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Music Canada celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Gold & Platinum Certification Program at the JUNOS

Posted March 29, 2025 by Regan Reid

In honour of the 50th anniversary of Music Canada’s Gold & Platinum Certification Program, we have teamed up with the JUNOS to create a truly unique ode to the albums and songs Canadians have loved most over the past five decades.

As JUNO-nominated artists and their teams walk the gold carpet at the JUNO Awards Gala Presented by Music Canada in Vancouver, they’ll be greeted by a 12-foot by 24-foot wall showcasing 50 Gold & Platinum-certified plaques – one from each year of the Program’s history.

The Gold & Platinum Certification Program honours milestone sales and streaming accomplishments of artists in Canada. Fifty years on, the iconic plaques continue to be the most recognizable symbol of commercial success in the music industry.

Selecting 50 plaques to display at the JUNOS was no easy task, given that Music Canada has issued more than 30,000 certifications over the years. Our team scanned the archives and recent certifications, selecting one Canadian artist with a JUNOs connection for each year of the Program’s history.

The final selection of 50 alternating Gold and Platinum plaques offers a unique snapshot into the variety of artists and music that Canadians have loved over five decades.

“Each of the artists celebrated on this wall earned their Gold and Platinum certification because Canadian music listeners chose to buy their records, purchase their digital downloads, and stream their music,” says Patrick Rogers, CEO of Music Canada. “As the voice of commercial music in Canada, we are proud to celebrate our Program’s milestone at the JUNOS – an event unlike any other – when the Canadian industry gathers to toast the incredible talent this country has to offer.”

In addition to highlighting the work of great Canadian artists, the Wall also offers a look at how Canadians have listened to music. As the industry evolved, so too did the Program, certifying everything from physical singles, ringtones, and DVDs to digital downloads, audio and video streaming.

It’s also important to note that the selected plaques include the certification as it was issued in the year specified – but many of these songs and albums have gone on to reach even higher levels of certification.

As the Canadian music industry gathers in Vancouver to celebrate the 2025 JUNO Awards, we’d like to thank the team at CARAS for providing us the opportunity to shine a light on our Program. Be sure to check out our Gold & Platinum wall on March 28 at the JUNO Awards Gala, and follow Music Canada on social media for more.

Below, the 50 selected plaques that will be showcased:

