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Europe’s largest music market will soon be announcing a ban on ticket resale for profit, elating music fans while roiling investors in secondary ticketing companies like StubHub and Vivid Seats.
Multiple outlets in the United Kingdom are reporting that the Labour Party government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer will announce a plan to crack down on ticket scalping this week. Outlets like The Guardian are reporting that Starmer’s government had considered capping resale at 30% above a ticket’s original face value, but ultimately opted to ban the resale of tickets above face value following significant pressure from artists and industry groups.
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According to The Guardian, ticket holders for popular concerts like Coldplay and Dua Lipa will be able to resell tickets on sites like StubHub and Viagogo, but not charge more than they paid for the tickets. Resale sites would be allowed to charge fees on top of that price, but the fees would be limited and set by regulators. The resale ban would also cover social media sites, which some resale site operators have claimed would serve as fraud-heavy alternatives if markets like StubHub were shut down.
The new regulations will also include purchasing limits on tickets and mandates from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that resale sites like StubHub will be responsible for policing their own platforms.
The news sent the share price for StubHub’s U.S. company, StubHub Holdings, tumbling on Monday (Nov. 17); the stock ultimately closed down 13.8 percent. StubHub has endured a brutal November, with shares down a combined 33% after the company failed to provide a financial forecast for the current quarter.
The publicly traded StubHub Holdings — which owns Viagogo — is a different company from the U.K. StubHub brand. The Competition and Markets Authority forced the firms to split into two companies following the merger of Viagogo and StubHub in 2020.
Representatives for Live Nation applauded the deal, telling Billboard in a statement that “Live Nation fully supports the UK government’s plan to ban ticket resale above face value. Ticketmaster already limits all resale in the UK to face value prices, and this is another major step forward for fans — cracking down on exploitative touting to help keep live events accessible. We encourage others around the world to adopt similar fan-first policies.”
Earlier this month, more than 40 British artists, including Sam Fender, Radiohead and The Cure, sent a public letter to Starmer urging the U.K. prime minister to “stop touts [scalpers] from fleecing fans” and cap the price of resale tickets at face value. The pressure campaign followed a recent CMA study that found U.K. tickets sold on resale sites were typically marked up 50 percent.
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La Mar Taylor has been named the first-ever Billboard Canada 40 Under 40 Visionary Award honouree. It’s a recognition of the work he’s done over more than a decade with The Weeknd, and the impact he’s had on Toronto’s creative community.
This summer, Taylor stood inside a packed Rogers Centre watching The Weeknd’s sixth sold-out hometown show. For him, it felt like a full-circle moment. He and Abel Tesfaye met as teenagers in Scarborough, dropped out of school together and built their careers from scratch. Taylor shot the cover of House of Balloons, helped shape the early XO era and has been behind the creative direction of The Weeknd’s albums, videos, tours and even the Super Bowl halftime show.
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The After Hours Til Dawn Tour, now the biggest R&B tour in history, is the latest chapter in that run. Taylor says the aim is always to push ideas further than the last project.
Outside of XO, he co-founded HXOUSE, a Toronto incubator offering space, mentorship and community for young creatives. He’s vocal about the challenges facing Canadian talent but believes persistence and strong ideas can still break through.
Taylor will receive the Visionary Award at the Billboard Canada 40 Under 40 event at the W Toronto on November 20.
Read the full interview here. — Richard Trapunski
Cameron Whitcomb’s Country Hit ‘Options’ Rises on Billboard Canadian Hot 100
Cameron Whitcomb is hitting a new peak.
After nine weeks on the chart, the Canadian country singer’s track “Options” rises 69-64 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, dated Nov. 15.
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“Options” is an energetic folk anthem from Whitcomb. It describes his sobriety journey, and finds Whitcomb reflecting on the various paths he could take.
“I won’t but I could / pull that bottle off that shelf / it helps me cope knowing I could be that version of myself,” he sings, supported by powerful backing vocals that lift him up along the way.
The B.C.-native is having a major year. Whitcomb first broke out as a contestant on American Idol in 2022, and has since landed four straight singles on the Canadian Hot 100 — all before his debut full-length album, The Hard Way. It’s an impressive track record for a young artist at this stage.Read more on the chart feat here. — Heather Taylor-Singh
Live Nation Report Finds Canadians Prefer Live Music as Favourite Form of Entertainment
When it comes to entertainment, Canadians prefer live music.
