State Champ Radio Canada
On Saturday night (April 27), Vancouver witnessed Diljit Dosanjh make history. The artist kicked off his Dil-Luminati tour with a sold-out stadium show at BC Place to a crowd of 54,000 people — making it the largest ever Punjabi music concert outside of India.
The show leaned into its historic accomplishment, with an ominous voice preceding Diljit Dosanjh’s entry, “Remember, firsts are always special and what you witness here will never be repeated.”
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In over two decades in the music and film industry, Dosanjh has solidified himself as a global star. Last year, he was the first Indian-born Punjabi singer to perform at Coachella and has recently made strides for international music amassing hundreds of millions of streams on collaborative tracks with Sia, Saweetie and Camilo respectively. More recently, Dosanjh is fresh off the critical acclaim of his performance of the titular Amar Singh Chamkila, a Bollywood biopic about the life and death of the controversial Punjabi singer who was killed at the height of his fame in 1988.
With anticipation palpable in the air, Dosanjh delivered a high-powered 27-song set with charisma and an undeniable star-power that easily captivated the record-breaking audience. It was an unabashed celebration of Punjabi music and culture.
The artist has a deep connection to Vancouver. Several of his popular Punjabi films that accelerated his career like Jatt and Juliet and Honsla Rakh were filmed across Greater Vancouver, making this moment that much more special for fans who have been longtime supporters far before his recent international successes.
“Now, Punjabis have made it to stadiums,” Dosanjh said. “The next generation won’t be able to say that this has never happened before. Now for generations to come, our kids can dream even bigger.”
During his performance of “Vibe,” the singer scooped up a young fan from the crowd who was dressed in signature Diljit Dosanjh attire, inviting him to dance with him. As the boy, understandably intimidated by the size of the crowd in front him, got more comfortable, he broke into dance himself. It was his hopes for the next generation coming to life right in front of him — a child who can now literally see himself on stage performing for a stadium of fans.
Dosanjh’s tour continues with arena dates in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Los Angeles and more, and another stadium date at Toronto’s Rogers Centre on July 13. – Jeevan Sangha
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Rising Canadian Stars Chani Nattan and Owen Riegling Make International Moves
Punjabi powerhouse lyricist Chani Nattan is the next signing to Warner Music Canada and Warner Music India’s joint venture, 91 North Records. Nattan will join fellow Punjabi-Canadian artists Karan Aujla, Jonita Gandhi and AR Paisley on the label, which was created to support South Asian artists.
Born and raised in Surrey, B.C., Nattan has already broken through to Punjabi music audiences around the world. In 2021, Nattan teamed up with Inderpal Moga and released “Daku” — a heady Punjabi hip-hop track that has garnered 247 million views on YouTube, and became one of the most streamed songs on Spotify India. With Sukha and Punjabi singer Gurlez Akhtar, Nattan’s “8 Asle” sparked a viral TikTok dance trend and charted on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100.
Nattan marks the signing with the release of his new song “Facetime,” alongside frequent collaborator Inderpal Moga and iconic Punjabi singer Miss Pooja.
Nattan uses a traditional Punjabi duet style, typically consisting of a playful back and forth between a quarreling couple. “Facetime” blends those old-school Punjabi vibes with the hip-hop elements that he is so heavily influenced by, Nattan tells Billboard Canada.
“The beats are different but the heart and soul of it maintains the sound of Punjab and its concepts,” he says. “It’s about honouring our roots while embracing the evolution of our music.”
Meanwhile, Canadian-based management and production company Workshop Music Group has announced a new partnership with talent representation company The Familie to co-manage rising young country singer-songwriter Owen Riegling. The Familie’s client roster includes Machine Gun Kelly and Avril Lavigne and it recently launched a country music division.
Now boasting over 50M global streams for his songs, Riegling won the 2022 Emerging Artists Showcase at the CanCountry mega-fest Boots & Hearts, then signed his record deal with Universal Music Canada. Last year he was selected for Apple Music’s UpNext Program and is now part of Spotify’s Hot Country Artists To Watch and Amazon Canada’s Breakthrough Artists to Watch 2024. – Jeevan Sanha & Kerry Doole
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Toronto Chinese Restaurant Gets a Boost from Kendrick Lamar’s Namedrop
Toronto caught a few strays in Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria,” the first of two diss tracks aimed at hometown star Drake. While listing all the things he hates about Drizzy, Kendrick takes a moment to slip into an exaggerated Toronto accent complete with local slang and a surprising reference to a popular late-night Chinatown restaurant: “I be at New Ho King eatin’ fried rice with a dip sauce and a blammy, crodie,” he raps.
CityNews spoke to New Ho King owner Johnny Lu for a TV segment. Playing him the track, they get his live reaction to the nametrack: “I see, Kendrick’s a good guy. Oh my God!” he says.
CityNews also caught up with residents who are fans of Kendrick who made trips just to give the fried rice dish a try. “I came all the way from Markham just to see this fried rice,” one says. “Kendrick Lamar, man. You gotta pay respect to K. Dot, man. Ever since he dropped the diss track I was like, ‘I gotta visit this place.’”
The reference may have had a darker meaning than just fried rice, with some fans believing it was a sly reference to Drake’s 2009 armed robbery. Toronto rapper Sizzlac, who was rumoured to be part of the robbery, once filmed a music video at New Ho King, which may be how the restaurant hit Kendrick’s radar. But New Ho King is reaping the rewards. Since the track dropped, New Ho King has been showered with five-star reviews on Google and Yelp. – Richard Trapunski
Last Week In Canada: Cowboy Junkies Write to U.S. Senators
Major artists are speaking out about the state of concert ticketing.
