Prior to his sold out show at Toronto’s Velvet Underground, Tel-Aviv artist Dennis Lloyd was surprised with his first Canadian Gold Single Award plaque for his breezy hit “Nevermind” by Warner Music Canada. Lloyd shared the exciting news with his fans through his social media accounts.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bjj8ZKZjCXY/?taken-by=dennislloyd
Watch the video for “Nevermind” below.
Ahead of his sold out show at Echo Beach in Toronto this week, American rapper Post Malone was presented with a Double Platinum plaque for his 2018 sophomore album beerbongs and bentleys by President/CEO of Universal Music Canada, Jeffrey Remedios.
Later in the week, beerbongs’ highest certified single “rockstar (ft. 21 Savage)” joined Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive” and Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger” as the only songs so far in 2018 to earn 9x Platinum certifications. The album also includes the Triple Platinum single “Psycho (ft. Ty Dolla $ign)” and Double Platinum single “Candy Paint.”
“rockstar (ft. @21savage)” is now rapper @PostMalone‘s highest Canadian certified single, officially earning a 9x Platinum certification!
— Gold/Platinum Canada (@GoldPlatCA) May 30, 2018
Post Malone was one of the top certified artists in Canada in 2017, with 8 tracks from his debut Double Platinum album Stoney earning Single Award certifications.
On Saturday May 12th, Music Canada launched its new report Keys to a Music City: Examining the Merits of Music Offices, Boards and Night Mayors at the third annual Mastering of a Music City Music Cities Summit during Canadian Music Week.
Executive Vice President Amy Terrill discussed the report during her opening remarks at the summit, and touched on some key highlights and takeaways.
This report serves as a follow-up to Music Canada’s groundbreaking 2015 study The Mastering of a Music City, which the summit was named after. Keys to a Music City draws on in-depth interviews with practitioners in 17 cities globally, and analyzes some of the most common structures utilized by municipalities to develop and implement their music strategies and policies.
The report examines the various ways that music officers, music advisory boards, arms-length music organizations, and Night Mayors are used in different jurisdictions, and provides important insights into the functions, advantages, and limitations of these models.
In her remarks, Terrill highlighted how Keys to a Music City offers a guide to both city officials and community members on how they can play an important role in building their Music City. The report also provides insights and answers to some of their most pressing and relevant questions.
Watch Amy Terrill’s full opening remarks below, and stay tuned to our blog for more coverage from the Music Cities Summit in the coming weeks.
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.
Music Canada’s President & CEO @GFHenderson will appear before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage this morning as they study remuneration models for artists & creative industries as part of the Copyright Act review. Listen live at 8:45am EST: https://t.co/IYyBSpd4TZ
— Music Canada (@Music_Canada) May 29, 2018
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.
“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.”
“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…”
My name is Graham Henderson, and I am the President and CEO of Music Canada. We are a passionate advocate for music and those who create it.
I am very pleased to see the Heritage Committee studying remuneration models for artists and creative industries. This is an aspect of the music industry ecosystem that I, and Music Canada, have for years been working to modernize. Creating a functioning marketplace where creators receive fair compensation for the use of their works forms the bedrock of our mission.
But the reality for Canadian music creators is there are provisions in our own Copyright Act that prevent them from receiving fair market value for their work.
I believe the best way that this committee can assist in creating a marketplace that is transparent and supports Canadian creators is by providing the government with straightforward, accessible solutions to address the Value Gap.
Music Canada produced a comprehensive report on the Value Gap in Canada which you will find in French and English in front of you.
We define the Value Gap 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.”
Today, more music is consumed than at any time in history. However, the remuneration for that content has not kept pace with the record levels of consumption.
I was pleased to hear Minister Joly recognize this point earlier this year, when she stated:
“The benefits of the digital economy have not been shared equally. Too many creators, journalists, artists have been left behind.”
The origins of the Value Gap extend back more than two decades to a time when countries around the world, including Canada, began adapting and interpreting laws created in another era to protect common carrier telephone companies in the then-dawning digital marketplace.