In a new report by Live Nation, titled Living for Live, they found that nearly four in 10 people (37%) would choose live music as their preferred form of entertainment, ranking higher than both sports and movies.
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Based on a survey of 40,000 people across 15 countries, the report captures a shift in how people spend their time, express their identities and connect with others through live music experiences.
The report noted that fans in Canada build their livelihoods around live music — 83% said a concert is one of their most memorable life moments, while 72% claimed to plan their calendars early to catch a certain artist’s show.
Live music is a major part of the Canadian music industry. Earlier this year, the Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) revealed that live music contributes billions to the Canadian economy — $10.92 billion in 2023 — to be exact.
However, it’s not just consumers who are reaping the benefits. Two years ago, live music in Canada produced $3.73 billion in tax dollars and generated more than 101,640 jobs, contributing $5.84 billion in labour income.
Read more here. — Heather Taylor-Singh
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LONDON — Blockbuster tours by the likes of Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Take That and Liam Gallagher contributed a record total of 8 billion pounds ($10.5 billion) to the United Kingdom’s economy in 2024.
The figure is up 5% from the previous year, according to the newly released This Is Music study from UK Music, the umbrella organization encompassing a range of bodies including the BPI and collection society PRS For Music.
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The results are being heralded as a huge success, with 2025 likely to bring a bumper uptick in the trend, thanks in part to headline-dominating stadium tours from the likes of Oasis, Coldplay, and Dua Lipa, plus U.K. arena residencies from pop heavyweights Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter and more.
Published annually, the latest edition of This is Music takes a deep dive into how the U.K. music business fared both at home and on the world stage. It outlines employment stats, international music sales, plus gross revenue through ticket sales, tourism and more in order to paint a full picture of the industry’s contribution to the country’s overall GDP.
A strong appetite for British artists and songs helped push a notable increase in export figures in 2024. Charli XCX’s Brat LP – which saw her enjoy a global breakthrough and scoop eight Grammy nominations – thrived overseas, while Lola Young landed a chart smash in “Messy,” both contributing to a 5% rise to 4.8 billion pounds ($6.3 billion).
Employment also lifted by 2%, with a net total of 4,000 new jobs in the U.K. taking the number of people working in the music industry to 220,000 (full-time equivalent posts), reports UK Music. The breakdown of that figure, however, shows that a significant portion of these people are vulnerable to the cost of living. 43% of respondents earned less than 14,000 pounds ($18,400) from music, forcing them to turn to other jobs in order to make a stable income.
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Elsewhere, U.K. artist royalties surpassed a billion for the first time, with PRS for Music paying out a record 1.02 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) to its members – an 8.1% increase on last year.
“The UK music industry remains one of our greatest international success stories,” said the foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper MP, in a statement. “Every year, we see more new artists from Britain becoming global stars, and our existing world-famous musicians reaching new heights, all of them adding to the incredible heritage of creativity, talent and genius that has defined UK music throughout our history.”
Despite these fiscal wins, however, the report warned that the U.K. music industry still faces a number of tough challenges. There are potential risks posed by generative AI on music creation, which could erode employability across the sector, as more sophisticated tools emerge and pose a new rival for listener attention.
Another area where UK Music said urgent action was needed was further government support for the grassroots touring sector. In a survey conducted between March 20 and June 12, 2025, UK Music spoke to 1306 music creators, including songwriters, musicians, DJs and producers, and found that many emerging artists were finding it increasingly difficult to play live at this level, with income from touring not keeping pace with costs.
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95% of these respondents reported decreased earnings as a direct consequence of Brexit, up 8% from 2023, due to increasing touring costs and a subsequent impact on royalties as their music is performed less in Europe. As a result, UK Music called for an agreement between the UK and EU to lift visa and work permit requirements across EU borders.
“The status quo on these two big issues is currently tilted against music’s interests, with new survey data on both AI and EU touring evidencing why we need the balance to swing back in our favour,” said Tom Kiehl, chief executive of UK Music. He also urged the government to take “urgent action” in the key areas addressed in a bid to boost growth, exports and jobs in the U.K. music industry.
Elsewhere, the rate of economic growth in the music industry slowed, with Gross Value Added up by five per cent in 2024. This is lower than the double-digit growth seen over the past few years as the industry recovered from the pandemic.
The report cited ongoing threats to grassroots venues and a lack of big-ticket releases by British artists in 2024 as contributing factors to this figure.