“The current system is broken,” reads a new letter signed by over 250 artists, including Billie Eilish, Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Cyndi Lauper, Lorde and more. The letter, dubbed “Fix The Tix,” addresses pervasive issues in the ticketing industry, like fake tickets, misleading marketing strategies and unclear pricing.
Addressed to Maria Cantwell and Ted Cruz, the respective Chair and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation, the letter calls on the legislators to support the Fans First Act. The Act would take a series of steps to make ticketing more transparent for consumers, including banning “deceptive marketing tactics,” which lure fans into “paying more for tickets that may never get them into a show.”
“Predatory resellers have gone unregulated while siphoning money from the live entertainment ecosystem for their sole benefit,” the letter reads. “As artists and members of the music community, we rely on touring for our livelihood, and we value music fans above all else. We are joining together to say that the current system is broken.”
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Though the letter addresses American lawmakers, ticket resale practices are not limited to the U.S., and several Canadian acts have signed in support of letter’s aims, including Blue Rodeo, The Sadies, Cowboy Junkies, Suzie Ungerleider and Alvvays’ Alec O’Hanley.
“Marking tickets up is indicative of yet another layer in a broken system,” Canadian singer-songwriter Lauren Spear, who releases music as Le Ren and signed on to the letter, tells Billboard Canada. “It’s hard enough making money with streaming services taking revenue away from artists. Markups create an invisible hand that both gatekeeps the audience and pockets money that should be going to the labour of the musicians and crew.”
The Fans First Act would require ticket sellers to display the full price of a ticket from the outset of a purchase, tackling hidden fees that often catch consumers by surprise at the end of a transaction. – Rosie Long Decter
YouTube Aims to Support Canadian Artists In the Age of AI
Like many major labels and streaming companies, YouTube has a major presence in Canada. For artists and content creators, it provides access to an audience that stretches beyond borders.
“When you think about YouTube, the beauty for all artists and Canadian artists is the global reach,” says Vivien Lewit, Global Head of Artists at YouTube, in an interview with Billboard Canada, after a recent trip to Halifax for the Juno Awards. “There are over two billion really logged in viewers that watch music videos each month on YouTube. The exposure is enormous.”
With the Online Streaming Act becoming law, digital distributors and media will soon face updated government regulation and possible new forms of Canadian Content requirements. YouTube and its parent company Google have been critical of the act ever since it was introduced as Bill C-11. But much of the company’s criticism revolved around user-created content, which has since been clarified as immune from certain forms of regulation. YouTube maintains an ongoing partnership with record labels in Canada led by Canadian Head of Music Partnerships, Gabriel Obadia.
YouTube has a number of marketing and support initiatives and programs, and Lewit says they make sure to promote Canadian artists as part of all of them. Those include features like Artist on the Rise and Fifty Deep, a grant program to support Black artists. This year, Francophone Quebec rapper Lost was a participant.
YouTube Shorts has also been a big driver of the Punjabi Wave, including the B.C.-based Karan Aujla his collaborator Ikky. Together, they made YouTube’s list of most-watched music videos in Canada in 2023, and Aujla has 1.66 billion global plays in the last year. Numbers like those are hard to ignore, and those, along with streaming tallies, proved the potential of Punjabi music well before the Canadian music industry started to support it.
“It’s fascinating because I hear about the fast-growing popularity of Punjabi music in Canada from both our teams in India and our teams in Canada,” Lewit says.
In Canada, those YouTube numbers will now be recognized by Music Canada’s Gold/Platinum Singles Program. So, as in the U.S. since 2020, an artist with high stream counts on YouTube (or other Digital Service Providers like Apple Music) could earn a gold or platinum record.
Read more here about how YouTube is working with Canadian labels on another potential thread and opportunity: generative AI. – Richard Trapunski
Last Week In Canada: AP Dhillon’s Early Exit From Coachella
AP Dhillon is leaving the California desert behind. Coachella announced that the Punjabi-Canadian star will not appear at the festival’s second weekend as planned, citing scheduling conflicts. The festival announced it in a follow up tweet to one announcing that rapper Kid Cudi has been added.
During his debut Coachella performance, the Punjabi-Canadian star paid tribute to a fallen icon. As he performed his hit “Brown Munde,” a message took over the screen behind him in all capitals: “JUSTICE FOR SIDHU MOOSEWALA.”
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Sidhu Moose Wala, the influential Punjabi artist, actor and politician, was shot to death in India in May 2022, and his murder remains unsolved. Based in Brampton, Moose Wala helped pave the way for Punjabi music in Canada, and continues to chart two years after his death.
While Dhillon’s first-weekend performance was well-received by the Coachella crowd and many of his supporters, he’s also had some backlash due to how he closed his set, which has been widely covered by media in India.
The artist finished his performance by smashing his guitar on stage.
Some fans have invoked India’s cultural reverence for musical instruments, criticizing Dhillon’s rockstar move as a sign of disrespect and arrogance.
“The guitar that has provided you with life, love, peace, success and respect – you end up breaking it!” reads one popular comment on Dhillon’s post featuring footage of the smash.