Around the world those laws understood the internet as a series of “dumb” pipes where your browsing habits were anonymous and the data travelling between sites was so vast it was unknowable. But twenty years later we know the Internet is composed of the “smartest pipes” humankind has ever made. Your web habits are meticulously tracked and the metadata that it generates is collected, analyzed and sold every second of everyday.
While well-intentioned when they were created, the impact of these laws today is that wealth has been diverted from creators into the pockets of massive digital intermediaries, and what little is left over for creators is concentrated into fewer and fewer hands. As a result, the creative middle class is disappearing, if it hasn’t disappeared already, and with it, numerous jobs and opportunities.
There is no need to point fingers. No one planned for the creative middle class to suffer. The important thing at this juncture is to move forward purposefully and without delay to get the rules right. You should make absolutely certain that Canada’s Copyright Act ensures a creator’s right to be fairly remunerated when their work is commercialized by others.
The foundation of the Value Gap is outdated safe harbour policies and exceptions – all around the world. A safe harbour, by the way, is a way to limit the liability of an intermediary and allow music to be consumed without payment. I know that Ministers Joly and Bains are working on this issue and having conversations with their international counterparts to find a solution to this problem.
But here in Canada, there are particular laws that exacerbate the Value Gap by effectively requiring individual creators to subsidize billion dollar commercial technology companies. Here are four steps that this committee could recommend immediately that would help creators immediately and harmonize Canadian policy with international standards:
Each of these changes removes an unfair subsidy, harmonizes the laws within our industries and brings us to international standards, and they can be done today.
As the creative community anxiously awaited this review of the Copyright Act, an organization called Focus On Creators sent Minister Joly a letter that has now been signed by more than 3,650 Canadian creators. In that letter, the creators discussed their concerns with the Value Gap and how the Value Gap is causing the middle-class artist to disappear in Canada. The creators’ letter concludes with a message I hope you will take to heart, “We know you understand the cultural significance of our work; we hope you also see its value and crucial place in Canada’s economy. We ask that you put creators at the heart of future policy.”
Thank you.
Portugal. The Man were in Toronto last Thursday to help kick off the Budweiser Stage’s outdoor concert season with a co-headlining show alongside Canadian indie all-stars Broken Social Scene. Prior to their highly anticipated return to the city, the Portland-based band was surprised with their first Canadian Gold Album Award plaques for their 2017 LP Woodstock by Warner Music Canada. The album features the summer 2017 hit single “Feel It Still,” which they also received new 4x Platinum custom plaques for.
Watch the video for “Feel It Still” below.
Photo Credit: Stoo Metz
During the 2018 East Coast Music Association Awards earlier this month in Halifax, NS, the legacy of Cutting Crew guitarist Kevin Scott Macmichael was recognized with the presentation of a Platinum Single Award plaque for the UK group’s hit “(I Just) Died In Your Arms.” Universal Music Canada presented the vintage-style awards during the show to Kevin’s daughters Cadence and Liz Macmichael, who were also in attendance to accept their father’s ECMA Directors Special Achievement Award.
https://twitter.com/GoldPlatCA/status/993577881807802368
Watch the video for Cutting Crew’s “(I Just) Died In Your Arms” below.
Photo Credit: Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc.
Following an electric performance at the Sony Centre on April 27, 2018, Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc. staff presented Camila Cabello and Manager Roger Gold with a plaque commemorating the Canadian Platinum certification of her debut studio album Camila. The plaque also highlights the 7x Platinum certification of “Havana (ft. Young Thug),” the Platinum certification of “Never Be The Same,” and the Gold certifications of “Real Friends” and “She Loves Control.”
Watch the video for “Havana” below.
May 2, 2018, Toronto: In a new program announced today, Music Canada and the Government of Ontario will improve the inventory of musical instruments and access to quality music education in Ontario’s publicly funded schools with the supply of refurbished and recycled musical instruments. The program is made possible through a $3 million investment by the Government of Ontario over a period of three years.
