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Music Canada’s Graham Henderson on “The Mastering of a Music City” at the Canadian Club of Toronto

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Yesterday, Music Canada President & CEO Graham Henderson delivered a speech at the Canadian Club of Toronto on ‘The Mastering of a Music City’, a new report that sets out how cities worldwide can take simple steps to help develop their music economies.

Video from the speech is now available online, courtesy of the Canadian Club of Toronto.

In his speech, Henderson highlighted some of the effective strategies outlined in the report, the benefits of a vibrant music economy, and early reactions to the report.

“There is a growing interest in Music City strategies,” said Henderson, as evidenced by the municipal leaders from around Ontario in attendance, as well as the recent Music Cities Convention in Brighton, UK, which was attended by representatives of 49 cities, as well as the widespread use of Music Canada’s 2012 Austin-Toronto report.

The Austin-Toronto report was cited in places as far away as Sydney, Australia, and adopted by cities like Chicago, explained Henderson. Community leaders in Tampere, Finland, and Kuala Lumpur, as well as throughout Ontario began asking for a road map, said Henderson. In order to satisfy this demand, Music Canada and IFPI set out to study music cities around the world, said Henderson.

In recapping reaction to the report, Henderson cited quotes from Kate Becker, Director of Seattle’s Film and Music Office, who said the Music Cities report is “brilliant and so important to advancing music cities and the music industry overall.” Erin Benjamin, Executive Director of Music Canada Live, called the report “a powerful tool for the live sector especially, to leverage ongoing and future conversations in our cities and towns across the country.”

Henderson also shared a quote from Toronto Mayor John Tory, who said:

“The Mastering of a Music City report reinforces in my mind the real potential of what supporting the music industry can do to transform and grow a real 21st century city. The report will provide the City recommendations on how to support the industry as we work on our aggressive timeline to develop a music strategy in consultation with the music community.”

On the topic of what makes Toronto a great Music City, Henderson cited elements identified in the development of the 4479 Toronto brand: “our city’s unique offering is that we have the most diverse – globally sourced music experience of any city in the world. Period. Our venues, many, like Massey Hall, steeped in music lore, range from intimate to world tour-worthy. Our audience is informed, passionate and open minded. And all of this is housed in this amazing, culturally diverse metropolis.”

On top of that, Toronto is “a city where music leaders and advocates are working alongside municipal leaders to enhance the music economy,” said Henderson. To that point, Henderson citied the City’s recent review of its postering regulations, an issue first raised in Music Canada’s Austin-Toronto report. Henderson then gave a shout out to Mike Tanner, Toronto’s Music Sector Development Officer, and Zaib Shaikh, Toronto’s Commissioner for Film and Entertainment Industries, for their efforts on this file.

Henderson also gave credit to London, Ontario, who recently announced a new music incubator, and Kitchener, who has established Music Works, a world-class ten point plan developed through a grassroots community consultation.

“Ontario communities are in the forefront of work being done to stimulate growth of the commercial music sector,” said Henderson, citing town hall meetings in Barrie, Collingwood, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Toronto and Windsor. The Government of Ontario has fostered these initiatives through the Live Music Strategy, said Henderson, which is intended to make Ontario a global destination for music tourism.

Henderson then went through some of the effective strategies identified in the report.

“Artists and musicians are undoubtedly the heart of a music city,” said Henderson, recapping a discussion with artist Miranda Mulholland, who said “it’s one thing to be music-friendly; let’s make sure it’s also musician-friendly.”

To this point, “you only need to look at the current musical landscape to understand why this piece is so critical today,” said Henderson, citing a study from the Canadian Independent Music Association, which found the average annual income of a musician is $7,000.

“In this environment, affordability becomes increasing crucial,” said Henderson. The Music Cities report provides recommendations on musician-friendly policies that cities like Austin are exploring to find a solution for artists’ growing costs of living.

Henderson also discussed the range of “music-friendly” policies outlined in the report, such as loading zones for musicians, progressive planning laws, and transportation or transit that facilitate access to venues for fans.

Most important for a music city is the establishment of a music advisory council, said Henderson, which creates the opportunity for two-way dialogue between the city, the music community, and other interested groups like tourism or BIAs.

On the topic of music tourism, Henderson cited Austin, Memphis, and Nashville as beneficiaries of an effective music tourism plan. Music provides one of the most compelling tourism products, said Henderson, calling it a “24 hour a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year opportunity.”

