The first May edition of our bi-weekly newsletter is now in your inbox!
This week’s update begins with the launch of “Striking A New A-Chord,” our new Atlantic Canada music report, released at the 2017 ECMAs. We’ll also preview artist Miranda Mulholland’s upcoming speech at the Economic Club of Canada, and include information on Ottawa’s meet & greet with the new OMIC General Manager. As always, we will provide a list of music job opportunities, and a run down the latest Gold/Platinum certifications. The update will conclude with a recommended reading from Canadian Musician Magazine on the Value Gap, which features an interview with Music Canada President & CEO Graham Henderson.
Click here to access the May 11, 2017 edition of our newsletter. Not subscribed? Sign up to get Music Canada’s industry updates straight to your inbox every second Thursday.
In the May/June 2017 issue of Canadian Musician magazine, journalist Michael Raine spoke with leaders in the Canadian music industry, including Music Canada’s President and CEO Graham Henderson, about the Value Gap and the industry’s complex relationship with the streaming giant.
Regarding YouTube’s assertion that the music community should be satisfied with the payments it receives from the service, Henderson said “it’s ludicrous because if they were on the same footing [as other streaming services], it wouldn’t be $2 billion, it would be $20 billion or $30 billion that they would be paying out and I can tell you we would live in a very, very different world. They would restore the old balance where there was enough money in the hands of independent and major labels so that they could actually invest in artists.”
Stuart Johnston, President of the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA), expressed similar concerns. “If YouTube were to pay rights holders even what Spotify pays for their free tier, it would be a significant and positive step forward for the independent community, but they don’t,” said Johnston. “So that business model – and I am going to say it over and over again – it devalues music. It is an unfortunate situation.”
Safwan Javed, an entertainment lawyer, songwriter and drummer, and VP of the Songwriters Association of Canada, spoke to the problems resulting from the safe harbour provisions. “Imagine the labels’ move with YouTube is to say, ‘We need to renegotiate our agreement,’ and YouTube says ‘no.’ So what’s the labels’ next move? If they want to go to a contentious and aggressive posture and say, ‘OK, we’re going to pull our catalog,’ well that’s all fine and the videos they’re making are not uploading, but other people are probably going to still be uploading stuff,” said Javed. “The general public will still be able to upload stuff, and sure you can try to police that, but policing that is exceedingly difficult and you’re spending a lot of resources on something that is essentially like a whack-a-mole that doesn’t stop.”
Students from Timmins High and Vocational School’ s music business course got a first-hand look at how hard work in the music industry pays off.
During a visit to Coalition Music in Toronto, the students were given an exclusive mentoring session by Canadian singer-songwriter Scott Helman, who was rehearsing for his upcoming tour in support of his soon-to-be-released debut full-length album, Hotel D’Ville.
Following a Q&A and full band performance, Coalition and Warner Music Canada surprised Helman with the first Platinum plaque of his career for his single “Bungalow.”
On Wednesday, May 24, singer, songwriter, violinist, label owner and music festival organizer Miranda Mulholland will address the Economic Club of Canada on the reality for music entrepreneurs in the digital age.
Below is the event description:
Music unites us, bridges linguistic, cultural and income divides. Music heals. It connects. It provides a soundtrack to our greatest struggles and our highest triumphs.
Since the arrival of the digital age, music is more readily created, released and shared. It is available at our fingertips and it’s reaching more people than ever before.
With music’s intrinsic value in our lives and this new accessibility, one would expect that the people who create this unifying force would be thriving.
There is a widely held perception that the advent of the digital revolution has enhanced how music is created, money is made and creators’ lives are lived. There is a perception of a level playing field.
But it’s time for a reality check.
Join Artist and Entrepreneur, Miranda Mulholland as she talks about the creative process, reveals actual numbers, discusses how creators are faring in this new landscape and suggests a way forward.
The event runs from 11:30am – 1:30pm at the Toronto Marriott Eaton Centre (525 Bay Street). Lunch will be served. Tickets are available for purchase on the Economic Club of Canada’s website.