The Honourable Indira Naidoo-Harris, Minister of Education, and Amy Terrill, Executive Vice President, Music Canada made the announcement today at St. Joseph’s College School in Toronto.
“Studying music and art leads to creative and enriching learning experiences,” says Minister Naidoo-Harris. “This innovative program helps students grow and develop a greater sense of well-being. We’re pleased to be working with Music Canada on this important commitment that supports music education and gives students new opportunities to explore.”
“Music education delivers a power pack of benefits, preparing young people for careers, not just in music but in any profession requiring creativity and problem-solving,” says Terrill. “With top notch instruments we can remove one more obstacle standing in the way of quality music education for all young people no matter where they live or their economic circumstances.”
The Three R’s Music Program/Le Programme musical des trois R will put more instruments in classrooms throughout the province through three stages: it will rescue damaged instruments from Ontario’s schools or from our communities, restore them to working order, and reunite them with young people.
Music Canada will partner with numerous organizations to enhance delivery of the program including MusiCounts, ArtsCan Circle, the Coalition for Music Education and companies and artists in Ontario’s dynamic music industry. Stakeholders from the Ontario Fire Service including the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFMEM) and the Ontario Professional Firefighters Association (OPFFA) have also agreed to offer support and outreach into communities and schools in municipalities in every geographic region.
Supporting quotes:
“The Ontario Music Educators’ Association is very pleased that funding will be available to support instrument repairs in Ontario schools. Instrumental music programs in our province hold a long and rich history and legacy, our instruments are well used and as such, require regular maintenance to keep them in working and playable order for our students. As instruments age and are used regularly, repairs are required to replace worn pads, springs, strings, adjustments and alignments of necks & fretboards, cracks, bridges, etc. We welcome this partnership with Music Canada and look forward to sharing the information with our members.” – Tony Leong, President, Ontario Music Educators’ Association
“The very best music and art come from experience and deep listening and through this generous initiative it’s time the Country will have an opportunity to hear these communities. There are so many powerful creative, artistic voices, and stories in these communities that need to be heard.“ – Mike Stevens, Founder, ArtsCan Circle
“The Coalition for Music Education is pleased to partner with Music Canada in this initiative. We envision Canada as a country where the lives of all children are enriched by quality music education programs, and where their active participation in music is valued and properly resourced in our communities. The refurbishment of music instruments in Ontario schools is a huge step forward in achieving this goal.” – Rob Barg, Treasurer, Coalition for Music Education
“MusiCounts is proud to partner with Music Canada on the Three R’s Music Program to help ensure youth have access to quality instruments and music education in their schools.” – Kristy Fletcher, Executive Director, MusiCounts
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For more information:
Corey Poole, Music Canada
cpoole@musiccanada.com
+1 (647) 808-7359
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.
Toronto, le 2 mai 2018 : Grâce à la création d’un nouveau programme dont l’annonce a été faite aujourd’hui, Music Canada et le gouvernement de l’Ontario se donnent les moyens d’enrichir l’inventaire d’instruments de musique et l’accès à une éducation musicale de qualité dans les écoles financées par des fonds publics de l’Ontario en leur fournissant des instruments de musique remis en état et recyclés. Le programme a été rendu possible par un investissement de 3 millions $ du gouvernement de l’Ontario échelonné sur trois ans.
L’honorable Indira Naidoo-Harris, ministre ontarienne de l’Éducation, et Amy Terrill, vice-présidente directrice de Music Canada, ont annoncé la nouvelle aujourd’hui à la St. Joseph’s College School de Toronto.