“Music tourism packs a punch,” said Henderson, noting that tourism is the largest employer of young people in the province. “It generates millions of dollars in concert and festival tickets, merchandise, hotels and restaurants – it creates jobs at all these businesses – and builds a city’s global brand.”

On the topic of why a city would want to grow its music economy, Henderson cited social and cultural benefits, as well as the unifying aspect of music, which is outlined in the report with examples from South Africa and Finland.

Henderson also outlined the tangible financial benefits of music, such as job creation, investment attraction, and dollars spent in the community. Examples from the Music Cities report include:

  • In Melbourne, live music alone generates over 116,000 jobs and more than $1 billion in spending at small venues, concerts, and festivals;
  • Music tourism in Austin accounts for almost half of their $1.6 billion economic output and contributes $38 million in tax revenue to the city
  • In 2013, the music industry helped to create and sustain more than 56,000 jobs within the Nashville area, supported more than $3.2billion of annual labour income, and contributed $5.5billion to the local economy.

While Toronto is cited throughout the report in terms of initiatives that could be emulated in other cities, Henderson also outlined some recommendations from other cities that could be adopted here, such as:

  • affordable housing for musicians as well as, additional training and professional development;
  • a plan to address the compliance issues that crop up on a frequent basis; and,
  • land use planning that takes into account culturally significant zones.

In addition, Toronto should develop:

  • An inventory of existing venues, recording studios, etc. in order to identify gaps; and,
  • A music hub or accelerator.

Henderson closed with another portion of Mayor John Tory’s reaction to the report, as an example of Toronto’s commitment to developing music and music-friendly policies.

“As City Hall pursues its vigorous agenda in supporting Toronto’s music sector, we look to sector leaders like Music Canada to continue their invaluable work in elevating and solidifying Toronto’s position as a world-leading music city. It is partnerships between the City and the music industry that will ensure Toronto becomes a thriving music city.” – Toronto Mayor John Tory

The full report is now available, and we welcome music leaders and advocates to utilize the recommendations – because the global music community only stands to gain if music-friendly, musician-friendly cities dot the globe.

 

Many in the audience tweeted highlights from the speech; below is some of the social media reaction:

@music_canada honcho Graham Henderson speaking about the The Mastering Of A Music City report. Impressive, as usual.

A photo posted by Stephen Coady (@commandercoady) on

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“New Music Fridays” Are Coming: Global Release Day Launches July 10th

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For music fans across the world, Fridays are set to become the day for newly-released music.

July 10th, 2015, will see the introduction of “New Music Fridays”, an aligned global release day for new music. The move, implemented by labels, retailers and artists internationally, means that fans in many countries will no longer have to wait for days to get access to newly-released tracks and albums.

Up until now, music has been released on different days of the week in various countries – from Mondays in markets such as France and the UK, through Tuesdays in the US and Canada and to Fridays in markets such as Australia and Germany. That will change on July 10th when new music will be released on Fridays at 00:01 local time around the world.

The move will mean fans can now get new music on the same day worldwide rather than having to wait for their own national release day. It puts an end to fans being unable to access music in their own country when it is legally available elsewhere, and the frustration that can cause.

Think new music…Think Friday

“New Music Fridays” are an opportunity for artists and labels to maximize awareness of newly-released music. Whatever country they are in, fans will now know – Friday is not just the start of the weekend – it’s the day for new music. This can help create more excitement and a sense of occasion around the release of new albums and singles.

With just one month to go before “New Music Fridays” takes effect, today sees the unveiling of the ‘New Music Fridays’ brand that will accompany the move. It will be available in more than 10 leading languages worldwide.

Consumers looking for information on the switch to a Friday release day can visit www.newmusicfridays.com which has all the details of the changes taking place.

Switchover plan

The preparations for the switchover to “New Music Fridays” have involved record companies, distributors and retailers working together to reconfigure their supply chains and marketing practices. At the same time, music charts in individual countries are changing so that they align with the new international release day.

The move to “New Music Fridays” will take place in more than 45 recorded music markets worldwide.. Of these, only 11 countries currently release music on Fridays, while the others will switch the day that new albums and singles become available.