Year	Artist	Title	Certification
1975	PAUL ANKA	I DON’T LIKE TO SLEEP ALONE	GOLD PHYSICAL SINGLE
1976	ANDRE GAGNON	NEIGES	PLATINUM ALBUM
1977	DAN HILL	DAN HILL	GOLD ALBUM
1978	RUSH	2112	PLATINUM ALBUM
1979	TRIUMPH	TRIUMPH	GOLD ALBUM
1980	GINETTE RENO	JE NE SUIS QU’UNE CHANSON	DOUBLE PLATINUM ALBUM
1981	ROUGH TRADE	AVOID FREUD	GOLD ALBUM
1982	LOVERBOY	GET LUCKY	DOUBLE PLATINUM ALBUM
1983	MEN WITHOUT HATS	SAFETY DANCE	GOLD PHYSICAL SINGLE
1984	ANNE MURRAY	ANNE MURRAY’S GREATEST HITS	SIX TIMES PLATINUM ALBUM
1985	LUBA	LET IT GO	GOLD PHYSICAL SINGLE
1986	GLASS TIGER	THE THIN RED LINE	PLATINUM ALBUM
1987	K.D. LANG AND THE RECLINES	ANGEL WITH A LARIAT	GOLD ALBUM
1988	CELINE DION	INCOGNITO	PLATINUM ALBUM
1989	LEONARD COHEN	I’M YOUR MAN	GOLD ALBUM
1990	ALANNAH MYLES	ALANNAH MYLES	QUINTUPLE PLATINUM ALBUM
1991	LOREENA MCKENNITT	THE VISIT	GOLD ALBUM
1992	THE TRAGICALLY HIP	FULLY COMPLETELY	PLATINUM ALBUM
1993	BLUE RODEO	5 DAYS IN JULY	GOLD ALBUM
1994	BARENAKED LADIES	GORDON	EIGHT TIMES PLATINUM ALBUM
1995	ALANIS MORISSETTE	JAGGED LITTLE PILL	GOLD ALBUM
1996	JANN ARDEN	LIVING UNDER JUNE	QUINTUPLE PLATINUM ALBUM
1997	OUR LADY PEACE	CLUMSY	GOLD ALBUM
1998	SUSAN AGLUKARK	THIS CHILD	TRIPLE PLATINUM ALBUM
1999	DEBORAH COX	ONE WISH	GOLD ALBUM
2000	GREAT BIG SEA	UP	QUADRUPLE PLATINUM ALBUM
2001	SUM 41	ALL KILLER NO FILLER	GOLD ALBUM
2002	NELLY FURTADO	WHOA, NELLY!	QUADRUPLE PLATINUM ALBUM
2003	MICHAEL BUBLÉ	MICHAEL BUBLÉ	GOLD ALBUM
2004	SARAH HARMER	YOU WERE HERE	PLATINUM ALBUM
2005	KESHIA CHANTE	KESHIA CHANTE	GOLD ALBUM
2006	NICKELBACK	PHOTOGRAPH	PLATINUM DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
2007	MARIE ELAINE THIBERT	COMME ÇA	GOLD ALBUM
2008	GREGORY CHARLES	I THINK OF YOU	TRIPLE PLATINUM ALBUM
2009	BILLY TALENT	BILLY TALENT III	GOLD ALBUM
2010	THREE DAYS GRACE	LIFE STARTS NOW	PLATINUM ALBUM
2011	KARKWA	LES CHEMINS DE VERRE	GOLD ALBUM
2012	DRAKE	TAKE CARE	DOUBLE PLATINUM DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
2013	ANJULIE	YOU AND I	GOLD DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
2014	DOWN WITH WEBSTER	CHILLS	PLATINUM DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
2015	THE WEEKND	BEAUTY BEHIND THE MADNESS	GOLD ALBUM
2016	RUTH B	LOST BOY	TRIPLE PLATINUM SINGLE
2017	SIMPLE PLAN	I DON’T WANNA GO TO BED	GOLD SINGLE
2018	LOUD LUXURY	BODY (FT BRANDO)	SEVEN TIMES PLATINUM SINGLE
2019	JESSIE REYEZ	IMPORTED (WITH 6LACK)	GOLD SINGLE
2020	JP SAXE	IF THE WORLD WAS ENDING (FT JULIA MICHAELS)	QUADRUPLE PLATINUM SINGLE
2021	CHARLOTTE CARDIN	PHOENIX	GOLD ALBUM
2022	TATE MCRAE	YOU BROKE ME FIRST	SIX TIMES PLATINUM SINGLE
2023	JOSH ROSS	TROUBLE	GOLD SINGLE
2024	KARAN AUJLA	ADMIRIN’ YOU	PLATINUM SINGLE

Categories: News Release
Tags: Gold & Platinum 50, Gold/Platinum, JUNOS 2025

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IFPI’s Global Music Report 2025 reveals tenth consecutive year of growth

Posted March 19, 2025 by Regan Reid

Global recorded music revenues have grown for the tenth consecutive year, up 4.8% to US$29.6 billion in 2024, according to the IFPI’s Global Music Report 2025 . The newly released report provides the most comprehensive review of the global music market and analyzes issues and trends within the industry.

Global revenue growth was largely driven by paid subscription streaming, with an increase of 9.5%, while ad-supported streaming grew by 1.2%. Globally, the number of subscription account users grew 10.6% year-over-year to 752 million users.

All told, streaming revenues exceeded US$20 billion (US $20.4 billion) for the first time ever, and represented 69% of total recorded music revenues. To put that figure in perspective, US$20 billion is more than the revenues of the entire recorded music industry for each year between 2003 and 2020.

Every region of the world experienced revenue growth in 2024, with three of the world’s seven regions posting double-digit gains: Middle East & North Africa (+22.8%), Sub-Saharan Africa (+22.6%) and Latin America (+22.5%).

The Canadian market – which remains the eighth largest in the world – saw revenue grow to US$660.3 million. While the market increased by just 1.53% year over year, Canada’s 2024 revenues are in comparison to a 2023 figure which included a large one-off payment in performance rights revenues.