“In recent years UK Music has reported that the music industry has enjoyed double-digit annual growth. That growth has now halved indicates a levelling off of the immediate post-pandemic boost that we experienced, as well as other underlying issues set out in this report,” said Kiehl.
He went on to describe how he remains hopeful that the U.K. music industry can overcome the challenges it faces during this “pivotal moment.” He added: “Let’s come together to make sure we realise our full potential.”
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Atlantic Music Group (AMG) has tapped A&R veteran Jeremy Vuernick as its next executive vice president.In the new role, Vuernick will report jointly to AMG CEO Elliot Grainge and Atlantic U.K. co-presidents Ed Howard and Briony Turner, overseeing the AMG roster to sign and develop new artists with global potential. He will be based in London.
The announcement follows the recent promotion of Howard and Turner to AMG’s global leadership team, a move the label has said was “designed to create tighter collaboration across the two territories, and to generate greater global impact for Atlantic’s world-class roster”.
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In the past year, Atlantic has enjoyed transatlantic success for U.S. breakthrough artists such as Alex Warren, Teddy Swims, and Benson Boone, as well as British firebrand Charli XCX.
Vuernick brings with him two decades of experience in the music industry, largely in the A&R sector. He joined Capitol’s Astralwerks imprint in 2013, serving in senior capacities at the label before being promoted to executive president of A&R at Capitol Music Group (CMG) in 2019, where he oversaw the company’s portfolio of labels.
Prior to his tenure with Astralwerks, Vuernick held senior roles at independent label Ultra Music, overseeing A&R, marketing, and sales. More recently, in 2024, Vuernick founded the Los Angeles-based independent company Queens Road Music in partnership with Atlantic.
The U.K. has long been one of the most influential markets in the world and a cultural leader in developing and exporting exceptional global talent,” said Vuernick in a press release.
“With Elliot cementing the natural relationship between the U.K. and US, and Ed and Briony leading the charge as two of the best creative leaders in the business, our combined force will take Atlantic and its artists to a new level of recognition and success.”
Grainge added: “I have worked with Jeremy for a number of years and I’m excited to officially welcome him into the AMG family. He comes to us with outstanding experience, instincts, and passion for artists, so he’ll be an ace addition to our newly aligned teams.
“Under the expert leadership of Ed and Briony, Atlantic UK has been a formidable source of chart-topping, game-changing artistry. With Jeremy now based in London, we are continuing to build our bridge across the ocean, ramping up our collective A&R and cultural firepower.”
Trending on Billboard BERLIN — The first serious European court decision on AI and music is in – and rightsholders won. On Nov. 11, the Munich Regional Court ruled that OpenAI’s ChatGPT software infringed copyrights to compositions represented by GEMA, the German collective management organization. The judge ordered OpenAI to pay damages but did not […]
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Beyond the critical acclaim and handy sales boost, the U.K.’s Mercury Prize comes with an added bonus: a £25,000 ($32,000) cash prize for the chosen artist. For some previous winners – like Alt-J (2012) and Antony and The Johnsons (2015) – the money has covered the expenses of being a touring act, while Badly Drawn Boy (2000) infamously threw the cheque away in the heat of the winning moment (his cash prize was ultimately honored).
Now Sam Fender has joined a number of past winners by making a statement and donating the entirety of the cash prize to charity. The Music Venue Trust, a charity that supports grassroots music spaces and the scene as a whole, will be the beneficiary of Fender’s generosity. Fender joins previous winners such as Ms. Dynamite (2002) and M People (1994) who have made public that they donated their cash winnings to causes close to their hearts.
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Fender was awarded the Mercury Prize, an annual prize for an outstanding LP by a British or Irish artist, in his hometown Newcastle upon Tyne, England (Oct. 16). His third studio album People Watching saw off competition from Fontaines D.C., Pulp, FKA twigs, PinkPantheress and more at the ceremony which was held outside of London for the first time in its history.
People Watching remains the fastest-selling British album of 2025, and on Saturday (Nov. 15) a live concert film shot at his 80,000-capacity London Stadium show will be broadcast on YouTube. A deluxe edition of the album features collaborations with Olivia Dean and Elton John, and is set for release on Dec. 5.
The Music Venue Trust works to protect and secure the future of grassroots venues across the country. In 2024 a report by the charity shared that grassroots music venues operated on a profit margin of just 0.48%, with 43.8% of them reporting a loss. In 2024 alone, 25 music venues closed in the U.K. due to rising costs for venues and changing consumer habits.