The switch to global “New Music Fridays” has been overseen by an international steering group made up of the following organizations:

  • IFPI, representing some 1,300 record labels worldwide;
  • WIN-Impala, representing independent record labels worldwide
  • FIM, representing musicians’ unions and associations globally
  • Featured Artists Coalition representing UK performers;
  • Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) (UK),
  • Music Biz (US)

For further information on “New Music Fridays”, see our overview page or go to www.newmusicfridays.com.

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The Sheepdogs & MusiCounts Celebrate Funds Raised for Niagara-area School Music Programs through Hockey Night in St. Catharines

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Yesterday in St. Catharines, MusiCounts held a Band-Aid Celebration event at the DSBN Academy, which featured a special performance by three-time JUNO Award winners The Sheepdogs. The event was celebrating the $30,000 raised for MusiCounts through Hockey Night in St. Catharines 2014, supported by Music Canada and Partridge Wealth Management. DSBN Academy was one of three Niagara-area schools to receive $10,000 worth of instruments through MusiCounts’ Band-Aid Grant program, which has granted $595,000 worth of in musical instruments to 69 schools across Canada this year.

Local MP and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Heritage Rick Dykstra is the organizer of Hockey Night in St. Catharines, and was on hand to speak to the importance of music education and the impact that music can have in a community.

“Every year I have been amazed at the success of Hockey Night in St. Catharines and through United Way of St. Catharines and District, how we have been able to help fund vital programs for the disadvantaged in our community. But what is happening here today is pure magic,” said Dykstra. “Getting instruments into the hands of young people and giving them the gift of music is something that will enrich them all of their lives. I cannot thank MusiCounts, Music Canada and Partridge Wealth Management enough for helping all of this come together and I especially want to thank Ewan and Shamus Currie of The Sheepdogs for taking time out of their schedules to be with us on this very special day.”

During their performance, The Sheepdogs’ Ewan and Shamus Currie spoke of their own experience with music education growing up, and offered some advice to students at DBSN.

“Obviously music is a great opportunity, whether it’s a job or just a really awesome pastime or hobby,” said Ewan in an interview with Cogeco News. “I just want them to realize that maybe it seems difficult and a bit structured at first when you’re learning scales, and starting off with the basic building blocks, but it’s really a pathway that leads you to a lot of enjoyment and a really cool way to spend your time.”

Music Canada and our members Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada, and Warner Music Canada are proud supporters of the Band Aid Grant program. This is the third year of Music Canada’s partnership with MusiCounts, following a 2012 pledge of $250,000 over the next three years, which supports music education programs in schools in across the country.

Music education is a key priority of Music Canada as one of our five strategies in The Next Big Bang report, which recommends that given the strong evidence that music education prepares workers who are more creative, better problem-solvers, and possess soft skills that are critical in the digital economy, as well as the correlation between music scenes and tech clusters, governments should invest more in music education and should consider music scenes as a tool for economic development.

For more on the event, see coverage from TV Cogeco Niagara, Newstalk 610’s Larry Fedoruk Show, and the St. Catharines Standard, and the social media highlights below.

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Global Forum 2015: The Survival of the Creative Class

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The Global Forum at Canadian Music Week has earned a reputation as a hub for insightful commentary on issues pertinent to creators and the creatives industries. In recent years, the Global Forum has discussed grassroots advocacy with Blake Morgan, brand supported piracy with David Lowery, Chris Ruen, and Chris Castle, strategies for eliminating the digital theft of cultural content with Robert Levine and Dr. Brett Danaher, and how corporations enable digital theft with filmmaker Ellen Seidler. Music Canada is proud to return as a sponsor of the Global Forum, which features a compelling group of panelists for the 2015 edition.

For ten years or more we have heard about the importance of the creative class: that it is essential to the growth and success of businesses, as well as cities and regions. Cities that don’t attract the creative class, apparently fail.

But have we forgotten the fundamental elements of survival? Attracting the creative class is one thing but its members must be able to afford to work in their fields.

Scott Timberg is one of a growing number of people who say the creative economy is broken. According to Timberg, it is virtually impossible for creative artists from musicians to filmmakers, to journalists and book sellers, to earn a living. And the impacts are far-reaching.

Zoë Keating has experience trying to make a living as a full-time musician. A Canadian cellist, Keating didn’t set out to become an artist advocate but was thrust into the spotlight when she refused to back down against one of the largest intermediaries of music, YouTube, over her right to control how and when her music is distributed.