Miranda’s speech will be followed by a question and answer discussion with Kate Taylor, author, film critic and arts columnist at The Globe and Mail.
On November 1, 2016, Miranda shared her incredibly pertinent experiences as an artist entrepreneur operating in the digital age during her closing remarks at a speech delivered by Music Canada’s President and CEO, Graham Henderson, titled The Broken Promise of a Golden Age: How creators underwrote a tech revolution and were betrayed. Miranda’s remarks were so powerful they inspired the Economic Club of Canada to invite her back to headline her own event.
Be sure to get your tickets early, as this is sure to be a timely and impactful event!
VIDEO: Miranda Mulholland’s closing remarks at Graham Henderson’s speech to the Economic Club of Canada on Nov. 1, 2016
A new report unveiled during the 2017East Coast Music Awards: Festival and Conference today calls for the need to develop an Atlantic Canadian Music Strategy in an effort to strengthen the future of the region’s music sector.
Striking A New A-Chord, a report spearheaded by the East Coast Music Association (ECMA), Music Canada, and Music Canada Live, emphasizes that concentrated investment in the music industry is beneficial not only for those who work in the sector, but ultimately for the region as a whole.
“Music is fundamentally linked to Atlantic Canadian culture,” says Andy McLean, Executive Director of the ECMA. “This report clearly shows that – in addition to bolstering that identity – supporting this sector means helping small businesses, creating opportunities to attract and retain youth employment, and developing our artists to compete at an international level. The first step to harnessing these opportunities is creating a pan-Atlantic strategy.”
Delivered during a presentation at the Saint John Trade & Convention Centre this afternoon titled Stronger Together, the report also marks a landmark partnership between all five music industry associations – Musique/Music NB, Music Nova Scotia, Music NL, Music PEI, and the Cape Breton Music Industry Cooperative – who have committed to working with the ECMA, Music Canada, and Music Canada Live to establish this regional strategy.
“Atlantic Canada has one of the richest, most important – but fragile – music scenes in the country. Creating and executing a region-wide strategy will ensure the true economic, social and cultural potential of the industry, and its countless benefits for cities and towns, can be realized,” says Erin Benjamin, Executive Director of Music Canada Live. “This is an historic moment in the timeline of East Coast music, and huge milestone for all of the associations involved. Congratulations, Music Canada Live looks forward to supporting the hard work ahead.”
The report, which was officially commissioned at last year’s ECMAs in Sydney, NS, underscores a number of challenges facing musicians and industry professionals in Atlantic Canada including stringent liquor laws, changing business models in the industry, restrictions on live venues, and lack of industry infrastructure. The latter is a key focus for the proposed strategy, calling the shortage of music publishing companies, agents, publicists, bookers, and artist managers in the region “alarming.”
Among other recommendations, Striking A New A-Chord also calls for the development of an Atlantic Canadian Music Fund that would seek to provide resources to complement existing programs, attract investment, and develop and incentivize musicians and music related businesses to reinvest in Atlantic Canada.
“Targeted investments in other parts of Canada have strengthened those music communities and stimulated additional private spending as well, leading to increased activity in the sector,” says Amy Terrill, Executive Vice President of Music Canada. “We look forward to working with government and industry stakeholders to find ways to complement the existing programs available to the music community in Atlantic Canada in order to create a stronger, more sustainable Atlantic music sector.”
The entire Striking A New A-Chord report is available to read HERE.
The second April 2017 edition of our bi-weekly newsletter is now in your inbox!
This week’s update begins with IFPI’s Global Music Report 2017, news on Universal Music Canada’s future headquarters, and an update from the Ontario Music Fund. We also include a recap of the 2017 Music Cities Summit at Canadian Music Week, and preview the 13th Annual Music Monday coming up next week. As always, we provide a list of industry job opportunities, and recap the latest Gold/Platinum certifications and award presentations since our last update.