“I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing today if it wasn’t for all the gigs I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out,” Fender said about the reasons for the donation. “These venues are legendary, but they are struggling.”
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Fender has worked previously with the MVT, most recently donating £100,000 from his 2024 U.K. arena tour via a voluntary £1 ticket levy. He joins acts such as Katy Perry, The Last Dinner Party and Enter Shikari in making the commitment; Coldplay pledged 10% of all revenue from the U.K. leg of the Music of The Spheres tour to the MVT.
Mark Davyd, chief executive and founder of the Music Venue Trust, said, “This is an incredible gesture by Sam, demonstrating once again that artists absolutely understand how vital grassroots music venues are to their careers and to their communities. We are honored to accept this donation and will ensure every penny of it makes a direct difference to the campaign to keep live music at the heart of our towns and cities.”
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Billboard has partnered with Starlite, the Spanish company that produces and hosts the annual Starlite Festivals in Marbella and Madrid, to produce its first Billboard No. 1s event outside of the United States, and the first to be devoted to Latin Music.
Billboard No. 1s Spain — or Billboard Números Uno España — will take place Dec. 15 at IFEMA in Madrid, as part of the week-long programming of Starlite Madrid. The evening will feature performances by artists who have entered the top 10 of the Billboard Hits of the World Spain Songs chart, along with special honors.
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Although Billboard has hosted other Billboard No. 1s, this marks the first time the event will feature multiple live performances in a concert setting.
“Partnering with Billboard, the Bible of the music industry, is an honor for us,” said Sandra García-Sanjuán, founder and CEO of Starlite. “It’s an honor to partner with Billboard, especially because it’s the first time they do a Billboard No. 1s event outside of the U.S.”
“As Billboard expands its international presence, we’re thrilled to partner with Starlite for our first live concert event in Spain,” said Leila Cobo, Billboard’s chief content officer for Latin/español. “Starlite is an iconic, innovative brand that’s created a unique festival unlike anything else, and Sandra is a visionary executive. We’re excited to launch our Billboard No. 1s in Spain with them.”
García-Sanjuán’s Starlite Festival in Marbella, billed as “the best boutique festival in the world,” spans 60 days of concerts between June and August in the Spanish city of Marbella, with an A-list roster of artists that this year included Marc Anthony, Santana, Emilia, Nathy Peluso and Camila Cabello.
The Billboard-Starlite partnership was initially announced during Billboard Latin Music Week, and details have been finalized since then.
The Madrid edition of Starlite kicks off Dec. 12 with a concert by Melendi and ends Dec. 22 with Manuel Carrasco. The Billboard No. 1s concert will be held Dec. 15. Tickets are already available for sale, with a full lineup to be announced soon.
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After a year-long hiatus, Envision Festival is returning to Uvita, Costa Rica this February. Attendees will once again be able to revel in the electronic-focused music, workshops and lush jungle setting that have defined the fest since its 2011 debut. Now, Envision organizers are announcing a host of changes and upgrades designed to optimize the 2026 edition.
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“We have listened, and we have put changes into action,” Envision co-founder Josh Wendel tells Billboard. “We are now ready to share how we are evolving and how we will deliver a better experience.”
On Monday (Nov. 10) Envision organizers unveiled a long list of improvements for the 2026 fest, happening Feb. 23-March 2 at its longtime site in a beach-adjacent swatch of jungle on the Pacific Ocean side of Costa Rica. The festival’s phase one lineup includes Bob Moses, CloZee, Daily Bread, Emancipator, Goldcap, Justin Martin and many others, with more artist to be announced in the coming weeks. Envision also offers a wide array of yoga, movement and sustainability classes, along with other workshops.
The announced changes follow a challenging 2024 edition, which found attendees citing sanitation issues and some attendees reporting that they experienced gastrointestinal illness while at the fest. Envision did not happen in 2025 as organizers regrouped, with Wendel transitioning from his production leadership role to leading the entire event, of which he also became the sole owner.
“After 2024 there were operational challenges we acknowledge that we had to fix, so in 2025 we chose the theme ‘back to our roots,’” Wendel says of the 2026 event’s guiding ethos. ” It was like, ‘What are we doing? Why are we doing it? How are we doing it? It became this deep, introspective journey of dissecting every little element of why I initially started it and the impact that it’s had.”