Blake Morgan is no reluctant advocate and since his appearance at The Global Forum in 2014, has seen his I Respect Music campaign log a major success with the recent introduction of bipartisan legislation in the U.S. to ensure artists are fairly paid on digital services and AM/FM radio.
Is survival of the creative class at risk? Has the artist middle class disappeared?
If so, at what cost? And what can we do about it?

Kate Taylor, a columnist with The Globe and Mail and frequent writer on technology, the media and music, will lead the panel in an hour-long discussion. The panel will be followed by moderated table discussions on potential solutions.

Update: video from the panel is now available online, and is embedded below.

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Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame Inductees Steve Kane and Cowboy Junkies Recognized at Queen’s Park

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This morning, 2015 Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame inductees Steve Kane and Cowboy Junkies were recognized at a breakfast event at Queen’s Park, which was well attended by more than thirty Members of Provincial Parliament from all three parties.

IMG_2395 Premier Kathleen Wynne dropped by the 2015 Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame breakfast to honour the new inductees Cowboy Junkies and Steve Kane, President of Warner Music Canada.

IMG_2432 Premier Kathleen Wynne dropped by the 2015 Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame breakfast to honour the new inductees Cowboy Junkies and Steve Kane, President of Warner Music Canada.

Amy Terrill, Music Canada’s VP of Public Affairs, provided welcoming remarks, commending the Ontario government for extending the Ontario Music Fund in the provincial budget last month, and reiterating Music Canada members’ commitment to continue to use the Fund to drive investment and job creation in Ontario’s music sector.

The Hon. Michael Coteau, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, also spoke at the event, noting that Ontario generates more than 80 per cent of Canada’s total recording industry revenue, which is a competitive advantage for the province.

IMG_2424 Premier Kathleen Wynne dropped by the 2015 Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame breakfast to honour the new inductees Cowboy Junkies and Steve Kane, President of Warner Music Canada.
After the event, Steve Kane and Cowboy Junkies’ Margo Timmins and Michael Timmins sat in the gallery of the legislature for Question Period, where they were introduced in statements by Sophie Kiwala, MPP, Kingston and the Islands, and Bill Walker, MPP, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound.

During the event, several MPPs took the opportunity to pose for photos with the inductees, which were shared on Twitter:

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Update: Artists react to proposal to extend the term for copyright of sound recordings in Canada to 70 years

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Budget 2015, announced on April 21, 2015, committed to extend the term of copyright for sound recordings in Canada to 70 years from 50 years. This is what some artists have had to say in reaction to the news:

“I applaud the efforts of our Government to extend the copyright protection term for our recording artists. It is only fair that they continue to reap the rewards of their creative works well into their dotage, when they need it most.”
– Anne Murray

 

“Thank you for recognizing all that the performers and producers put into creating music and their continued need to be recognized for that effort 70 years later. The government’s Budget 2015 amending the term of copyright is very much appreciated in the music community.”
– Alex Lifeson (Rush)

 

“As a Canadian band, we appreciate that our government recognizes the cultural and economic value in musical recordings, and has protected that value by extending the copyright term of those involved in producing these records.”
– Arkells

 

“The extension of the copyright protection for sound recordings has been long overdue in Canada. I beseech the Canadian government to do the right thing by their recording artists and bring our country up to the seventy year rule that most of the world has adopted. Why should Canada be the only country among our trading partners to lag behind? Our music has enriched the cultural landscape both here and abroad, and we the copyright holders of our albums should be fairly compensated. Thank you!”
– Liona Boyd

 

“I’ve been making music since the early 1970s. Term extension is a huge relief – in just a few short years I thought I would start to see copies of my work and no revenue. Not anymore, thank you PM Harper.”
– Myles Goodwyn

 

“It’s great that Canada has extended the copyright term to align with our international trading partners. This will allow labels to continue to invest in new Canadian artists.”
– Ladies of the Canyon

 

“Thank you PM Harper for recognizing the importance of extending copyright protection to recordings to 70 years, which will allow continued re-investment in the next generation of artists.”
– Brett Kissel


“Term extension is music to my ears and the ears of so many creators in Canada. Thank you.”
– Kim Mitchell

 

“By extending the term of copyright to match our major trading partners, the Canadian government is adding incentive for companies to invest in more Canadian recordings, which will help artists, and everyone in the recording ecosystem.”
– Miranda Mulholland


“Thank you to the federal government for encouraging more investment in Canadian artists and recordings by extending our term of copyright.”
– Brad Roberts (Crash Test Dummies)

