Mr Viral
This week, Music Canada submitted detailed responses to the CRTC as part of its consultation on “The Path Forward – Supporting Canadian and Indigenous audio content.”
We have engaged meaningfully throughout the CRTC’s regulatory process because regulating music streaming could have far-reaching impacts across the Canadian music industry. This proceeding considers introducing regulations that could impact the core features of the music streaming consumer experience – an experience that Canadian audiences have embraced and that underpins a market that is driving renewed industry growth and investment in the next generation of Canadian and Indigenous artists.
It’s important the CRTC gets this right.
Our submission outlines a number of key principles to inform the development of a modern regulatory framework for music streaming. We believe these principles are necessary to ensure that the regulatory framework aligns with the unique features of the global and highly competitive music streaming market in which Canadian and Indigenous artists are trying to succeed:
Music streaming is the key revenue driver for the Canadian recorded music industry and regulations should be carefully calibrated to support, not hinder, its growth;
Music streaming platforms have established methods of promoting Canadian music and the regulatory framework should recognize, reflect and incentivize these business models;
The regulatory framework for music streaming should help Canadian and Indigenous artists compete on the highly competitive global stage where consumers can listen to virtually any song ever recorded;
Radio rules were designed for radio; they will not work for music streaming;
User choice must be protected, otherwise we risk driving listeners back to piracy where artists don’t get paid when their music is played; and
Discoverability means promoting Canadian and Indigenous music, not dictating what Canadians listen to.
Read Music Canada’s full submission here: https://musiccanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Music-Canada-Submission-to-CRTC-BNC-2025-52.pdf