Click here to access the April 27, 2017 edition of our newsletter. Not subscribed? Sign up to get Music Canada’s industry updates straight to your inbox every second Thursday.
Students perform outside at Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square for Music Monday 2016 (Photo: Bram Gonshor)
Thousands of students, musicians, parents, and community members from Charlottetown to Vancouver will come together next Monday to celebrate the 13th Annual Music Monday to raise awareness for music education. Created by the Coalition for Music Education, Music Monday will bring the nation together for the simultaneous singing of the Music Monday anthem, Sing It Together, 12:30pm EST on Monday, May 1, 2017.
Honouring Canada 150, this year’s National Showcase Concert will take place in Ottawa with a free concert at the National Arts Centre hosted by MP Seamus O’Regan and opera singer Measha Brueggergosman. The event will be live-streamed at MusicMonday.ca from 12-1pm EST.
Showcase Concert performances include a mass children’s choir, the Métis Fiddle Quartet, singer-songwriter Mimi O’Bonsawin, a harp and soprano duo, youth jazz and strings ensembles, and the Ottawa Junior Youth Orchestra. Songwriter Marc Jordan, musicians from the official Music Monday video, and the children’s choir will also lead the nationwide sing-along of Sing It Together.
Sing It Together was commissioned by the Coalition for Music Education and features Inuit throat singing, Métis fiddling, Indigenous drumming, and children’s choirs in celebration of Canadian diverse and vibrant musical heritage.
Events are scheduled in communities across Canada, and participants are encouraged to join the conversation using the hashtag #MMC2C2C.
Last Friday, policymakers, city planners and global music industry representatives took part in Music Canada’s and Canadian Music Week’s international music cities summit, “The Mastering of a Music City.”
The summit was based on Music Canada’s 2015 report of the same name, which set out a roadmap for cities to become Music Cities—by supporting the music sector and realizing the often-huge economic dividends from the creation, performance, and reception of music. The Mastering of a Music City Summit was curated and hosted by Music Canada Executive Vice President Amy Terrill.
In its second year, the event was a remarkable success, attended by a cross section of people from all over the world—from Canada and the United States to Poland, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Jamaica, Columbia, and more. While the summit was attended in person by nearly 200 entrepreneurs, city planners, music industry executives, artists, and musicians, over 5,000 people from around the world tuned in to watch the livestream of the event.
One of the many highlights of the day was an opening address from Toronto Mayor John Tory which functioned as a ‘state of the music industry’ for the Music City. The mayor highlighted the strength of the music scene and the progress the city has made so far, including: creating the music in parks permit, changes to musician loading/unloading zones, the mayor’s evening for the arts, and attaching local music to city services like 311.
The city will aim to lead more live music events, including showcases, abroad and at home, and will create over 200 city-led opportunities for artists over the next year.
The city will make music part of the planning process at city hall by putting a motion to council that would notify new developments of existing nearby music venues. The mayor will also classify music as an eligible activity in the city’s employment lands.
The city will support music tourism by bringing local musicians to the city’s airports, and programming a Winterlicious-style music event to boost activity in the off-season.
“The creativity, the joy, the talent that music brings to a big city lies at the heart of what makes Toronto dynamic and innovative,” Tory said. “I am absolutely committed to the music industry and playing the part city hall is meant to play.”
The Role of Advocates
Helen Marcou, owner of Bakehouse Studio in Melbourne, Australia, delivered the opening keynote presentation on The Role of Advocates: A Story of Successfully Fighting for Your Music City.
When stringent and high cost regulations forced a storied punk rock venue in Melbourne to close, and another 126 venues to reduce their programming, Marcou began a movement called Save Live Australia’s Music, or SLAM.
The campaign had a simple but effective message, “don’t kill live music,” was inclusive and non-partisan, and brought over 20,000 supporters out to the steps of the legislature. When the campaign was over, laws were amended and a permanent voice for the music community created in the form of a music advisory body.
