepreneurship. Click here to view more recaps of panels from the summit. 

The morning featured a panel entitled From Scratch: Imagining and Implementing New Programs and Partnerships, which discussed lessons imparted by successful music industry leaders on topics including identifying the needs in their communities, strategies to persuade partners and funders, and methods of benchmarking programs for sustainability.

The discussion was moderated by Gene Meneray of the The ELLA Project, and included panelists Elizabeth Cawein, Founder/Director of Music Export Memphis; Enzo Mazza, CEO of the Federation of Italian Music Industry (FIMI); Kelly Symes, Ontario Festival of Small Halls; Madalena Salazar, IMTour, Western States Arts Federation.

The panel kicked off with a conversation of the importance of engaging both the music and wider community when building up the programs. Kelly Symes discussed on how for an initiative like the Ontario Festival of Small Halls, securing community buy-in was an essential component of the process.

Elizabeth Cawein similarly touched on the role of audience development for a project like Music Export Memphis, which acts as an international export office to create opportunities for Memphis musicians to showcase outside the city.

Another major topic of discussion was the role of funding for non-profit initiatives, and strategies that can be utilized to help ensure proposed funding is robust enough for the program’s needs, and consistent enough to start building towards sustainability.

Madalena Salazar described how the US-based organization IMTour worked to diversify their funding sources to not only rely on the National Endowment for the Arts, but to also utilize fundraising and other strategies.

The panelists also touched on the positive impact that fostering strategic partnerships can have on a growing organization. Enzo Mazza discussed the important role that local political support had on the organization FIMI in its early stages, and how this attracted the interests of other prominent companies. Mazza highlighted how media organizations in particular were crucial to FIMI’s success, as the support of companies like VH1 helped lead to sponsorships by other major companies.

Watch a video of the full discussion below, and stay tuned next week for a recap of another exciting panel.

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What was said: Witnesses at Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage’s study of remuneration models for artists and creative industries – May 29, 2018

On Tuesday, May 29, Music Canada’s President and CEO, Graham Henderson, appeared before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage as they heard testimony from witnesses on remuneration models for artists and creative industries. The study is part of the five-year statutory review of the Canadian Copyright Act.

Henderson joined Dominic Trudel, Chief Executive Officer of the Conseil québécois de la musique, and Andrew Morrison of The Jerry Cans for the first session of the day, which took place from 8:45am – 9:45am. An archived audio recording of the meeting is available on the House of Commons website and the full text of Henderson’s testimony has been published on the Music Canada website. The meeting featured testimonies from the three witnesses as well as a Q&A period, where Committee Members posed questions to the witnesses.

A selection of quotes from the meeting is included below. Any translations have been taken directly from the House of Commons audio archive.

Dominic Trudel, Chief Executive Officer of the Conseil québécois de la musique

“The promise of the digital era was that it would eliminate intermediaries in the distribution and production chain and directly link creators to their fans. Others said we would achieve a golden age of stage performances that would supersede the sales of sound recordings as a motor of the industry. All of these promises have not borne fruit and there are still problems in transforming digital content into significant revenue.” – Trudel quoting Guillaume Sirois’ report Le développement de contenus numériques dans le domaine de la musique de concert.

“Although the application of copyright and the payment of royalties in the digital era remain a main issue for the remuneration of musicians, digital change has also had a significant impact on their ability to produce, broadcast and promote music. The pay of creators is therefore affected throughout the process.”

“New methods of consuming music are almost exclusively designed for popular music and are poorly tailored to the realities of classical music. This can impact composers, musicians and a number of different components of the classical domain.”

Andrew Morrison, The Jerry Cans

“We incorporate throat singing and we are very weary now because throat singing is now becoming an internationally-known art form with Tanya Tagaq and her collaborations and with The Jerry Cans and a few other artists. But we wonder how that kind of relates and how that throat singing can be used and how traditional art forms should be protected and should be ensured that they’re compensated when they’re being performed on international scales.”

“Songs that we make and songs that we produce – it’s such a small part of our income generation – and I think that’s because of what’s happening in the copyright world. We’re losing such control and such power over our own music and our own creative forms. And we’re very confused, I think, about what to do about it, cause we feel a bit powerless about where our money’s coming from.”

“I am hopeful that we can figure out a way, because I do think that we’ve toured with some international artists and they see Canada as a very special place and they think that the support for music in this country is very strong and we need to keep it that way. But I also think we need to figure out how to more properly compensate artists for their music specifically, because touring is TIRING as you can see.”