 

“We’re glad to see Canada extend our length of copyright protection to terms consistent with other artists in other countries.”
– The Sheepdogs


“Canadian artists create music that is world-renowned and stacks up next to our counterparts from around the world – I’m thankful to the government that our Copyright laws now also stack up to our global counterparts.”
– The Tenors

 

“It is great to see Canada extend our copyright term to match our international counterparts, thank you for caring about the economic contribution music makes to Canada.”
– Tom Cochrane


“I’m still releasing albums but my fans love my older songs. Thanks to the federal government for the recent legislation. Its passage will make sure the sun doesn’t go down on my early songs.”
– Gordon Lightfoot


“As a member of the vast community of Canadian recording artists and labels, I am deeply grateful to this government for taking the initiative to bring even more of our copyright regulations in line with the rest of the world and other cultural industries such as publishing. The creativity which goes into a given performance and the recording process and arrangements should not be undervalued in the ultimate success of a composition. The copyright principle is an essential ingredient in a business model which should allow all creative participants to see a fair return on their investment of time, money, experience and education in the development of their career and product.”
– Loreena McKennitt


“PM Harper – you’ve made Canada’s music, and music industry, competitive with the rest of the world, thank you.”
– Toronto Symphony Orchestra

 

“As artists, ownership of our music is almost like a retirement plan. It is great to see that by extending Canada’s copyright term, the government is protecting that investment”
– Triumph


“Thanks for term extension PM Harper, you really are taking care of business.”
– Randy Bachman

 

“The world has changed since our original copyright laws were drafted. Every piece of music is, at least theoretically, with us forever. Extending the copyright term is an eminently sensible response to this new situation, and a welcome one!”
– Bruce Cockburn

 

“In just a few short years, songs we recorded in the late 1960s will no longer have copyright protection in Canada. Many of us in our 70’s and 80’s depend on income from these songs for our livelihood. We would deeply appreciate any adjustment that would avert a financial disaster in our lives.”
– Leonard Cohen

 

“We are thankful to the government for extending the commercial life of our music.”
– Cowboy Junkies

 

“I support extending the length of copyright for sound recordings in Canada to 70 years.  The copyright of a creative work should not expire in the lifetime of an author.”
– Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo)

 

“I’m glad that Canada has extended our copyright term, so we can continue to use the proceeds from classic Canadian recordings to invest in great Canadian talent.”
– Kardinal Offishall


“It is great to hear that Canada has extended our length of copyright for music recordings, which will help our songs maintain their value for years to come.”
– Serena Ryder

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Music Canada Commends The Ontario Government For Extending the Ontario Music Fund

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Toronto, April 23, 2015 – Music Canada applauds the Ontario Government for continuing to invest in one of the province’s competitive advantages, the music industry.

“The Ontario Music Fund firmly places music at the forefront of Ontario’s economic development and has increased substantially the amount of high-value work being done in the Province of Ontario,” says Graham Henderson. “The OMF is a competitive advantage no other province has. Music’s role as a cultural powerhouse, economic driver, job creator, investment stimulus, tourism asset, and community builder has been reaffirmed with today’s OMF extension.”

The Ontario Music Fund has succeeded in stimulating increased economic activity, foreign direct investment, growth of live music production and a focus on music tourism. Over the last two years, the OMF has generated private investment dollars to match the government investment dollar to dollar.

“Our members alone have invested over $3.5 Million in recording projects over the last two years that have resulted in projects being completed in Ontario that would have been bound for other provinces or the U.S., generating significant employment and raising the profile of our talented professionals here in this province,” adds Henderson.

Highlights include:

  • The recording of The Tenors’ latest album with 80 members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, generating additional opportunities for performance and collaboration between these music ensembles;
  • A Walk Off The Earth recording that would have been done in the U.S. but instead employed two Ontario producers and generated an estimated 1700 work hours;
  • The recording of Scott Helman’s debut EP “Augusta” and production of supporting videos has helped to launch a career. Since the release of “Augusta”, Scott has seen a drastic increase in his following across social media platforms and has toured Ontario with Colin James, played We Day in Ottawa for 17,000 fans, signed on with The Paradigm Agency for the U.S. territory, and hired Azoff Music Management to guide his career;
  • The production of numerous music videos including the Fall Out Boy video for “Centuries” that employed close to 90 music video professionals for two days and funneled production costs to the historic shooting location at Fort Henry.