Like other global markets, growth in Canada was largely driven by streaming, which increased 4.2% to US$520.1 million. Of that, subscription streaming accounts for the majority of those revenues with US$422.7 million, up 6.2% year-over-year.

“This report clearly demonstrates that Canada must continue to foster a healthy music environment for artists, record labels and their partners. Canada’s major labels invest heavily in finding new talent, breaking Canadian and Indigenous artists at home and around the world, and developing new technologies to help them achieve their commercial and creative goals. A robust Canadian market is what enables that re-investment and the success of future generations of talent,” says Patrick Rogers, CEO of Music Canada.

Commenting on the release of the Global Music Report, Victoria Oakley, CEO, IFPI, said: “One of the key issues we’ve looked at in this report is the role of AI in music. Record companies have embraced its potential to enhance artist creativity and develop new and exciting fan experiences. However, it is very clear that the developers of generative AI systems ‘ingesting’ copyright-protected music to train their models without authorisation from the rightsholders poses a very real and present threat to human artistry.

We are asking policymakers to protect music and artistry. We must harness the potential of AI to support and amplify human creativity, not to replace it.”

The free Global Music Report 2025 – State of the Industry report is now available here.

ENDS

Note to Editors:

About Music Canada:

Music Canada is the trade association representing Canada’s major record labels: Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada and Warner Music Canada. Like its members, Music Canada is a partner to the industry, working with artists, independent labels, publishers, platforms, associations and others, in advancing forward-looking policies to ensure a dynamic and successful Canadian music ecosystem which returns value to music creators.

For further information: Regan Reid, Music Canada, rreid@musiccanada.com, (416) 462-1485

About IFPI

IFPI is the voice of the recording industry worldwide, representing more than 8,000 record company members across the globe. We work to promote the value of recorded music, campaign for the rights of record producers and expand the commercial uses of recorded music around the world.

For further information please contact:press@ifpi.org| +44 (0)20 7878 7979

Categories: Industry News
Tags: IFPI, IFPI Global Music Report, Music Streaming

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Music Canada’s Gold & Platinum program celebrates 50 years

Posted January 9, 2025 by Regan Reid

January 9, 2025, TORONTO, ON: Music Canada’s Gold & Platinum certification program is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025. For half a century, the program has marked the milestone sales and streaming accomplishments of artists in Canada – making the distinctive Gold and Platinum plaques the most recognizable symbol of commercial success in the music industry.

Since 1975, the Gold & Platinum program has recognized popular music in Canada, providing a unique historical timeline of the music Canadians have loved over the past five decades.

“As we look back on 50 years of the program’s history, you can see the impact and reach of songs that defined generations, hit singles that captured the culture of the day, and all the ways that different technologies have influenced how we consume the music of our lives,” says Patrick Rogers, CEO of Music Canada. “There is no greater benchmark of success than a Gold & Platinum certification, because it reflects what Canadians listen to and love.”

In its first year, the program issued 27 Album and seven Physical Single certifications. The Program’s first-ever certifications, which were issued on August 1, 1975, were:

Paul Anka	Anka	Platinum Album
Bachman-Turner Overdrive	Four Wheel Drive	Platinum Album
Beau Dommage	Beau Dommage	Platinum Album
Paul Anka	Feelings	Gold Album
Jim Croce	Greatest Hits	Gold Album
John Denver	Back Home Again	Gold Album
John Denver	Evening with John Denver	Gold Album
George McCrae	Rock Your Baby	Gold Album
The Guess Who	The Best of Vol. 2	Gold Album
Paul Anka	“I Don’t Like to Sleep Alone”	Gold Physical Single

The program has always reflected how people listen to their favourite songs and albums, beginning with vinyl albums and 45 rpm vinyl singles, then cassette tapes, CDs, digital downloads, ringtones, audio streaming and most recently, video streaming. As the industry continues to evolve, the Gold & Platinum program will grow alongside it and continue to celebrate the music that Canadians choose to listen to, wherever they choose to listen to it.