In a subsequent post, Dhillon shared photos of his tribute to the late Sidhu Moose Wala, with the caption “the media is controlled and I’m out of control.” The last slide of the post features footage of Kurt Cobain smashing his guitar, linking Dhillon’s move to a longstanding rock and roll tradition. – Rosie Long Decter
As Latin Music Grows in Canada, Live Nation Aims to Take It Across The Country
This week, Live Nation announced that Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran Tour will be coming to Canada in December. It’ll only be the third time in the Colombian superstar’s illustrious 33-year career that two tour dates are scheduled in Canada, and her first time back since 2018.
In the six years since she last played for a Canadian crowd, the country’s Latin music scene has grown bigger than she might have expected. It’s an expanded market that Live Nation has been focusing on in recent years.
In 2022, Live Nation hired Ricky Taco as director of Latin Music in Canada, with a mandate to grow the genre at venues in the country and focus in on one of the fastest-expanding markets in North America.
In an interview with Billboard Canada, Taco gives some numbers. “The Latin genre as a whole, in Canada, is up 48% from last year [in online streams]. When it comes to airplay, Latin music across Canada has increased by 2,100% in the last year. You’re now playing to 37.5 million Canadians as opposed to 2.5 million last year…Over the last five years, it’s been insane. I mean, the growth has been [big].”
Even though they haven’t had the same chart impact in Canada as in the United States, the newest generation of Latin musicians is seeing success on tour. Bad Bunny sold out Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena this April, a far cry from his 2018 stint at the smaller REBEL nightclub. Peso Pluma, a 24-year-old Mexican artist making waves globally, made his first Canadian stops just a year ago at Place Bell in Laval, Québec and Toronto’s Budweiser Stage. In 2024, however, he’ll be playing “LADY GAGA” in front of sold-out crowds at Scotiabank Arena and Montreal’s Bell Centre.
Although Latin music has seen incredible progress in the past years, there’s still much work to be done, as Live Nation Canada plans to bring the genre to more ears, and build an even stronger fanbase. Compared to Punjabi music, which has seen a similar explosion in recent years and a similar focused strategy at Live Nation in Canada, Taco says Latin music has a steeper hill to climb.
“In Toronto, there’s only one Latin FM radio [station],” says Taco. “If we compare it to an English artist, or a Punjabi artist, their communities are bigger, they have more resources to play with. Although we’ve grown a lot in the last three to five years, we’re still very limited, we’re still growing.”
Beyond festivals and radio stations, Live Nation plans to bring Latin music outside the cities Canadian fans have grown accustomed to seeing regular tour announcements.
“At this point, the primary markets definitely are Montreal and Toronto, but our plan is to keep growing. [We want to] bring as many concerts as we can in places like Calgary, Vancouver and even potentially places like Ottawa,” Taco says. – Pablo Gonzalez Legendre
The Guess Who’s Burton Cummings Will Give Up His Royalties to Stop Alleged ‘Cover Band’
Canadian musician Burton Cummings is giving up his royalties to protect his legacy.
The “American Woman” singer and co-founder of classic Winnipeg band The Guess Who has cancelled his performance license agreements in an effort to prevent the current iteration of The Guess Who from performing.
The move is an escalation of a legal battle that’s been ongoing since last fall, when Cummings and fellow Guess Who songwriter Randy Bachman launched a lawsuit against what they’re calling a “cover band” and claiming they’re engaging in false advertising, attempting to juice concert sales by giving the impression that Cummings and Bachman are still part of the band. This iteration of the band owns the Guess Who trademark, and features original drummer Garry Peterson.
While that lawsuit is still ongoing, Cummings is taking a new approach to halting the alleged cover band’s activity. The vast majority of concert venues in the U.S. have licensing agreements with performing rights organizations (PROs) which allow them to host live performances of any music in the catalogue of those PROs. Cummings has spent the last several months cancelling his agreements with those PROs, so that his music is no longer licensed for performance in live venues — a move Cummings can only make because he owns his publishing rights.
The move is drastic and relatively unheard of, as it will cause Cummings to forfeit potential royalties. He’ll lose out on payments not just for live performances, but for radio spins, TV placements, shopping mall playlists, and more. The loss applies not just to recordings Cummings played on, but recordings of any songs he wrote, which includes Lenny Kravitz‘s popular cover of The Guess Who’s “American Woman.”
Cummings says it’s a sacrifice worth making. “I’m willing to do anything to stop the fake band,” he told Rolling Stone. “They’re not the people who made these records and they shouldn’t act like they did.”
Since Cummings terminated his licenses, The Guess Who have already cancelled five concert dates in Florida and Alabama.
“This is about way more than just money, I wouldn’t have pulled the catalog if it wasn’t,” Cummings explains. “This is about the legacy of the songs and the fact that the cover band is doing anything they can to erase me and Bachman from the history of the group. I see advertisements for their shows, and it’s me singing ‘American Woman.’” – Rosie Long Decter
Last Week In Canada: ‘Houdini’ Co-Writer Wins Major Award
Country music is having a major moment in Canada, and the CCMA Awards is getting one of the genre’s biggest stars. Thomas Rhett will host the Canadian Country Music Association’s annual award ceremony on Sept. 14, 2024 at Rogers Place in Edmonton. And the American star will be joined by a homegrown star in the making, Alberta singer and actor MacKenzie Porter.
This year’s awards take place during a big time in Canadian country, with major festivals popping up across the country and new bridges being made with Nashville.
In addition to topping the Billboard Country Airplay chart 20 times, Rhett also has 16 No. 1 hits on Canadian country radio, so he’s a natural choice to cross the border to host Canada’s biggest country music awards.