Originally from Florida and a Costa Rica resident for the last 22 years, Wendel speaks to Billboard from his home in Costa Rica, joking that he’s usually barefoot in the jungle. The updates he and the team developed emphasize that health and safety is Envision’s top priority and note that an audit of the 2024 event revealed multiple reasons for why people experienced GI issues, with “many people [getting] sick from viruses that were brought into the festival by travelers coming to the festival. For many people, moving into the jungle environment of Costa Rica and being exposed to different microbes is enough to trigger GI issues.”
Organizers are unrolling multiple methods for eradicating these issues in 2026. “It’s a hyper-focus on safety, on our medical team and on analyzing every which way that we can do that, including having a medical supervisor and a different medical team,” says Wendel. “You wouldn’t want to put this on the lineup poster, but health and sanitation are our headliners this year.”
As such, 2026 attendees will find separate stations for hand washing and water bottle refills. (While they were also separate in prior years, attendees did not treat them as such, so water will thus become a destination via a dedication water refill station called the Templos de Agua.
“It’s the jungle, and people are coming from all over the world to gather,” Wendel continues. “Obviously there is the self-care component we must continue to message to make sure people practice self-care as we give them the tools to do that. Wash your hands, use hand sanitizer, get some sleep, take care of yourself.”
As such, each festivalgoer will also be provided with a comprehensive guide to staying healthy while in Costa Rica that’s been developed in partnership with local doctors, health professionals and the Costa Rican Ministry of Health.
Another major change is the approach to toilets. Envision 2026 will provide more port-a-potties with more frequent pumping and better placement. Envision 2024 debuted a waterless, off-grid sanitation model using dry-composting toilets. The 2026 fest will improve upon this system by swapping out all tanks prior to guest arrival, so each system is fresh and empty at the start of the event. Carbon filters and improved ventilation will also be installed to reduce bathroom-related odors and increase airflow. A dedicated onsite maintenance team will service toilets more frequently during the fest to optimize cleanliness, hygiene and comfort.
After the festival, waste from these dry-composting toilets will be sealed and transferred to a long-term curing area where it will compost for 12–18 months, ensuring full pathogen elimination before it’s used for off-site organic fertilizer.
Envision has also brought in a new medical director, a Costa Rican doctor whose experience includes working with international film and television productions in the country and who is also part of a team that provides medical assistance to large-scale events in the U.S. This person will also work with a local medical team and in partnership with a local clinic, hospital and Ministry of Health and help hire more local people for the Envision lifeguard team that keeps watch over the festival’s beach area.
Expanded sustainability initiative will include water conservation guidelines and compostable cups, plates silverware and other serveware. Organizers predict that these compostable items will significantly reduce water consumption by eliminating the washing necessitated by a now phased out reusable dish program. Along with the water-free composting toilets, the production team is also installing low-flow showerheads and encouraging short showers for all guests.
“We’re not a luxury hotel,” says Wendel. “It is the jungle, and we are committed to doing everything to make it as convenient and comfortable and as easy as possible.”
Envision is also working closely with community partners and the organization who manages the local water supply to create a new on-site water system that ensure that the fest will have enough clean water and will also reduce the impact of Envision on the water flow of the nearby town. This system has been designed experienced engineers and will include filters, pumps, treatment, storage tanks and water distribution infrastructure.
Envision Festival
Courtesy of Envision Festival
These programs are particularly crucial given that Envision happens in an environmentally sensitive area, with the lush jungle setting, beach access and deep nature immersion provided by the fest being a huge part of its appeal. Envision happens at Rancho La Merced, located less than a mile north of the breathtaking Marino Ballena National Park, a protected marine sanctuary that’s home to humpback whales, spotted and bottlenose dolphins, manta rays, parrotfish and mackerel.
The festival site, which Envision leases from its owners, is itself home to emerging mangrove forests, creeks, freshwater canals, a host of tree and plant species, birds, monkeys and other wildlife.
“People come for the headliners, but then they’re barefoot in the jungle and jumping in that ocean, and doing yoga and drinking from a coconut and seeing monkeys and something clicks,” says Wendel. “People get inspired. The music is like a bait-and-switch.”
But there is of course the push/pull of bringing thousands of people (many of whom are looking to party for a week) to such a ecologically delicate area, an issue many festivals that happen in special places in nature must grapple with. “When you talk about environmental impact, I look at it as 10 steps forward, then one step back, with a little traffic and boom boom bass [during the festival itself], then 10 steps forward,” says Wendel.