Today, the genres of music and the artists finding commercial success are broader and more diverse than ever before. In 2024, the program certified 1,025 Singles and 211 Albums, including:

Benson Boone	“Beautiful Things”	Diamond Single
Tate McRae	“you broke me first”	Eight Times Platinum Single
Sabrina Carpenter	“Espresso”	Seven Times Platinum Single
Dax	“Dear Alcohol”	Double Platinum Single
Josh Ross	“Trouble”	Double Platinum Single
Koriass, Jay Scøtt	“Matusalem”	Gold Single
Preston Pablo	“Dance Alone”	Gold Single
Cameron Whitcomb	“Quitter”	Gold Single
Charlotte Cardin	99 Nights	Platinum Album
Karan Aujla	Making Memories	Gold Album

Music Canada will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Gold & Platinum program throughout the year with special events, playlists and presentations. And to officially mark the anniversary, each new Gold & Platinum program plaque presented in 2025 to artists and their teams will include a commemorative 50th Anniversary pin.

Follow Gold & Platinum on Instagram and X for weekly posts celebrating the program’s rich history, and contribute to the conversation with #GoldPlat50.

About Music Canada

For more information:

Regan Reid

rreid@musiccanada.com

Categories: Gold/Platinum
Tags: Gold/Platinum, GoldPlat50

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Music Canada and DIMA issue joint letter to CRTC following Canadian content audio workshops

Posted September 25, 2024 by Regan Reid

Today, Music Canada and the Digital Media Association (DIMA) have jointly filed the below letter to the CRTC following their recent engagement sessions on Canadian content for audio services.

Re: Engagement sessions on Canadian content

We are writing to you today as part of the recent engagement sessions on Canadian content held by the CRTC from Sept 11-18. Collectively, our organizations and their members took part in the meetings held on September 11, 12, and 17.

At the end of each session we were encouraged to write to the CRTC with further thoughts or clarifications on the sessions. With this in mind, we write to you today to reinforce an important message shared throughout the consultations: radio and audio streaming are not the same.

Out of context, it might seem odd for the largest streaming services and major music labels in Canada to write to a regulator asserting a truism, but we believe that the recent workshops have made this necessary. From the discussion guide to the moderated questions, there was a clear attempt to place the continuation of radio regulations on audio streaming services as an obvious next step.

We do not agree.

Today’s radio regulations were carefully crafted for Canada’s radio environment. One that is shaped by our vast geography, linguistic duality, and a willingness in an analogue system to make decisions about what is available to Canadian listeners. They also reflect the limitations of the medium: a finite number of hours, increasingly centralized programming, and a live broadcast format, and relatively small number of recordings that radio broadcasts.

Streaming is none of these things. Being driven in terms of each consumer’s individual interest and activity, it represents nearly infinite hours of listening, a vast catalogue of recordings, a plethora of languages, and has broken down not just physical geography but international borders as well. Three of the top 10 songs streamed in India in 2022 were by Canadian artists – a fact that would be inconceivable to the founders of our terrestrial broadcasting system.

Not only has streaming allowed Canadians to reach the world in ways previously unimaginable, streaming has allowed Canadian artists with no home in the traditional radio system to be found by their Canadian and international fans. This has led to higher levels of play on streaming for women and racially diverse artists compared to Canadian radio.

We ask that as you move forward implementing the Online Streaming Act, you think of the streaming services and their interactions with Canadians for what they are today and not as a proxy to the broadcasting system of the 1900s.

—

About Music Canada
Music Canada is the trade association representing Canada’s major record labels: Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada and Warner Music Canada. Like its members, Music Canada is a partner to the industry, working with artists, independent labels, publishers, platforms, associations and others, in advancing forward-looking policies to ensure a dynamic and successful Canadian music ecosystem which returns value to music creators.

For further information: Regan Reid, Music Canada, rreid@musiccanada.com, (416) 462-1485

About DIMA

DIMA represents the world’s leading audio streaming companies and streaming innovators. Our mission is to promote and protect the ability of music fans to legally engage with creative content whenever and wherever they want it, and for artists to more easily reach longtime fans and make new ones.