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“The way Canadian fans have embraced me throughout my career is something I never take for granted,” Rhett tells Billboard Canada. “Every time we come there, we are blown away by the energy they bring and the love they have for country music.”
Travelling between Canada and Nashville, Porter is also making a big splash on both sides of the border. With 900 million streams already, she’s got a new album, Nobody’s Born With a Broken Heart, coming out on April 26 on Big Loud Records.
“I personally think this year is going to be the best show yet,” she continues. “Canadian country music has never been better, and having the show in Alberta, home of country music, feels very fitting!”
CCMA president Amy Jeninga says they carefully selected the hosts “based on their significant contributions to the Canadian country music community,” with Rhett’s major Canadian fanbase playing “a crucial role in our country music ecosystem.” Plus, two of his band members are Canadian musicians, she notes.
Porter, meanwhile, is a great representative of Alberta’s country music scene, she says. She’s also a woman making waves in a genre that is typically overrepresented by male artists.
Nominations and programming have yet to be announced, but the CCMAs will get a lead-in from Country Music Week 2024, which kicks off in Edmonton on Wednesday, September 11.
The CCMAs will air on Saturday, September 14 at 8 p.m. ET on CTV, CTV.ca and the CTV app. – Richard Trapunski
Canadian Songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr. Earns SOCAN Award for Dua Lipa Hit
Tobias Jesso Jr. made a small splash as a solo recording artist, including a spot on the 2015 Polaris Music Prize shortlist for his album Goon, but he’s spent close to the last decade focused on writing for others. He’s seen major international success, including winning the first ever Grammy for Songwriter of the Year.
Jesso Jr. now has a huge repertoire of hits, contributed to songs by Adele, Miley Cyrus, Harry Styles, XXXTENTACION and more. Last year, he sold his goldmine catalog to Hipgnosis Song Management.
Now, he’s getting some recognition in his home country again, specifically from Canadian performance rights and royalty-collecting organization SOCAN. On April 5 in L.A., Jesso received a SOCAN No. 1 Song Award, for co-writing Dua Lipa’s “Houdini.” This smash hit topped the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart for 14 weeks, starting in Nov. 2023, and it has earned more than 380 million plays on Spotify, and more than 104 million views on YouTube. – David Farrell & Richard Trapunski
More Than 10% of the Most-Streamed Songs in Canada are by Canadian Artists
According to a new report, of the 1,000 most-streamed artists in Canada, 113 are Canadian. Laying a Foundation for Success, published by Music Canada — the association representing major music labels in Canada — takes a look at Canadian streaming data to determine whether Canadian artists are getting heard. Studying the 10,000 most popular artists in Canada in 2022, economist Will Page finds that 889 were Canadian. Of the 10,000 most popular songs, 1,013 were Canadian.
At the upper echelons of popularity, the trend holds: roughly 10% of the thousand most-streamed artists and songs were Canadian. Canadian artists like Tate McRae and Charlotte Cardin outranked popular American stars like Selena Gomez on that list. Other Canadians amongst the 1,000 most-streamed artists include country singer Josh Ross, Punjabi-Canadian artist Karan Aujla, pianist Alexandra Stréliski and singer Lauren Spencer Smith.
“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,” says Music Canada CEO Patrick Rogers.
Of the 889 Canadian artists amongst the top 10,000, roughly 75% perform in English, while 20% perform in French. Page notes that the third most-popular language segment is Punjabi music, which is also the fastest-growing music language in the country, and accounts for 3% of the 889 musicians.
Recorded music revenues in Canada have doubled since 2014, when Spotify launched, and are now as high as they were before the launch of iTunes in 2004. Page notes that according to consultancy MIDIA, Canadian recorded music revenues could soon hit a billion dollars for the first time.
The government is preparing to implement Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, which became law last year, and Page’s report recommends some policy changes. One is the “Mandate, Don’t Dictate” approach, which would entail moderate government interventions such as requirements that Canadian artists be indexed highly on playlists, or that streaming services pay into the Canadian music industry in the same way as radio broadcasters.
Ultimately, for every one stream within Canada, Page writes, Canadian artists are getting roughly 10 abroad. Any government music strategy should focus on helping Canadian music thrive on the international stage, he says. – Rosie Long Decter
Last Week In Canada: Tegan and Sara Lead Campaign Against Anti-Trans Policies
Canadian artists are speaking out against anti-trans legislation.
The Tegan and Sara Foundation has published an open letter signed by some of Canada’s best known musicians and entertainers, including Neil Young, Alanis Morissette, Elliot Page, k.d. lang, Sarah McLachlan, Carly Rae Jepsen and many more. The letter, titled Artists Against Anti-Trans Legislation in Canada, has over 400 signatories. Its publication date, Mar. 31, is also Trans Day of Visibility.
Led by indie pop siblings Tegan and Sara, the open letter is an explicit pushback on recent and in-progress legislation that limits trans rights in several Canadian provinces.
“We are trending towards more harmful anti-trans legislation in Canada, and we call on our communities and local and national policymakers to put a stop to this concerning surge in anti-trans policy,” the letter states.
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Saskatchewan and New Brunswick have both implemented policies that require parental consent for educators to use chosen names and preferred pronouns for students under sixteen. In February, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced plans for policy changes to LGBTQ+ health care, education and sports, including banning hormonal treatment and puberty blockers for trans youth. Smith’s policies would also require parental consent for students to participate in educational instruction that addresses sexual orientation and gender identity.