Marcou continues to advocate for live music, but spoke about her more recent efforts to combat sexual assault and harassment of women in live music venues and at music festivals. When Marcou penned a letter to government calling for action, the state created a taskforce to combat sexual harassment at live music venues.
Music City Leaders
The Music City Leaders Panel asked key questions of elected officials who have identified music as a key strategy or economic sector in their cities. Panelists included Karl Dean, former mayor of Nashville; John Tory, Mayor of Toronto; Filippo del Corno, Assessore alla Cultura, City of Milan; Maria Claudia Lopez Sorzano, Secretary of Culture, Recreation and Sports, City of Bogota; Delroy Williams, Mayor of Kingston, Jamaica; and Manon Gauthier, Member of the City of Montreal Executive Committee, City of Montreal.
The panelists gave critical advice to would-be Music City advocates, and industry cooperation and collaboration emerged as a key theme. Tory said that advocates must focus on the issue, and speak with one voice if they want to be heard. This sentiment was echoed by Gauthier and del Corno.
Karl Dean, former mayor of Nashville, remarked upon his work establishing affordable housing specifically for artists. Music Cities, according to Dean, are strong and thrive because of the creative people that they attract. He pointed to music education and raising creative audiences and creative people as key principles.
Music Ecosystem
Following a presentation on the need for restoration and protection of Detroit’s music venues, moderator Vel Omazic, Executive Director of Canada’s Music Incubator, led the Music Ecosystem Panel. The panel discussed how cities should go about identifying and solving gaps in their Music City ecosystems.
Omazic was joined by Andreas Kalogiannides, a business entertainment lawyer and co-chair of the Toronto Music Advisory Council (TMAC); Christina Fitzgerald, CIND-FM (Indie 88); Didier Zerath, Artist Mgmt & Music Industry Consultant; Dino Lupelli, CEO of Linecheck Music Meeting & Festival; and Jesse Elliot, Director of The Music District.
One of the key themes that emerged from this panel was the importance of the grassroots music community driving change. According to Elliot, community engagement for The Music District—a Fort Collins music hub for musicians and music related businesses—lasted over one and a half years and was a key reason for the success of the program.
Andreas spoke to the results of the widely responded to survey that TMAC used to identify issues when formulating the Toronto Music Strategy. The survey, which was answered by over 6,000 individuals, emphasized the city’s need for livability and affordability for its creative class and a need for accessible rehearsal and performance spaces.
The Music Ecosystem Panel was followed by a series of presentations on the value of the UNESCO Cities of Music. The presentations were delivered by representatives of member cities, Kingston, Jamaica, Bogota, Columbia, and Katowice, Poland.
Music Tourism
The Mastering of a Music City report touted music tourism as a key part of the equation for cities looking to generate economic benefits from live music. Erin Benjamin, Executive Director of Music Canada Live, led the Music Tourism Panel along with:
Andras Berta, International Relations Director, Sziget Festival, Hungary
Michael Crockatt, President & CEO, Ottawa Tourism, Canada
The panel talked about how music can be a powerful motivator for travel, especially when associated with powerful and memorable experiences. Rollo spoke to the opportunities that music provides. Artists and musicians are able to create experiences for their fans that no other sector can provide, and it can be a significant draw for visitors. Furthermore, music tourists spend significantly more on travel and associated expenses than other types of tourists, according to Beukema’s experience.
A presentation from Molly Neuman, Head of Music at Kickstarter, followed the panel. Neuman spoke to the crowd-funding company’s desire to support the creative independence of artists and music communities.
The conference closed with a panel moderated by Toronto City Councillor Josh Colle which asked panelists to investigate the competition for space between developers and music venues—an issue that developing cities around the world, including Toronto, are dealing with. The panel included members of the music industry, city officials, and a representative of a US development company.
Shain Shapiro, Managing Director of Sound Diplomacy, and Jocelyn Kane, Executive Director of San Francisco’s Entertainment Commission, told the conference about their cities’ experiences with the ‘Agent of Change’ policy. In San Francisco, this means that new developments must do acoustic tests and implement sound mitigation if they are built within 300 ft. of a music venue. The Entertainment Commission also ensures that new tenants cannot sue nearby venues for noise issues.