Categories: Industry News, News Release
Tags: Bill C-11, CRTC, DIMA, Online Streaming Act

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Canada needed a reimagined broadcasting system. The CRTC’s contribution decision offers more of the same while risking the important role played by licensed streaming in building the careers of artists.

Posted July 23, 2024 by Regan Reid

Today, following weeks of consideration and consultation with members of the music community, Music Canada CEO Patrick Rogers released the following statement in response to the CRTC’s Phase 1 decision on initial base contributions.

Earlier this summer, Canada’s broadcast regulator, the CRTC, announced that music streaming services will need to pay an unprecedented 5% of their Canadian revenues to support the legacy broadcasting system. And almost half of that money will be used to prop up traditional radio. If that sounds like outdated thinking, it’s because it is.

When the CRTC launched their process to implement the Online Streaming Act (Bill C-11), they promised a “blank sheet of paper” approach that would help them re-imagine the Canadian broadcasting system. Music Canada encouraged them to “turn over every stone”. If our broadcasting regulations were going to be extended to streaming, then we had to treat it as the once-in-a-generation regulatory process that it was. The framework needed to reflect the power and competitiveness of streaming if it was going to create new and meaningful opportunities for Canadian and Indigenous artists in the global streaming environment.

So it was with a mix of surprise, disappointment, and confusion that we read the CRTC’s decision. If the CRTC had truly set out with a blank page, it had the old regulatory rules written on the back. At some point in the process, faced with the immensity of the task at hand, it seems they simply turned the page over.

Bill C-11 was designed to require audio streaming services to pay into the Canadian broadcasting system – but a 5% contribution rate is staggering. For context, it’s roughly 10 times what radio broadcasters are required to pay. And when you look at how that 5% is divided up, you see that 40% of it goes to funding the radio industry. It is truly confounding that such a large sum of money from streaming services like Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Music will be used to subsidize our radio industry.

Our hope was that the CRTC would leverage this opportunity to modernize our system and find innovative ways to help artists find success in the global streaming market. Canadian and Indigenous artists have catapulted themselves to global stardom through the universality of their music and the reach of licensed streaming – and the CRTC had the chance to build on that success by putting artists, not domestic industrial policy, at the heart of its framework. Instead, the decision focuses on protecting legacy domestic institutions. This is not what artists need to succeed in today’s highly competitive, on-demand, streaming-driven music marketplace.

We asked the CRTC to carefully consider the existing investments made by the music streaming services in Canada and not impose requirements that could jeopardize them. The music platforms’ local teams curate playlists featuring Canadian and Indigenous artists, which introduce Canadians and global audiences to new voices; they educate artists and label teams on the best ways to leverage their platforms; they host industry events and seminars. Simply put, these local teams – these investments – are integral to the growth of the Canadian music industry and the success of its artists.

The decision ignores the role that licensed streaming plays in the growth of the industry and furthering the careers of our artists. Paid subscription streaming services that pay royalties when music is played are what allow all music companies, big and small, to reinvest in the next generation of Canadian and Indigenous talent.

It’s too early to know for sure what the consequences of this decision will be for Canada’s music industry. It’s easy to predict that the new costs will be passed on to consumers, which could threaten Canadians’ participation in the licensed, legal music economy that sees artists paid when their music is played.

But it could also trigger a reduction in streaming services’ investments in our country – or worse, an exodus. If that happens, the CRTC’s decision won’t just be a missed opportunity, it will be a cultural policy disaster.

As we work towards the next phase of CRTC regulations, Music Canada will continue to advocate for the best regulatory system that reflects how music is made and listened to today and creates the greatest opportunities for Canadian and Indigenous artists. We recognize more than ever the need to turn over a new page – and the resistance toward doing so.

Categories: Regulatory
Tags: CRTC, Music Streaming, Online Streaming Act, Patrick Rogers

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Music Canada teams with economist Will Page to launch first-of-its-kind study on the Canadian streaming market

Posted April 8, 2024 by Regan Reid

Report details where and how Canadian artists are reaching fans today

As the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) continues its work to implement the Online Streaming Act, Music Canada has commissioned a first-of-its-kind report examining the presence and prominence of Canadian artists in Canada’s domestic audio streaming market.