“I do think it’s important to present the artist’s perspective. Sometimes I think that we get lost in the conversations because these things are quite complex and we struggle to understand the world of copyright. I think that there’s lots to be done and when Graham was talking about middle class artists I was like ‘I want to be one of those.’ (laughs) If we had a pie chart out…our revenue, what comes from copyright, is so little now. And that’s young artists. The older generation is telling me of the glory days of getting royalty cheques and I say ‘sweet, what’s that? I’ll buy you a coffee with mine.’ I do think there’s potential to figure it out…”

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Amy Terrill’s remarks from the JUNOs 2018 Chairman’s Reception

Minister Joly, Ministers Beare and James, Mayor Robertson, Mark, Allan, industry colleagues and friends, it is my pleasure to speak to you this evening on behalf of Music Canada.

Before I go any further I also want to thank the BC government for its confidence in the music sector and continued investment.  The excitement is palpable.  Amplify BC will produce great dividends for BC communities, artists and the broader ecosystem.  Thank you.

Tonight I’d like to focus my remarks on the idea of challenging the status quo.

And to underline the importance of action – both individual and organizational.

Music Canada is proud to have made a commitment to leadership in our industry by among other things – refusing to do things one way simply because it’s the way it has always been done.

Our board – Shane, Steve and Jeffrey – and our staff team led by Graham are proud of our efforts to embrace and encourage new ideas with a bias towards action.

But don’t just take my word for it.  Let me give you a few examples.

It’s why we did something no one had done before in taking on the issue of Music Cities.

Why in 2011 we began to examine the way municipalities interact with their music communities and how they can grow the music economy for the benefit of the entire city but also specifically for artists and the larger music ecosystem.

Challenging the status quo is why our work resonated and is used on every continent.  It has led a dozen cities in Canada alone to begin the process of developing music strategies – most recently reflected in the exciting announcement yesterday by Mayor Robertson.

 

Our commitment to challenge the status quo also led us to broaden the conversation with provincial governments, stressing the importance of music as a regional economic driver, in addition to a cultural powerhouse.

Our commitment to challenge the status quo is why we won’t give up on our advocacy for quality music education for all young people – no matter where they live, or their family’s income.  There are simply too many benefits.  The focus on STEM – Science – technology- engineering and math – is deficient.  Arts and humanities must be on equal footing.  STEAM should be our goal.

Our commitment to challenge the status quo has also led us to help artists voice their concerns and solutions. It’s why we champion the work of the brilliant artist advocate Miranda Mulholland and encourage creators to get involved in the current copyright review.

And it’s why the theme of our JUNOs participation this weekend is our advocacy support for artists at every stage of their career.

One of the biggest challenges for music creators is the Value Gap. In an era of unprecedented music access and consumption, creators are receiving a fraction of what they should be paid for the use of their music, and a middle class of musicians – the JUNO nominees of today and tomorrow – is in serious jeopardy.

But we don’t have to simply accept the outdated laws that contribute to the Value Gap.

The status quo.

No.  We should all call upon the federal government to address safe harbours and industry cross-subsidies that undermine a viable marketplace.  And we – our friends at SOCAN and other partners – are doing just that.

And finally challenging the status quo is why we’ve begun an organizational review to ensure that we are ready to tackle current issues facing our community and to prioritize the values of inclusion and diversity.  It’s why we have led conversations on these vital topics –  including last year at CMW’s global forum when we focused on indigenous communities – and at our fall meeting – on gender inequality.  We’ll continue the conversation on inclusion and accountability in May at CMW.

Change will not happen naturally. If it did, we wouldn’t be where we are today.  In our industry. Or in society.  We would not be faced with inequality.

We can’t wait for a natural evolution to occur.

Sometimes change needs to be forced even if it’s uncomfortable and each one of us – as individuals – and as organizations have a responsibility to do our share.

So, to all our partners in the room who are also challenging the status quo, whether by diversifying your boards, mentoring and empowering women or other underrepresented groups to have a greater presence in music production or management, or across nominations categories right here at the JUNOs, we stand with you and we support you. To all who understand the contribution of Canadian artists and believe in the power of music to our economy, our culture and our educational system, let’s continue to work together to create the change we all believe in. Thank you.

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British Columbia music community celebrates new music fund, AMPLIFY BC

Vancouver, March 22, 2018: Music BC and Music Canada today applaud the Government of British Columbia’s announcement of a new music fund for the province called AMPLIFY BC. Administered through Creative BC, the new Fund will provide much-needed support for the development of BC artists and musicians, music companies, skills development and live music production, stimulating economic growth and activity in the sector.

“Music Canada would like to applaud the Government of BC and Minister Beare for this important investment which demonstrates their confidence in the music sector,” says Amy Terrill, Executive Vice President of Music Canada. “The intense interest in the former BC Music Fund’s suite of programs underscores that BC is home to a vibrant, diverse and engaged music community ready to take their songs and businesses to the next level. With this new investment BC will continue to benefit from leveraged private and other government dollars, and ensure the BC music sector remains competitive with other jurisdictions.”

The announcement was made during JUNOs Week, as the Canadian music industry was congregated in Vancouver for the 47th annual JUNO Awards, celebrating excellence in Canadian music while also showcasing Vancouver, and the province’s music sector to the rest of the country.