« L’étude de la musique et des arts permet de vivre des expériences d’apprentissage créatives et enrichissantes ”, a souligné la ministre Naidoo-Harris. « Ce programme innovant aide les étudiants à grandir et à éprouver un sentiment de bien-être accru. Nous sommes heureux de collaborer avec Music Canada à cet important engagement qui soutient l’éducation musicale et donne aux étudiants de nouvelles opportunités d’exploration. »
« L’éducation musicale produit tout un arsenal d’avantages en préparant les jeunes à leur future carrière, et ce, non seulement dans le domaine musical, mais aussi dans n’importe quelle profession exigeant de la créativité et une capacité à résoudre des problèmes », a affirmé Mme Terrill. « La disponibilité d’instruments de musique de premier ordre peut faire tomber un obstacle de plus sur le parcours des jeunes étudiants en musique indépendamment de l’endroit où ils vivent et de leur situation économique. »
Le Programme musical des trois R/The Three R’s Music Program mettra davantage d’instruments de musique dans les salles de classe de partout dans la province grâce à un programme qui se déclinera en trois volets : récupérer les instruments endommagés des écoles ontariennes ou de nos collectivités, les restaurer pour les remettre en bon état de fonctionnement et les réaffecter à une école où les jeunes pourront en profiter.
Music Canada collaborera avec de nombreuses organisations pour faciliter le succès de ce programme, notamment MusiComte, ArtsCan Circle, la Coalition pour l’Éducation en Musique au Canada et les artistes d’une industrie musicale ontarienne en plein essor. Des parties prenantes du Service des incendies de l’Ontario, y compris le Bureau du commissaire des incendies et l’Ontario Professional Firefighters Association (OPFFA), ont également offert de fournir un soutien et des services d’extension aux écoles de l’ensemble des régions géographiques de l’Ontario.
Autres réactions :
« L’Ontario Music Educators’ Association est très heureuse d’apprendre qu’un financement sera disponible en soutien de la réparation d’instruments de musique dans les écoles ontariennes. L’histoire et le patrimoine des programmes de musique remontent à de nombreuses années dans notre province, et puisque nos instruments sont abondamment utilisés, il faut les entretenir régulièrement afin qu’ils puissent servir plus tard à d’autres étudiants. Lorsque les mêmes instruments vieillissent et continuent à être utilisés, des réparations s’imposent pour remplacer des coussinets, des ressorts et des cordes, rajuster ou remplacer des manches et des chevalets de guitare, etc. Nous accueillons favorablement ce partenariat avec Music Canada et avons hâte d’annoncer la bonne nouvelle à nos membres. » – Tony Leong, président, Ontario Music Educators’ Association
« Les plus belles musiques et les meilleures œuvres d’art sont le fruit de l’expérience et d’une écoute attentive, et cette généreuse initiative permettra enfin à nos compatriotes d’entendre ces collectivités. Ces communautés renferment tellement de voix créatives puissantes, et il faut qu’elles se fassent entendre. » – Mike Stevens, fondateur, ArtsCan Circle
« La Coalition pour l’Éducation en Musique au Canada est heureuse de s’associer à Music Canada dans le cadre de cette initiative. Nous nous représentons le Canada comme un pays où la vie de tous les enfants est enrichie par un programme de musique de qualité et où leur participation active à des activités musicales est appréciée et encouragée grâce à l’existence de ressources suffisantes au niveau communautaire. La remise en état des instruments de musique des écoles ontariennes est un immense pas en avant dans l’accomplissement de cet objectif. » – Rob Barg, trésorier, Coalition pour l’Éducation en Musique au Canada
« MusiCompte est fier de son partenariat avec Music Canada dans le cadre du Programme musical des trois R afin d’aider à assurer que les jeunes aient accès à des instruments de qualité et à une éducation musicale à l’école. » – Kristy Fletcher, directrice générale, MusiCompte.
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Pour de plus amples renseignements :
Corey Poole, Music Canada
cpoole@musiccanada.com
+1 (647) 808-7359
À propos de Music Canada
Music Canada est une association professionnelle à but non lucratif qui représente les grandes maisons de disques au Canada, notamment Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada et Warner Music Canada. Music Canada collabore également avec de nombreux chefs de file de l’industrie musicale indépendante – étiquettes et distributeurs de disques, studios d’enregistrement, promoteurs de concerts, gérants et artistes – pour assurer la promotion et le développement du secteur de la musique.
Music Canada