The report, authored by renowned economist and streaming music market expert Will Page, analyzes Luminate data of the top 10,000 artists and top 10,000 songs listened to by Canadians on audio streaming platforms to determine the breadth and depth of Canadian artists connecting with Canadian fans.

In the years studied, of the top 10,000 artists streamed in Canada, the report found nearly 1,000 were Canadian. Moreover, Canadian artists are well distributed throughout the top 10,000 – not just in the niche tail. Among the 1000 most-listened-to artists, 100 of them are Canadian, including a diversity of talent like Tate McRae, Karan Aujla, Lauren Spencer Smith, Fouki, Alexandra Stréliski and Josh Ross.

“As the CRTC develops frameworks to bring streaming platforms under its regulatory purview, it’s really important they have a clear understanding of the current unregulated domestic streaming marketplace, and the wide array of Canadian artists who are finding success within it,” says Patrick Rogers, CEO, Music Canada.

The report also considers the global nature of streaming, demonstrating how essential these platforms are to Canadians’ success around the world. It finds that, for every one stream at home, Canadian artists get almost 10 overseas. In fact, of the top 1,000 singles worldwide, Canadian artists ranked third, behind only the US and UK.

“In a world where fans can listen to any artist, from any country in the world, and with nearly every recorded song at their fingertips, listeners are choosing Canadian music. Our regulatory framework should build on streaming’s ability to connect Canadian and Indigenous artists with fans at home and abroad,” says Rogers.

Read the full report here.

Categories: News Release, Resources
Tags: CRTC, Online Streaming Act, Will Page

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IFPI releases Global Music Report 2024, highlighting growth in subscription streaming globally

Posted March 21, 2024 by Regan Reid

Toronto, 21 March, 2024: Global recorded music revenues reached US$28.6 billion in 2023, an increase of 10.2% year-over-year and the ninth consecutive year of growth, according to the IFPI’s Global Music Report 2024. The report provides a comprehensive annual review of the global recorded music market and analyzes issues and trends facing the industry today.

Global revenue growth was largely driven by streaming revenues, with subscription streaming increasing by 11.2% and accounting for nearly half (48.9%) of the global market. In 2023, the number of paid subscriptions to music streaming services surpassed 500 million for the first time, with 667 million users of paid subscription accounts globally.

In Canada, the music market grew by 12.19% in 2023 to a total of US$659.6 million, ensuring Canada maintained its place as the 8^th largest music market in the world. This growth was largely due to streaming revenues, which saw an 8.6% increase to US$506.8 million. Subscription streaming accounts for the bulk of those revenues, with US$404.2 million, up 10.1% year-over-year. Ad-supported audio streaming was up 4.6% to US$59.1 million, while ad-supported video streaming increased slightly to US$43.5 million in 2023.

“As Canada modernizes the Broadcasting Act and works to bring streaming services into the fold, this report serves as a reminder of the value of these platforms to Canadians. We’re pleased to see more and more Canadians turning to licensed sources to support the artists they love most. We will continue our work to ensure Canadian regulatory frameworks don’t push Canadians to unlicensed listening,” said Patrick Rogers, CEO of Music Canada.

Mirroring a global trend, Canada saw strong growth in other formats too. Physical revenues in Canada jumped nearly 20% (19.9%) year-over-year to US$78.7 million in 2023, with a 30.2% spike in vinyl revenues (to US$56.5 million) accounting for the bulk of that growth.

“The sustained growth of the music market in Canada is due in large part to the efforts of the record companies, whose continued investment in and passion for their artists is propelling them to new heights,” said Rogers.

Commenting on the release of the Global Music Report, IFPI’s Chief Financial Officer and Interim Joint Head of IFPI, John Nolan, said: “The figures in this year’s report reflect a truly global and diverse industry, with revenues growing in every market, every region and across virtually every recorded music format. For the third year in succession, both physical and digital formats grew with a strong rise in the users of paid streaming subscribers – as well as price increases – contributing significantly to total revenue growth.”

While the global growth in licensed music revenues is heartening, the report also highlights the challenges facing the industry – namely, streaming fraud and the abuse of generative AI.