At the national level, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has made recent comments indicating he would support banning trans women from women’s sports and washrooms. With a federal election on the horizon, LGBTQ+ rights could face rollbacks across the country.
“Far right groups are tapping into fear and pitting us against each other so they can create a Canada where we’re afraid of difference,” reads the letter. “The government should never put themselves between parents, their kids, and evidence-based healthcare and supports.”
While the letter is primarily written to affect change within the country, it also combats the perception of Canada as a human rights haven. “The reality is that Canada is not immune to the global attack on the trans community and their access to inclusive spaces, healthcare and freedoms.” – Rosie Long Decter
Industry Remembers Trailblazing Booking Agent and Label Executive Pegi Cecconi
Pegi (Margaret Anne) Cecconi, a trailblazing Canadian booking agent and record label executive, died on March 28, at age 70. She had been battling PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy).
Her immense impact on the Canadian music industry over almost five decades was rightfully recognized in 2020 when she received the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award at the Juno Awards, only the third woman to have received that prestigious honour.
An obituary posted by Cecconi’s family on her Facebook page noted, “As social convenor, Pegi booked bands for school dances, an undertaking that required serious grit when dealing with both performers and patrons. It was a quality that prepared her well for her trailblazing career in the male-dominated entertainment industry where she would thrive for almost 50 years.”
Female booking agents were rare in the 70s when Cecconi started, but she built her name to help establish SRO Management and later the record label Anthem. It started with a small roster spearheaded by Rush and Max Webster, alongside Liverpool and A Foot in Coldwater. Prior to Anthem, Rush was on Moon Records, and the three members, Geddy Lee, Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson, became associate directors of Anthem.
Decades of work with Rush is a clear highlight of Cecconi’s CV. On learning of Cecconi’s death, Rush frontman Geddy Lee posted this salute to Cecconi on Instagram: “Pegi Cecconi – whose laugh could be heard the moment she entered any venue. Thanks Peg, for 50 years of having our backs… wherever you’re headed they ain’t ready for ya!”
Over her long career, Cecconi took prominent roles in some of the Canadian music industry’s major trade organizations. She had long stints on the board of directors of both the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) and The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings (FACTOR), also serving as Chair and Treasurer at the latter. She also served on the Board of MMF Canada, receiving its Brian Chater Pioneers Award in 2015, and held positions with the Independent Digital Licensing Agency (IDLA) and the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA).
Equally important was her invaluable role as a mentor and role model for women wanting to succeed in the male-dominated world of the Canadian music business. Effusive tributes to Cecconi on social media posts in the wake of her passing certainly testify to that.
Read more tributes from all facets of the Canadian industry here. – Kerry Doole
Last Week In Canada: New Funding Is Coming
New funding is coming to the Canadian music industry.
Pascale St-Onge, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, announced at the Juno Awards on March 24 that the government will increase the Canada Music Fund by $32 million over the next two fiscal years.
The Canada Music Fund supports both FACTOR and Musicaction. Those granting bodies provide artists, labels and other organizations with funding for a wide range of activities, including recording, touring, marketing and music video production.
The announcement — though welcomed by Canadian music associations like the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) and the Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) — falls short of the $50 million that the Liberal government committed to in 2021, and the $60 million increase called for by the industry groups.
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FACTOR has historically received significant funds from Canada’s private radio broadcasters, but as those contributions decline, CIMA and CLMA have been sounding the alarm about the organization’s ability to meet the needs of Canadian artists. FACTOR’s funding challenges come at a time when many artists and organizations are struggling to stay afloat amidst a cost of living crisis.
“CIMA applauds the government’s increased investment in the Canada Music Fund,” said CIMA president Andrew Cash. “This is a recognition of music’s significant contribution to our cultural fabric and national economy.”
L’ADISQ, Quebec’s Association of the Record, Show and Video Industry, highlights that Musicaction — which primarily supports French-speaking projects — has already made cuts in recent months, and this increase will prevent a further reduction in capacity. The association calls the announcement a step in the right direction, but emphasizes the difficult economic context facing music organizations with fewer resources.
The Canadian Live Music Association echoes l’ADISQ’s sentiment, calling the increase “a good start,” and reiterating the tough circumstances industry members are facing. The Canada Music Fund increase was one of three recommendations CLMA put forward for the upcoming federal budget, which the organization hoped would take “urgent action” to protect the live music sector.
With the full budget still to come, more support measures could be in store for Canada’s music sector. -Rosie Long Decter
Canada Ranked 8th Largest Global Music Market In New IFPI Report
Canada’s recorded music revenues are strong, according to a new report from IFPI.
The IFPI’s 2024 State of the Industry report takes a deep dive into the state of recorded music around the world, and ranks Canada eighth in terms of global music markets in 2023, maintaining the country’s spot in the top ten. Canada’s music market grew by 12.19% last year, reaching US$659.6 million in revenues. That growth outpaced both the U.S. market, which grew by 7.2%, and global growth of 10.2% — the second highest recorded global growth rate, according to the report.
Some individual Canadian artists did well on a global scale, too: the report ranks Drake and The Weeknd at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, in its Global Artist 2023 chart, which considers artist, track and album performance. Taylor Swift took the top spot there, followed by South Korean groups SEVENTEEN and Stray Kids.