Renewal of the Ontario Music Fund comes just a few weeks after Premier Wynne announced the recipients of the second round of funding at an event a Coalition Music in Toronto, saying “music moves the earth.”

– 30 –

For more information:
Quentin Burgess – Manager of Digital Media, Music Canada
qburgess@musiccanada.com 647-981-8410

Music Canada is a non-profit trade organization that represents the major record companies in Canada, namely 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.

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Backgrounder: Term Extension for Sound Recordings

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How Copyright Works & Canadian Copyright Law

Copyright is a form of intellectual property protection provided to a creator who expresses an idea in a creative work such as a sound recording. The owner of copyright in the creative work has the exclusive right to copy, use, distribute, and receive compensation for such uses of the work for a defined period of time. The copyright owner uses the time during which the creative work is protected by copyright to extract value from it and earn a living.

The Canadian Copyright Act sets out the time limitations for exclusive uses of compositions, written works, films, and sound recordings. Section 23 of the Copyright Act currently states that performers and producers of sound recordings are provided a term of protection of 50 years. In comparison, other copyrighted works such as books, films, and musical compositions are protected for 50 years after the creator’s death. When the term of copyright has expired, the works are commonly said to be in the public domain, meaning that they may be freely used, distributed and copied without knowledge of, or compensation to, the creator or other rights holder.

International Comparisons

Over 60 countries worldwide protect copyright in sound recordings for a term of 70 years or longer from the time of the recording (see list attached). Until today, Canada, with only 50 years of copyright protection, has been an outlier amongst developed countries.

Implications for Artists

A term of 70 years will mean that artists and other rights holders retain control of their sound recordings and can profit from them into their elder years. Without term extension for sound recordings, the early works of Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, and Anne Murray would be in public domain over the next five years.

For younger artists, additional profits derived by rights holders from older recordings will be reinvested in developing artists. The music industry is second to none in terms of reinvestment in new talent, with over 28% of revenue reinvested in 2014. As IFPI’s latest Investing in Music report illustrates, this is a greater percentage of revenue than the pharmaceutical, biotech, computer software or high tech hardware industries each invest in R&D.

Implications for Consumers

Public domain works, instead of being cheaper for the consumer, simply shift the value between different parties in the value chain. In the case of copyright-protected recordings, the performers continue to get paid for their work and profits are reinvested in new artists. Whereas for a public domain recording, the performer receives nothing; the additional value is instead taken as increased profit for the company distributing the public domain music. Consumers further benefit from copyright-protected works as businesses are incentivized to digitize and reissue classic recordings, often with remastering and additional and enhanced features and previously unreleased recordings. Studies have shown that there was no significant difference in the average price of recordings still under copyright compared to those in the public domain.   This is further demonstrated through a comparison of the price of recordings in the public and copyright-protected recordings of a similar quality: 1950s recordings in the public domain on iTunes are priced no differently than protected 1960s or 1970s recordings. In countries that have extended the term of copyright in sound recordings, as Europe did in 2012, term extension has not resulted in an increase to consumer pricing.

 

Appendix A:

Countries with copyright protection for sound recordings over 50 years

  1. United States (95)
  2. Mexico (75)
  3. United Kingdom (70)
  4. France (70)
  5. ermany (70)
  6. South Korea (70)
  7. Australia (70)
  8. Argentina (70)
  9. Austria (70)
  10. Netherlands (70)
  11. Spain (70)
  12. Italy (70)
  13. Norway (70)
  14. Slovenia (70)
  15. Sweden (70)
  16. Slovakia (70)
  17. Romania (70)
  18. Portugal (70)
  19. Poland (70)
  20. Lithuania (70)
  21. Latvia (70)
  22. Ireland (70)
  23. Bahamas (70/100)
  24. Saint Vincent (75)
  25. Samoa (75)
  26. Bahrain (70)
  27. Brazil (70)
  28. Burkina Faso (70)
  29. Chile (70)
  30. Costa Rica (70)
  31. Cote d’Ivoire (99)
  32. Micronesia (75/100)
  33. Morocco (70)
  34. Nicaragua (70)
  35. Oman (95/120)
  36. Palau (75/100)
  37. Colombia (80/50)
  38. Panama (70)
  39. Paraguay (70)
  40. Dominican Republic (70)
  41. Ecuador (70)
  42. El Salvador (70)
  43. Ghana (70)
  44. Grenadine (75)
  45. Guatemala (75)
  46. Honduras (75)
  47. Hungary (70)
  48. Greece (70)
  49. Finland (70)
  50. Estonia (70)
  51. Denmark(70)
  52. Czech Republic (70)
  53. Cyprus (70)
  54. Croatia (70)
  55. Bulgaria (70)
  56. Belgium (70)
  57. Peru (70)
  58. Singapore (70)
  59. Turkey (70)
  60. Iceland (70)
  61. Liechtenstein (70)
  62. Malta (70)
  63. Luxembourg (70)
  64. India (60)
  65. Venezuela (60)
  66. Bangladesh (60)
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Term Extension Benefits Canadian Artists, Music Companies and the Economy: Music Canada