“Music fans greatly value authenticity and our industry has a strong track record of licensing music and supporting the development of new services that create these experiences for fans. That said, we still need effective tools and the support of authorities to tackle unauthorised uses and to ensure the music ecosystem remains one that is sustainable for the long-term,” said IFPI’s Chief Legal Officer and Interim Joint Head of IFPI, Lauri Rechardt.

Music Canada, alongside IFPI, recently worked to shutter a group of nine streaming fraud websites operating in Canada – an example of Music Canada’s continued efforts to protect rightsholders and the integrity of the Canadian streaming marketplace. And as governments around the world consider the implications of generative AI, Music Canada continues to work to ensure human artistry is protected and valued.

“Our industry is excited by the value offered by artificial intelligence, but only when this tool is used responsibly. Fundamentally, we believe that generative AI systems that ingest copyrighted works without authorization are stealing, and Music Canada will continue to push for strengthened policies and frameworks to protect against this,” said Rogers.

The free Global Music Report 2024 – State of the Industry report is now available here.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

About Music Canada

For further information: Regan Reid, Music Canada, rreid@musiccanada.com, (416) 462-1485

About IFPI

IFPI is the voice of the recording industry worldwide, representing over 8,000 record company members across the globe. We work to promote the value of recorded music, campaign for the rights of record producers and expand the commercial uses of recorded music around the world.

For further information please contact: press@ifpi.org | +44 (0) 20 7878 7979

Categories: News Release
Tags: Global Music Report, IFPI

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Record companies successfully act against nine streaming manipulation sites in Canada

Posted March 14, 2024 by Regan Reid

Campaign continues against streaming manipulation services that jeopardise revenues returning to artists ~

London, 14th March 2024 – IFPI, the organisation that represents the recording industry worldwide, and Music Canada, the trade association representing Canada’s major record labels – Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada and Warner Music Canada – have announced that, following a successful legal complaint, a group of prominent Canada-based streaming manipulation sites have been taken offline.

IFPI together with Music Canada filed a complaint with the Canadian Competition Bureau regarding a group of nine connected consumer-facing streaming manipulation services based in Canada, the most popular of them operating via the domain MRINSTA.com. As a result of the complaint all nine sites (and their sub-domains) were taken offline.

The sites were engaged in music streaming manipulation services by selling artificial ‘plays’, ‘views’ or ‘streams’ on DSPs that did not represent genuine listening. The complaint alleged that the group of sites contravened the Canadian Competition Act by, among other things, misleading Canadian consumers and distorting their impression of what content merits their attention, undermining the accuracy of the music industry charts and distracting from the effective functioning of streaming services by manipulating the algorithms on which they rely.

Lauri Rechardt, Chief Legal Officer, IFPI said: “Streaming manipulation has no place in music. Perpetrators and enablers of streaming manipulation cannot be allowed to continue to divert revenue away from the artists who create the music. The activity also harms consumers and distorts the fan experience. IFPI thanks the Bureau, and RCMP Federal Policing Cybercrime, for the time and resources that they have committed to addressing this serious issue and looks forward to future co-operation.”

Patrick Rogers, CEO of Music Canada, said: “Alongside IFPI, we’re committed to taking action against streaming manipulation sites and the bad actors who deliberately steal from artists and rightsholders. This is an important regulatory precedent that can be followed in other markets to protect rightsholders and the integrity of the streaming marketplace.”

This is the latest in a series of actions being taken globally against manipulation services. IFPI is working with government agencies and intermediaries in various countries to disrupt the operation of such services.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

About IFPI

For further information please contact: press@ifpi.org | +44 (0) 20 7878 7979

About Music Canada

For further information: Regan Reid, Music Canada, rreid@musiccanada.com, (416) 462-1485

Categories: News Release
Tags: IFPI, Streaming Fraud

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IFPI global report finds we’re listening to more music in more ways than ever before

Posted December 11, 2023 by Regan Reid

Today, IFPI, the organization representing the recording industry worldwide, released Engaging with Music 2023, its global report examining how people around the world discover, listen to and feel about music. Based on the responses of more than 43,000 people across 26 countries including Canada, the report serves as a snapshot of the importance of music in our lives today.