A statement from IFPI, which represents the global recording industry, and Music Canada, an association representing major Canadian labels, attributes much of Canada’s revenue growth to streaming revenues, which jumped by 8.6% here, and subscription streaming in particular, which increased by 10.1%. The associations emphasize the challenges posed by streaming manipulation, highlighting IFPI’s recent legal complaint against nine Canadian-based sites that sold fraudulent streams. The sites are now offline.
Beyond Canadian borders, IFPI’s State of the Industry highlights how national markets are intertwined worldwide, using the growing popularity of Punjabi music in Canada and the launch of 91 North Records — a collaboration between Warner Music Canada and Warner Music India — as an example. “We set up 91 North Records,” Warner’s Simon Robson says, in “reaction to something that is happening organically and a proactive turbocharge to make sure it doesn’t just continue but flourishes and finds a wider audience.” Robson points out that several of the most popular Indian songs in 2022 came from artists based in Canada. – RLD
Karan Aujla Makes History at 2024 Junos
The 2024 Juno Awards looked to the future of Canadian music, while also honouring its history.
A quartet of acts who’ve had major breakthroughs this year won the major awards given out on the CBC-televised broadcast on Sunday night (March 24) live from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Punjabi-Canadian global star Karan Aujla won the TikTok Fan Choice award, the only fan-chosen award of the ceremony. “Sometimes I can’t believe I’m that same kid who lost my parents when I was in India, made my way to Canada, and now I’m here!” said the B.C.-based artist, one of Billboard Canada’s inaugural cover stars. “If you are dreaming, make sure you dream big.”
Dressed in a spiffy white outfit with a four backup dancers in red, Aujla performed early on, playing pop hits “Admirin’ You” and “Softly.” Both came from his album Making Memories, which made history as the highest-charting Punjabi debut ever on the Canadian Albums chart. Ikky, who made the album with Aujla, acted as hype man on an elevated platform.
In the Billboard Punjabi Wave cover story, AP Dhillon talked about his performance at the 2023 Junos ceremony and how he lobbied to ensure majorly popular Punjabi music would have a prolonged platform at the awards. Evidently, they’ve kept their word.
This year’s Junos also had the most Indigenous nominees in award history. Anita Landback, Tanas Sylliboy and Sarah Prosper set the stage with a land acknowledgment that intersected with a performance by Juno winner Jeremy Dutcher in Wolastoqey, who then joined in a duet with Elisapie on an Inuktitut version of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass.” Along with Aujla and others, it meant performances featured at least six different languages, including English and French.
Several other breakout artists had big wins at this year’s awards. Tate McRae, The Beaches, Charlotte Cardin and TALK all had major years on the charts and were rewarded with awards. The Junos have struggled with star power in recent years — Drake has boycotted the last half decade, while chart-topper Tate McRae was not in attendance to accept her two awards this year — but they have made some strides when it comes to representation of what makes Canadian music unique. -Richard Trapunski
Last Week In Canada: Streaming Fraud Sites Shut Down
Nine sites that were selling fraudulent streams have been taken offline, according to IFPI and Music Canada.
IFPI, the worldwide recording industry association, and Music Canada, a trade group that represents major Canadian labels, filed a legal complaint with the Canadian Competition Bureau against the sites, accusing them of selling false plays and streams to manipulate streaming service data. The nine connected sites, the most popular of which used the domain name MRINSTA.com, have since gone offline (though you can still see them via the Wayback Machine).
“Streaming manipulation has no place in music,” stated Lauri Rechardt, the IFPI’s chief legal officer. “Perpetrators and enablers of streaming manipulation cannot be allowed to continue to divert revenue away from the artists who create the music.”
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As streaming has grown in popularity, so have efforts to game services’ royalty models. Vancouver-based fraud detection software company Beatdapp estimates that as many as 10% of music streams are fake. Fake streams are often generated through streaming farms, which use bots to automatically stream particular songs and boost their stats.
Canada recorded 145.3 billion streams in 2023. – Rosie Long Decter
Warner Music Canada’s Head of A&R Leaves to Start New Management Company, SWING
It was only January of this year that Victoria, B.C. pop-funk artist Diamond Cafe announced his signing to Warner Music Canada. Now, George Kalivas, the man who signed him, is breaking off on his own to manage him — and building a whole new company around the singer.
SWING is launching as a Toronto-based management company with Diamond Cafe as its first artist, though Kalivas says the eventual plan is to “evolve into a full-service record label in no time.”
Kalivas started in marketing at Warner Canada seven years ago, handling domestic artists signed to the label and international releases signed to subsidiaries like Atlantic and 300. But he had “one foot in A&R,” he says, which became official two years ago when Kristen Burke became label president.
His first signing was Crash Adams, a Canadian pop duo known for viral TikTok trends. After the joint launch of 91 North Records by Warner Canada and Warner India, Kalivas helped sign the label’s second artist, AR Paisley. A long-simmering Canadian rapper, Paisley hit the top 10 of the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 this year with “Drippy,” a posthumous collaboration with the late Punjabi-Canadian superstar Sidhu Moose Wala.
But it was Diamond Cafe who made him realize the time was right to strike off on his own, Kalivas says. “I haven’t seen a triple threat artist like him — writer, performer and producer — in 15 years,” he says. “He’s next level.”
As publishing and song catalogues become a major money-maker in the music industry, artists like Diamond Cafe who can work both in front of and behind the scenes are getting scouted heavily. For SWING, it’s enough to structure a whole new company around. – Richard Trapunski
Texas Songwriter Livingston Debuts on the Canadian Hot 100 With ‘Shadow’
Texas singer-songwriter Livingston is making a splash on the Canadian charts this week.