Shapiro put forward that many developers want to support music and that the industry and government’s role is to facilitate that. As new developments in London are mandated to have cultural space components, Shapiro’s organization has created guides for developers on how to make those components music-related.
Watch the live recording of the How to Work with the Development Community panel (part 1 and part 2).
Toronto, ON – April 25, 2017: Today the International Federation for the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) released its Global Music Report 2017, which shows Canada is now the sixth largest recorded music market on the planet, surpassing Australia.
The annual Global Music Report compiles revenues from physical and digital sales, streaming, synchronization and performance rights, to provide a ‘state of the industry’ snapshot while highlighting innovation and investment within the industry as it progresses further into the digital age.
Highlights of Canada’s 2016 music revenues:
Overall recorded music revenues rose 12.8% in 2016 and totalled CAD $489.4 million
Digital music revenues accounted for 63% of recorded music revenues in 2016
Total streaming revenues, including subscription and ad-supported streaming, more than doubled in 2016, rising from USD $49.82 million to an impressive USD $127.8 million
Subscription audio streaming generated the majority of all streaming revenues in 2016 at USD $94.45 million, compared to USD $15.72 million from ad-supported audio streaming and USD $17.59 million from video streams
Digital revenues grew to USD $233 million in 2016, up from USD $170 million in 2015
Revenues from physical sales continue to decline, falling to USD $99 million in 2016 from USD $114.4 million in 2015
Though music consumption around the world continues to rise to never-before-seen levels, the “value gap” remains a significant problem, as the revenues returned to music creators have not kept pace with music consumption.
“I am happy to see Canada regain its position as the sixth largest recorded music market in the world,” said Amy Terrill, Executive Vice President of Music Canada. “While the growth in overall revenues, driven by a huge increase in subscription audio streams is very encouraging, the music community must remain united and vigilant in fixing the value gap. I urge the Canadian federal government to put creators first in any future policy decisions, such as the upcoming Copyright Act review in 2017, so that creators can be properly compensated for the record levels of music consumption we’re witnessing.”
“The whole music community is uniting in its effort to campaign for a legislative fix to the value gap and we are calling on policymakers to do this,” said Frances Moore, chief executive of IFPI, in the report release. “For music to thrive in a digital world, there must be a fair digital marketplace.”
Key figures from global recorded music revenues:
Global revenue growth: +5.9%
Digital share of global revenues: 50%
Digital revenue growth: +17.7%
Growth in streaming revenues +60.4%
Physical revenues: -7.6%
Download revenue: -20.5%
Canada’s ascension to the sixth largest market follows IFPI’s announcement in February that Drake was named Global Recording Artist of 2016. Justin Bieber and The Weeknd took the number five and number ten spots, respectively, as Canadians occupied three of the top 10 positions.
Today’s Global Music Report 2017 shows that albums by Canadian artists performed very well at home in 2016, with six of the top ten album spots occupied by Canadian artists, including Drake’s Views at number one. Other Canadians in the top albums chart include Céline Dion, Leonard Cohen, Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, and The Tragically Hip.
UK electro-pop group Clean Bandit received their first Canadian certification in 2014 with their breakthrough hit “Rather Be,” which later went on to earn them a Double Platinum certification. In 2017, Clean Bandit outdid themselves with “Rockabye,” which became their highest certified track in Canada when it was certified Triple Platinum on April 12.
Prior to their headlining show in Toronto with multi-Platinum artist Zara Larsson, Clean Bandit were presented with Triple Platinum plaques for “Rockabye” by Warner Music Canada. Following the Toronto show, they traveled to Montreal for their final Canadian date of their tour.
Last Friday, policymakers, city planners and global music industry representatives took part in Music Canada’s and Canadian Music Week’s international music cities summit, “The Mastering of a Music City.”
Music Canada