What’s clear from the results is that people are listening to more music than ever and they’re engaging with that music in new ways. On average, people around the world listen to 20.7 hours of music a week, with the IFPI also reporting a 7% increase in time spent listening to music on paid subscription services.

Fans are also taking advantage of a growing number of ways to engage with music. Globally, 80% of gamers listen to music while they play, while the survey also found that music is central to 54% of all time spent watching videos on short-form video apps. Looking at 16-24 year-olds, 82% of respondents said short-form video is the top way they engage with music, followed by audio streaming (72%).

Audio streaming continues to grow in popularity across all age groups, with 73% of all respondents saying they listen to music through subscription or ad-supported streaming services. Despite this growth, the survey results indicate that unlicensed music is still an issue. Globally, 29% of people use unlicensed or illegal ways to listen to or obtain music. In Canada, that figure is slightly lower (26%), but still worrying.

“While it’s clear that more and more Canadians are turning to licensed streaming services to access music, these results indicate Canadians still can and will access unlicensed or illegal content. We need to make sure that our regulatory environment pushes Canadians to licensed services, not away from them,” says Music Canada CEO, Patrick Rogers.

As teased last week, for the first time this year the report includes a section dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI). The results clearly indicate that fans around the world deeply value authenticity – in fact, nearly eight-in-10 music fans (79%) feel human creativity remains essential to the creation of music. Looking at the Canada-specific results, 79% of Canadians with an awareness of AI’s capabilities think an artist’s music or vocals should not be used or ingested by AI without permission. Moreover, 76% agree that AI should not be used to clone or impersonate music artists without authorization.

Other findings of note:

Pop is still the most popular genre in the world, but on the whole respondents listened to more than 700 music genres. Local genres are more and more in demand.

- - 57% of Canadians say it’s important to them that they can access music that comes from anywhere in the world
  - On average, fans worldwide listened to more than 8 different genres of music.

Music is hugely important for our mental health and well-being.

75% of Canadians say music is important to their mental health

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Categories: News Release
Tags: Artificial Intelligence, Engaging With Music, IFPI

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In age of AI, Canadians believe human artistry is essential to the creation of music

Posted November 28, 2023 by Regan Reid

Findings released as the Government of Canada holds consultations on implications of generative AI for copyright.

The vast majority of Canadians (85%) believe that human artists are essential to the creation of music – that’s according to a new study from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) on attitudes toward Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The research comes from the forthcoming Engaging with Music 2023, IFPI’s global report examining how fans around the world engage with, and feel about, music. This is the first year the report includes a section dedicated to AI, as the technology’s rapid advancement continues to present both opportunities and challenges for the music business and for artists.

The results overwhelmingly demonstrate that Canadians value authenticity in their music. And for those with an awareness of AI’s capabilities, the findings speak to a clear belief in the need for artist consent, credit and compensation. In fact, 79% of those Canadians think an artist’s music or vocals should not be used or ingested by AI without permission.

“Artificial intelligence is an exciting tool and one that, when used responsibly, can elevate creativity and help grow the creative industries. But, fundamentally, we believe that generative AI systems that ingest copyrighted music without authorization are stealing and profiting from the creations of human artists,” says Patrick Rogers, CEO, Music Canada. “We’re very pleased to see that the majority of Canadians agree with us.”

The survey also found:

76% agree that AI should not be used to clone or impersonate music artists without authorization
77% agree that AI systems should clearly list which music has been ingested for training
85% believe that music generated solely by AI should be labeled as such

As the Government of Canada is currently holding consultations on the implications of generative AI for copyright, these survey findings are particularly insightful. In fact, the survey found that of Canadians aware of AI’s capabilities, 75% believe there should be restrictions on what AI can do and 68% believe governments should play a role in setting those restrictions.

Music Canada will submit feedback to the government on how Canada’s legislative frameworks could be updated to respond to the development and adoption of AI technologies.

“We believe that any technology with the capability to clone or digitally reproduce a human’s voice, work or image without their consent has the potential to be detrimental to not only artists, but society as a whole,” says Rogers. “Music Canada is working to strengthen our policies and legal frameworks to better address these issues.”

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Posts by Regan Reid (15)

Findings released as the Government of Canada holds consultations on implications of generative AI for copyright.