The 21-year-old has landed on the Canadian Hot 100 for the first time, with his single “Shadow” debuting at No. 100. The ominous tarck, which finds Livingston warning about the dangers we pose to ourselves, shows off his belt and falsetto over keyboard stabs and jittery percussion. “Shadow” is also performing well on the iTunes charts and has gathered over a million YouTube views since its Mar. 7 release.
Livingston’s new album, A Hometown Odyssey, also found a spot on the Canadian Albums chart this week, debuting at No. 92. Livingston first gained popularity as a teenager on TikTok during the pandemic and signed shortly thereafter with Elektra records. His website states that he “reclaimed his independence” from his major label deal a year ago; Hometown Odyssey is independently released.
Independence seems to suit Livingston well. Though he isn’t charting on the U.S. Hot 100 or Billboard 200 yet, sometimes rising American artists — like Benson Boone — perform better in Canada before gaining steam in the United States. – Rosie Long Decter
Billboard Power Players is expanding to Canada for the first time in 2024, nominations have now officially opened via this nomination form.
For its relative size, the country has produced some huge international success stories over the last decade, with artists like Drake, The Weeknd, Shawn Mendes, Justin Bieber and Tate McRae making big waves on the world stage.
That’s the case behind the scenes, too, including previous Power List honourees like Kristen Burke, the president of Warner Music Canada and the only female head of a major label in Canada; Wassim “Sal” Slaiby of The Weeknd’s XO Records and the founder of Universal Arabic Music; and Michael Rapino, the Canadian-born president and CEO of Live Nation who finished fourth on the recently revealed 2024 Power 100 list, behind only Taylor Swift and the global CEOs of two major labels.
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Billboard Canada Power Players, however, will be the first time the award will be exclusive to Canadians or those who’ve made an impact in Canada’s music industry. – Richard Trapunski
New U.S. Visa Fees Could Prove Costly for Canadian Musicians
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published its final rule updating visa fees in several categories, along with a Frequently Asked Questions page summary.
Overall, creative arts petitioners will be hit with higher costs, increased petition prep requirements, and lengthier times for premium processing. This will affect Canadian and other musicians, as well as art workers, travelling across the border to play in the U.S.
After consultation with stakeholders including the American Federation of Musicians, final fees have been reduced from the initial amounts proposed by the Department of Homeland Security for nonprofits and certain small businesses with 25 or fewer employees.
The new fees, though, could prove costly for Canadian musicians, for whom crossing the border is a necessary part of a music career.
The fee increases were originally for early 2023, but will now take effect on April 1, 2024. – David Farrell
Music Declares Emergency Will Host a Climate Summit in Halifax Ahead of the Juno Awards
Music Declares Emergency (MDE) Canada is looking to spark conversation about the climate crisis at this year’s Juno Awards. Ahead of the ceremony on March 24, the advocacy organization will host a Mini Music Climate Summit at the Halifax Central Library, on March 22, to promote the need for climate action in the music industry.
The free, one-day event will consider topics such as sustainable transportation, carbon calculation, merch and food, and much more, providing an opportunity for industry members to share best practices and develop strategies around curbing emissions in the industry. MDE Canada previously held Canada’s first Music Climate Summit in Toronto in 2022.
The climate summit accompanies MDE Canada’s Climate Emergency Concert on March 17 in Halifax, where artists like Talia Schlanger and Jenn Grant will pay tribute to Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, two Canadian musicians who have used their platforms to promote environmental awareness. – Rosie Long Decter
Last Week ‘In Canada’: No to ‘Laughs,’ But Yes to Women in Music
The beloved Just for Laughs festival in Montreal, a vital annual event in the comedy world, has canceled its 2024 edition and laid off about 70% of its staff.
The festival’s managing body, Groupe Juste pour rire inc. (JPR), is facing financial hardships and has sought legal measures to avoid bankruptcy. JPR said the decision is aimed at finding new investors or potential buyers to keep the festival afloat. The challenges leading to this point include the economic strain from the pandemic and other industry hurdles, including rising costs and media mergers. Despite the tough times, organizers hope to come back stronger in 2025.
“The decision to initiate restructuring proceedings was reached after thorough consideration of all options available to the company,” a news release states, “taking into account its very difficult financial situation given the significant changes in our business landscape in recent years.” – Rosie Long Decter
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Billboard Women In Music Expands to Canada in 2024
This June, Billboard Women In Music is expanding to Canada, shining a light on the influential women and gender-diverse talents who are shaping the nation’s music scene. With this expansion, Billboard Canada aims to honor those making significant strides across the industry, from production to live performances.
The music community is invited to participate, with nominations now open. It offers a platform to recognize and celebrate the outstanding contributions of individuals in the Canadian music industry while fostering a more inclusive and diverse musical landscape.
Canadian executive Golnar Khosrowshahi, the founder/CEO of Reservoir Media, one of the biggest independent music companies in the world, is an Executive of the Year hall of famer. This year, she offered this piece of advice: “Pivot to a path that allows for growth equally across your professional and personal lives. You should not have to compromise, but rather be empowered to find the route that allows for the multitudes present in you.” – Richard Trapunski
Music Canada’s Game-Changing Update: Video Streams Now Count Toward Gold and Platinum Certifications
Earlier this week, Toronto-based Music Canada announced a significant update to its Gold/Platinum Program for Single Awards: It will now incorporate official video streams into the certification calculations.