Envision has put this into action by reforesting the site, where many of the trees were cut down in the mid-20th century to make space for a cattle pasture. Over the years, Envision has helped plant Ylang Ylang and fruit trees throughout the grounds and at Rancho La Merced and has also planted beach almonds in the campgrounds for shade. Before and after photos from 2014 to 2024 show an impressive expansion of trees and foliage on the site. Organizers have also worked with local organizations to plant in the surrounding area to protect water sources and provide biological corridors throughout the Rancho La Merced property.
Envision Festival
Auudrey
To mitigate the impact of attendees on the festival on the site, the 2026 edition will also reduce capacity by roughly 2,000 people, bringing down overall attendance to approximately 5,500. (The amount of temporary infrastructure built on site will also be reduced.) This decreased headcount also factors in reducing travel from international Envision staff, with the focus being to hire as many local people as possible to mitigate impact, create jobs and keep the event local.
The fest is also leaning into this local component by bringing in more products from local vendors. This will include local produce kombucha brewed in Uvita, beer from nearby Dominical, cacao from local regenerative farms and herbal elixirs, mixers made in the region using native plants and locally grown herbs and compostable plates, cups and containers made in Costa Rica.
All of these changes are coming in tandem with a phase two lineup Wendel calls “by far the most exciting phase two that we’ve ever had.” While he’s tight-lipped about who it might be, he says this lineup expansion will likely be announced this month.
Over Zoom Wendel seems sincerely excited these changes and clear-eyed about the reasons for them. Many event producers often receive severe verbal abuse on social media when elements of an event go wrong, an experience Wendel says was not necessarily pleasant, but ultimately useful.
“Even when the feedback comes off as ugly and emotionally vomiting, I’m never losing sight of who I am or who we are as an organization. It’s about being able to pull out what valuable information I can that can actually make this event better.
“It’s psychological warfare right now, with the amount of anger, frustration and hatred,” he continues. “So [for me] it’s about asking how we can be vulnerable leaders? How can we be honest? How can we be humble? It’s about acknowledging mistakes and being proud of your desire to grow and learn from those mistakes… I’m making the best decisions I can make from the best information I have.”
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Today is officially Music Creator Day.
Spearheaded by SOCAN, the date was acknowledged by Senator René Cormier on Nov. 4 in the Canadian Senate and by Member of Parliament David Myles in the House of Commons two days later.
As of 2025, Nov. 7 will now be annually observed as Music Creator Day across the country.
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It coincides with beloved Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell’s birthday, paying tribute to her contributions and representing a lasting legacy for the next generation of musicians.
“Thank you for honouring my work in this manner,” Mitchell says in a statement. “Although I have lived mostly in the States since I was 21, I live part-time in B.C. I have always been proud to be a Canadian and lately more than ever.”
Earlier this year, Mitchell was honoured with SOCAN’s 2025 Cultural Impact Award, recognizing her impact as a Canadian songwriter. Canadian singer-songwriter Allison Russell performed a showstopping rendition of “Both Sides Now” at the SOCAN Awards and spoke to Billboard Canada about her work with the legendary artist. “Getting to be in creative communion and community with her has been one of the most surreal gifts of my life,” she said.
“I invite you all to sit down and enjoy your favourite Joni song, or a song by any other amazing Canadian, and honour the great musical creators of this country on Music Creator Day,” says MP Myles.
The declaration is accompanied by a recent survey conducted by Pollara for SOCAN on the connection between Canadian music and culture. They report that 81% of Canadians believe supporting local music creators is vital to ensuring our culture thrives for future generations, with 77% claiming local music helps define Canadian culture.
It’s reflected on the charts, too. As of November, five Canadian artists have hit No.1 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart, including two albums from The Weeknd, PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake’s collaborative $ome $exy $ongs 4 U and Tate McRae’s So Close to What, marking the pop singer’s first No. 1 on the chart. The most recent was Justin Bieber’s Swag, which sat at No. 1 for one week.
Read more here.
Canadian Government Renews Canada Music Fund in 2025 Budget
The Canada Music Fund has been renewed.
After a few weeks of uncertainty from independent Canadian music industry groups, yesterday (Nov. 4), the government officially renewed and allocated $48 million to the fund, in the first federal budget tabled by Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne — it will be distributed over the next three years, beginning in 2026.