“This is a great day for the province’s music scene allowing us to build on the momentum of the last two years,” says Alex Grigg, Executive Director of Music BC. “In this time, our industry has focused on helping BC artists develop their careers and showcase their talent around the world, boost business in BC studios, create greater opportunities for live music performances that bolster activity in our communities, and facilitate professional development so that we can build a stronger, more sustainable industry. On behalf of the staff, board of directors and the BC music industry we extend our gratitude to the Government of BC and Minister Beare for their continued support and investment into the BC Music sector.”

Music BC and Music Canada would also like to thank all members of the BC music community who participated in the effort to secure provincial funding and shared their insights, experiences and success stories. The one-year investment of $7.5 million will contribute to BC’s strong and vibrant communities and also benefit BC tourism, arts and creative industries, and small business development.

-30-

 

For more information:

Corey Poole, Music Canada
cpoole@musiccanada.com
(647) 808-7359

Neesha Hothi, Music BC
nh@neeshcommunications.ca
(604) 715-6057

 

About Music Canada
Music Canada is a non-profit trade organization that represents the major record companies in Canada: Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada and Warner Music Canada. Music Canada also works with some of the leading independent record labels and distributors, recording studios, live music venues, concert promoters, managers and artists in the promotion and development of the music cluster. For more on Music Canada, please visit www.musiccanada.com

About Music BC
Music BC Industry Association is a not for profit association serving the for profit and non-profit music industry, including artists from all genres, industry professionals, service providers, studios, promoters, venues, festivals, producers, agents, managers and educational institutions. For more on Music BC, please visit www.musicbc.org

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#EveryStage: Why copyright is so crucial for Canada’s music sector and an important part of Music Canada’s advocacy efforts

Leading up to the 47th annual JUNO Awards, Music Canada is highlighting the ways in which our advocacy supports Canadian artists at every stage of their careers. So far, we have profiled our work regarding music education and Music Cities. In this week’s edition, we highlight our advocacy efforts regarding copyright, which is crucial for all artists.

Copyright effectively underpins the entire music ecosystem – it is copyright that allows creators to sell and license their music in today’s wide array of platforms, and it is copyright that protects the investment that artists and labels make in their career.  As the Canadian Intellectual Property Office outlines in the video below, copyright allows creators to control how their work is used and allows them to monetize their work when it is used.

Music Canada represents Canada’s recording industry to government and public agencies on many different fronts, including how laws, regulations and policies affect music creators. Federally, copyright advocacy is a big part of that role. In addition, Music Canada plays an important role as a collaborator with artists and other industry organizations in the Canadian music and cultural industries to advocate for the creation of a functioning marketplace where creators are paid fairly every time their work is used. Music Canada is a thought-leader on the importance of strong support for creators in the Copyright Act, particularly in highlighting the real-world effects it has on artists and their livelihoods. Reforming Canada’s Copyright Act to ensure that creators are paid when their work is commercialized by others is our top priority.

Currently, the biggest challenge for the music industry in Canada and around the world is known as the Value Gap. The Value Gap is defined as the significant disparity between the value of creative content that is accessed and enjoyed by consumers, and the revenues that are returned to the people and businesses who create it.

At the heart of the Value Gap for music is misapplied and outdated “safe harbour” provisions in copyright law, which result in creators having to forego copyright royalty payments to which they should be entitled, and amount to a system of subsidies to other industries.

Music Canada’s recent report, The Value Gap: Its Origins, Impacts and a Made-in-Canada Approach, examines the Value Gap and its causes, and demonstrates how it impacts artists, businesses and our nation’s cultural foundations, with a particular focus on music. The report includes recommended steps that Canada’s federal government can take today to address the inequities that artists face due to the Value Gap.

In addition to our Value Gap research, Music Canada has been a lead advocate for reforming the Copyright Board. This is another priority for the music sector, as the rates set by the Board directly impact the value of music and the amount that artists and labels receive for their music and investments. Music Canada is calling on the federal government to reform the Board so that tariff rates are set faster, more efficiently and more predictably – all in the name of royalties that better reflect the true value of music in a functioning music marketplace.

As part of Music Canada’s advocacy on Board reform, we have participated in the Senate hearings on the Copyright Board, the government consultation on reforming the Board, and the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage’s Review of the Canadian Music Industry, each time appearing as a key stakeholder in favour of full and meaningful reforms. Music Canada’s Graham Henderson also raised the issue in a recent Policy Options op-ed, and in a speech before the Economic Club of Canada citing the need for reform of the Copyright Board as a key priority for government.

Next week, as JUNO Week kicks off in Vancouver, we’ll conclude our #EveryStage series by profiling Music Canada’s efforts to celebrate success in Canada’s music sector, including our Gold/Platinum program and partnerships with the JUNOS and other awards that celebrate Canadian music.

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