The change celebrates the evolving ways fans engage with music, particularly through video. With this update, video streams from platforms like YouTube, Vevo and Apple Music from Jan. 1, 2020, onwards will contribute to the criteria for Gold, Platinum and Diamond certifications, ensuring that artists who engage fans through music videos receive recognition toward certifications. – David Farrell
Indian Star Diljit Dosanjh Is Making History in Canada
Diljit Dosanjh is making more history with his latest tour announcement.
The artist has revealed where he’ll be taking his Dil-Luminati tour this summer, adding 12 new dates following his previously announced stadium show in Vancouver. The tour promises to be monumental: Beginning in Vancouver and ending in Toronto, it marks the first time a Punjabi artist has headlined Vancouver’s BC Place and Toronto’s Rogers Centre. The BC Place performance is set to be the largest-ever Punjabi music concert outside of India, at a sold-out capacity of 54,000.
That record-breaking Vancouver show kicks off the tour on Apr. 27, and from there Dosanjh plays three more Canadian cities — Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary — before heading south of the border to the United States for eight shows. Dosanjh then finishes the tour back in Canada at Rogers Centre on Jul. 13.
The tour looks to be another milestone in the influential artist and actor’s career and marks another boost for the rise of Punjabi music in Canada. In 2023, Dosanjh became the first Indian-born artist to play Coachella, opening up the doors for artists like Punjabi-Canadian musician AP Dhillon, who will perform at the festival this summer.
Dosanjh previously became the first Indian musician to sell out Vancouver’s Rogers Arena and Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, and this time around he’s levelling up to stadiums in those same cities.
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Pre-sale for the Dil-Luminati tour begins Feb. 29. Tickets for the Vancouver date are already on sale. – Rosie Long Decter
Major Canadian Broadcasters Call for Government Support of Local Radio
A lot is at stake for Canadian broadcasters and musicians in the upcoming federal budget.
Canadian media company Stingray, which manages over 100 radio stations, has joined forces with independent radio broadcasters to call for strong support from the federal government for the local radio sector. Stingray and the group of broadcasters have made their message clear in a letter to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Minister of Canadian Heritage Pascale St-Onge, calling for measures that will assist local radio amidst declining advertising revenues.
Canada’s radio industry, which contributes $373 million to Canadian content, has suffered from advertisers’ pivot toward tech giants like Meta, while consumers are increasingly using streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. According to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, in 2023, more than 200 Canadian radio stations were at risk of closing, with 40% of stations operating at a loss.
Bell Media recently announced it was selling 45 of its 103 radio stations amidst company-wide cuts and nearly 4,800 layoffs. (Billboard Canada recently spoke with three radio experts on how the industry is navigating turbulent times).
Stingray’s letter suggests that at least 70% of the Government of Canada’s advertising expenditures should be dedicated to local media, across print, digital, radio and TV. It also calls for a tax credit of at least 20% for advertising with Canadian media outlets.
“The local radio sector is an integral part of our national identity,” said Stingray CEO Eric Boyko. “Stingray and our respected independent industry partners are calling on the government to implement these measures, which are critical to the sector’s viability.”
The independent industry partners supporting the letter include companies like Atlantic radio network Acadia Broadcasting, which owns 16 stations; London, Ontario’s Blackburn Media, which owns 13 stations; and Western Canada company Pattison Media, which owns 48 stations. – Rosie Long Decter
Canadian Hip-Hop DJ/Promoter Sean Lalla Remembered By Questlove, A-Trak and others
Sean Lalla, a Canadian hip-hop DJ and promoter, has died at age 49. His body was found at an Airbnb in Trinidad and Tobago on Feb. 20.
Of Trinidadian origin, Lalla was raised in Toronto, then moved to Vancouver in 1996 to study at Cap College. He later told Vancouver alt-weekly Georgia Straight, “I hated the slow pace of Vancouver and the lack of things to do and places to go if you were a hip-hop head. Rather than complaining about it, I tried to do something about it.”
Lalla founded Spectrum Entertainment and began booking shows. In 2005, Georgia Straight wrote that he was “one of the city’s top concert promoters, and his annual showcase, 604 Hip-Hop Expo, is one of Canada’s most dynamic festivals.”
For his 2005 festival, Lalla booked American star Questlove, of The Roots fame. Upon learning of Lalla’s death, Questlove paid tribute on Instagram: “So devastated to hear the news of Sean Lalla’s passing. Throwing the dopest parties. Back when touring was my DNA you always knew you’d do his parties like 4-6 times a year.”
Under his DJ moniker, Elsewhere Sonido, Lalla travelled to Mexico City, Brazil and Japan to DJ large and sometimes intimate parties. On his Instagram page, Lalla described himself as “a sample searching siempre, a rare groove rescuer, and occasional DJ cosplayer.”
On Instagram, renowned BBC radio DJ Gilles Peterson, who hosted Lalla earlier this month, called him a “total legend” and a “humble music fan. We were last together just the other week … digging (for records) early in the morning on a Saturday before my radio show.”
Montreal turntablist/producer A-Trak (also one-half of Chromeo) remembers Lalla booking him for his first show outside of Quebec when he was 15 years old.
“Sean paid attention to the small things, the local talents, and he elevated them,” he tells Billboard Canada. “We reconnected many times over the last 5-10 years. I was happy that he was working with Maseo from De La Soul; they were a great pair. I was proud when I saw the respect he was getting from world-renowned crate diggers. His love for music ran as deep as his friendships.” – Kerry Doole