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The decision serves as a moment of celebration for Canadian music organizations. Québec music organization ADISQ shares that it’s a relief for the industry.
“This renewal was essential for our companies to continue investing fully in the career development of local artists, and thus maintain the sector’s competitiveness,” says Eve Paré, executive director of ADISQ, in French. “Public funding provides leverage for our industry. It plays a vital role in reaching the full potential of our cultural vitality.”
For over four decades, the Canada Music Fund has been a cornerstone of Canada’s music economy, supporting FACTOR and Musicaction, two of the country’s biggest and most important music grants.
The Canada Music Fund’s $48 million renewal extends the $16 million annual boost that was announced as a temporary two-year top-up in 2024, with another $16 million for the next three years.
Securing stable funding will enable music orgs to meet the challenges they face, such as declining contributions to private radio broadcasting, and will serve as a boost after the paused 5% revenue funds for major foreign-owned digital streaming platforms under Bill C-11.
The Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) notes that the renewal is a sign of recognition and validation for homegrown artists and organizations.
“Canadian music companies and the artists they work with represent a dynamic economic engine powering the growth of Canada’s cultural economy. This budget announcement is an encouraging step forward,” says Andrew Cash, president and CEO of CIMA.
The renewal will benefit live music organizations, too. The Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) enthusiastically welcomed the federal government’s continued investment in Canada’s cultural sector, “including the commercial live music infrastructure of venues, festivals and promoters that connect artists to audiences across the country.”
In addition to the renewal, the government has announced a $150 million funding increase for CBC/Radio-Canada, with hopes of the country securing a spot on Eurovision’s international song contest.
“Public funding preserves a dynamic local ecosystem that values what makes us unique. We must now work to guarantee the sustainability of this funding and thus ensure the future of our music,” says Paré.
Read more here.
Music Streaming Services Call On National Assembly of Québec to Forego French-Language Quotas
Music streamers are speaking out against new French language music streaming legislation.
The Digital Media Association (DiMA), the trade association and lobby group that represents platforms including Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music, has raised concerns about Bill 109, a proposed new law that would ensure French-language content is prioritized by digital platforms operating in the province.
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Bill 109, titled An Act to affirm the cultural sovereignty of Quebec and to enact the Act respecting the discoverability of French-language cultural content in the digital environment, was introduced in May by Québec’s Culture Minister Mathieu Lacombe.
If passed, the act would “enshrine the right to discoverability of and access to original French language cultural content” into Québec’s Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, and allow the province’s government to mandate “the quantity or proportion of original French-language cultural content that must be offered by digital platforms.”
The bill states that the Quebec government has to establish content quotas on how much music needs to be produced or featured on these platforms, although no numbers were specified. All platforms would be required to register with Lacombe.
According to DiMA, the major streaming services don’t want any new discoverability requirements and French language quotas.
In a submission to the Committee on Culture and Education in the Québec National Assembly, the music association writes that “mandating quotas and the discoverability of certain tracks or types of tracks risks altering the business model that has made streaming so attractive and has delivered vital revenues to artists and the music industry.”
The organization fears that if there is government intervention, it will affect how the streaming services operate, and “degrade the user experience,” which may limit the flow of revenue to Francophone artists and rightsholders.
Additionally, DiMA raises logistical issues with the government’s implementation of content quotas.
DiMA highlights that the key to ensuring both parties are satisfied is prioritizing the ultimate objective — to promote the language and culture of Québec.
“We believe the most effective path forward is one focused on listener choice, not constraint. Québec artists and Francophone music are thriving on streaming services today because audiences are empowered to find and listen to music organically,” says Graham Davies, DIMA’s president and CEO.
“By working together — combining the government’s cultural vision with the streaming services’ reach, expertise and innovation — we believe Francophone and music of Québec can continue to thrive both at home and on the global stage.”
While Quebec is pushing discoverability of French-language music, the online platforms are pushing back against the cross-country “streaming tax battle,” pushing against the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)’s now-paused plan to require major foreign streaming companies to invest 5% of their income to support Canadian content.
DiMA has led a campaign called “Stop The Streaming Tax,” which some in the music industry have called “disingenuous.” Services like Spotify, meanwhile, have been touting the success of francophone music on its platform.