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Ottawa/Toronto, April 21, 2015 – Music Canada applauds the Government of Canada’s 2015 Budget for announcing the intention to amend the term of copyright for sound recordings from 50 to 70 years.

“By proposing to extend the term of copyright in recorded music, Prime Minister Harper and the Government of Canada have demonstrated a real understanding of music’s importance to the Canadian economy. Thank you. We look forward to seeing the full details when the Budget Implementation Act is tabled,” says Graham Henderson, President of Music Canada.

“With each passing day, Canadian treasures like Universal Soldier by Buffy Sainte-Marie are lost to the public domain. This is not in the public interest. It does not benefit the creator or their investors and it will have an adverse impact on the Canadian economy,” adds Henderson.

Leonard Cohen reinforces the urgency of the problem, “In just a few short years, songs we recorded in the late 1960s will no longer have copyright protection in Canada. Many of us in our 70’s and 80’s depend on income from these songs for our livelihood. We would deeply appreciate any adjustment that would avert a financial disaster in our lives.”

This change will rectify the long-standing competitive disadvantage that Canadian artists and Canadian music has had by not being aligned with our international trading partners. A 70 year term of copyright has become the norm internationally. More than 60 countries worldwide protect copyright in sound recordings for a term of 70 years or longer, including all of Europe, the U.S., and Australia. Across Europe, Canadian artists are denied the full 70 year term of protection due to Canada’s shorter term of protection.

“The world has changed since our original copyright laws were drafted,” says Bruce Cockburn. “Every piece of music is, at least theoretically, with us forever. Extending the copyright term is an eminently sensible response to this new situation, and a welcome one!”

“I support extending the length of copyright for sound recordings in Canada to 70+ years,” adds Jim Cuddy.  “The copyright of a creative work should not expire in the lifetime of an author.”

Term extension fosters increased investment in new artists. With a significant average annual investment by music companies of over 28% of revenues in developing talent, the next generation of performing artists will benefit from this copyright amendment now and well into the future.

“I’m glad that Canada has extended our copyright term, so we can continue to use the proceeds from classic Canadian recordings to invest in great Canadian talent,” said Kardinal Offishall.

– 30 –

For more information:
Quentin Burgess – Manager of Digital Media, Music Canada
qburgess@musiccanada.com 647-981-8410

Music Canada is a non-profit trade organization that represents the major record companies in Canada, namely 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.

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Digital Music Report 2015 released by IFPI

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Today, the IFPI released the Digital Music Report 2015, which provides an extensive overview of the global digital music sector, including international market figures, market trends, and worldwide bestsellers information. The report notes that globally, digital music revenues matched physical format sales for the first time in 2014. Digital revenues rose 6.9% to US $6.9 Billion, representing 46% of all global music sales and underlying the industry’s transition over recent years. Overall global revenues fell slightly (0.4%) in 2014, to US $14.97 Billion.

Digital-Music-Report-2015The IFPI says the Digital Music Report shows an industry in continued transition, with consumers embracing music streaming and subscription models. Subscription revenues rose sharply in 2014, growing by 39%, which offset an 8% decline in digital download sales to grow overall digital revenues to US$6.85 billion. The number of paying users of subscription services increased by 46.4%, to an estimated 41 million people worldwide. Subscription services are now a major part of the industry’s portfolio of businesses, making up 23% of the digital market and generating US$1.6 Billion in trade revenues.

“The recorded music business has always led the way for creative industries in the digital world,” said Frances Moore, chief executive of IFPI. “That leadership continues today as the music industry’s digital revolution continues through new phases, driven by the consumer’s desire for access to, rather than ownership of, music. It is a reflection of how much we have adapted that digital revenues today are, for the first time, on a par with physical. The headline statistics of 2014 speak for themselves, with overall revenues still largely flat, down by 0.4 per cent. Music companies are charting a path to sustainable year-on-year growth. That path was never going to be straight, but we are making great strides along it, embracing new models, licensing, investing and improving consumer choice.”

Key trends highlighted in the report includes the increased consumer engagement with licensed digital services, based on a new research study undertaken by Ipsos across 13 of the world’s leading music markets, including Canada. The Ipsos research found that the rise of streaming is driven in large part by young consumers, and that there is substantial untapped potential for growth in paid subscriptions.

The report also notes that bundling partnerships between telecom and digital music companies are becoming standard in markets across the globe, and are playing a significant role in the growth in emerging markets. The report notes that services are also increasingly tailoring their payment models to reach various segments of the market, citing MTV Trax, which offers users in the UK access to 100 songs for £1 per week, ranging to Deezer Elite, which specializes in high quality audio for $20 per month.

The report also addresses the “value gap” in the digital music market, noting the market distortion caused by the way some digital services circumvent normal music licensing rules. The IFPI illustrates this by comparing the share of revenue rightsholders derive from services like Spotify and Deezer to those derived from platforms like YouTube and Dailymotion. The report estimates that music subscription services have 41 million paying subscribers and more than 100 million “freemium” users globally, which generated US$1.6 Billion in rightsholder revenues in 2014. By comparison, YouTube alone has more than one billion monthly users and is considered one of the most popular access routes to music, and yet generated just US$641 million for rightsholders in the same time period.

“The value gap is a fundamental flaw in our industry’s landscape which sees digital platforms such as Dailymotion and YouTube taking advantage of exemptions from copyright laws that simply should not apply to them,” said the IFPI’s Frances Moore. “Laws that were designed to exempt passive hosting companies from liability in the early days of the internet – so-called ‘safe harbours’ – should never be allowed to exempt active digital music services from having to fairly negotiate licences with rights holders. There should be clarification of the application of ‘safe harbours’ to make it explicit that services that distribute and monetise music should not benefit from them.”

The Digital Music Report also covers plans for Global Release Day, which is the industry’s decision to synchronize the release schedule for all markets, allowing consumers to access new music on the same day worldwide. Beginning July 10, 2015, Friday will become the new release day, reducing the risk of piracy by shortening the release gap between markets, and providing new marketing opportunities for record labels over the weekend.

The report also examines music’s impact in the wider economy, with data illustrating the effect of record companies’ investment in artists. The recording industry invested US$4.3 billion in 2013, which, at more than 15% of industry revenues, is a larger share than other sectors like leisure (6.3%) and automobiles (4.2%). This investment is a catalyst for economic activity, said Max Lousada, chairman and CEO of Warner Music UK. “As an industry we make financial investments in our arts that have a ripple effect on the wider economy, whether that is driving new and innovative businesses or creating work for all the specialists that work to develop and sustain artists’ careers from producers, graphic designers and stylists to lawyers and accountants.”

The report looks at the role of music in driving tourism, citing the experience from Austin, Texas, and research from Toronto and the United Kingdom. Music is also a major driver of activity on social media, as the report notes that seven of the ten most-followed people on Twitter are musicians, and nine of the top ten most-watched YouTube videos are music related.

The report also profiles industry efforts to counter piracy, which continues to be a massive problem for the music industry. Research by Ipsos shows that most consumers recognize digital piracy is harmful and should be addressed by governments and intermediaries. 52% of respondents in Ipsos’ survey agreed that downloading or streaming without the copyright owner’s permission was theft. 53% of respondents agreed that licensed services should appear above pirate sites in search engine results, and 52% agreed that companies should not advertise on pirate sites. The report identifies major brands found to be continuing to advertise on egregious pirate sites, which drives revenue for the pirate site and advertisers, but while those who create the music involved receive nothing.

In the global charts, the soundtrack to the motion picture Frozen was the top-selling album internationally, while Pharrell Williams’ Happy was the top-selling digital single. Taylor Swift received the IFPI’s Global Recording Artist Award in 2014, as the most popular artist across formats ranging from CD sales to YouTube views.

To view the full report, visit http://ifpi.org/digital-music-report.php.

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