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Over the past few years, the revenue of the organizations that collect and distribute public performance and mechanical royalties have gone up – by a collective 7.2% in 2021, an eye-popping 28.9% in 2022 and then 7.6% in 2023. But the pandemic bust and subsequent recovery boom made it hard to see trends that would shape the future of this part of the business. With the Nov. 6 release of the organization’s Global Collections Report, though, a clearer picture of this part of the music publishing business is starting to emerge.
Revenue from music collections hit 12.59 billion euros ($13.62 billion), up 7.2% from 2023, a rate of growth not so different from the previous year, while revenue from digital sources rose 10.8% to 5.01 billion euros ($5.42 billion). This, too, seems to be falling into something of a pattern: Digital revenue jumped 35.1% in 2022, then 9.5% in 2023. Revenue from live and background music – played at concerts and in places like restaurants and bars – also seems to be settling into a groove. After falling more than 45% during the pandemic, it grew 68.5% in 2022, 21.8% in 2023, and 10.4% last year to 3.38 billion euros ($3.66 billion). Revenue from television and radio climbed 1.2% to 3.42 billion euros ($3.7 billion), after growing 11.8% in 2022 and falling 5.3% in 2023.
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Over the past decade, global music collections rose by more than two-thirds – and the mix of revenue has changed significantly. In 2024, revenue from digital sources made up 39.8% of collection organization revenue, while television and radio accounted for 27.1% and live and background music for 26.8%. Digital and live are expected to continue to grow, especially since live revenue in most cases is pegged to concert ticket prices.
Globally, the picture hasn’t changed as fast as some hoped. Western Europe still accounts for almost half the market (47.5%) and revenue there grew 6.6%. Including the U.S. and Canada, where revenue grew 10%, the West accounts for more than 75% of global collections. For years, publishing executives expected significant growth in African and Latin America, but so far it has not lived up to expectations – revenue from Africa grew 10% while that of Latin America rose 3.3%. The latter region’s growth was hurt by a currency decline in Argentina, while growth in Asia was hampered by a slight decline in Japan for the same reason. The standout region for growth was Eastern Europe, which CISAC counts as everything from the former Iron Curtain to Central Asia, where collections grew 17.9%.
These CISAC statistics capture a significant amount of the music publishing business – but not all of it. They include all of the revenue that goes through collecting societies that are CISAC members, most of which operate on a nonprofit or not-for-profit basis, plus private companies like BMI and SESAC. (These numbers do not include GMR, or Global Music Rights, and some other entities.) In most of the world, unlike the U.S., societies collect both public performance and mechanical rights revenue, and these numbers reflect that. CISAC does not currently account for money collected for mechanical rights by the MLC, although that may change next year. These numbers also exclude revenue collected for multi-territory online rights assigned by publishers to ICE and some other European entities. For all those omissions, however, the CISAC report is one of the better ways to get a sense of music publishing.
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CISAC is an organization that goes far beyond music – it includes 228 collective management organizations in 111 countries and territories – including those that collect money for the use of audiovisual works, visual art, literature and drama. Much of this non-music revenue comes from Europe, where countries have an array of collecting societies for different media. Music is the biggest source of revenue by far, however, accounting for about 90% of a 13.97-billion-euro ($15.11 billion) total, which was up 6.6% from 2023. Overall, digital revenue for all rights rose by 11.2%.
“This year’s results are testament to the adaptability and resilience of creators’ collective rights management in a rapidly changing environment,” CISAC director general Gadi Oron said in a statement distributed with the report. In the same document, CISAC president Björn Ulvaeus noted that “In 2024, authors’ societies delivered record royalties to creators worldwide. This achievement is a cause for celebration, reflecting the resilience of collective management and the value of creative works in a growing market.”
Oron and Ulvaeus also took the opportunity to issue warnings about the potential threat of generative artificial intelligence. Without proper regulation, AI “risks undermining the very foundation of creative value,” Oron writes in his foreword to the report. So far, he notes, the European Commission’s implementation of the AU AI Act has fallen short of the protections in it, which amounts to “a betrayal” that “underscores the urgency of ensuring that the rights of authors are upheld in practice, not just in principle.”
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In his own foreword, Ulvaeus takes a similar tone. A study commissioned by CISAC projected that as much as a quarter of creators’ royalties could be lost without AI regulation as the market for AI-generated content could reach 64 billion euros in three years. “This is value flowing away from the individuals who give culture its meaning,” Ulvaeus writes. “I have urged that creators must be at the decision table, not on the outside looking in.”
