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Canada is the third biggest exporter of music to the world.
That’s according to the inaugural “export power” ranking in Luminate’s 2024 year-end report. The music data tracking company, which also tabulates Billboard’s charts, defines export power as “a country’s ability to export recorded music globally.”
Canada is behind only the U.S. and the U.K., which hold the top two spots on the export power ranking. Canada’s top importers of music are the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, while Canada is also the number one importer of music from the U.S., emphasizing the entwined nature of Canadian and American markets.
The rest of the top ten is rounded out by South Korea, Germany, France, Puerto Rico, Australia, Sweden and Brazil.
While that might seem like good news for Canadian music, the report also includes some indicators that Canada is not in a growth period for exporting music.
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When it comes to the share of global premium (audio and video) streams, Canada saw the third largest decline last year, with its share down from 3.73% to 3.34%, also behind the U.S. and U.K. Mexico, Brazil and India had the biggest stream share growth.
That points to a trend where music from the global south — and in languages other than English — is seeing a major explosion in popularity.
The report also highlights that English and non-English-language countries are showing different trends when it comes to local vs. foreign content.
“English-speaking markets are losing local share to non-English language imports,” the report states, “while many non-English speaking markets show local content gaining share.”
That provides further evidence that non-English language music is on the rise across the board. In the U.S., Mexico and Chile (and, surprisingly, Ireland) had the biggest stream share gains, while Canada, the U.S. and Nigeria saw the biggest stream share declines. Canada also saw some of the highest stream share declines in the U.K., Australia, Japan and Brazil.
Canadian songwriters, however, are going strong, thanks in part to a few of pop’s biggest stars.
Canada ranks third for songwriter representation among 2024’s top 1000 most-streamed songs, again behind the U.S. and the U.K.
The Weeknd is a big reason for that position, ranking third amongst the most prolific and the most-streamed songwriters in the top 1000 streamed songs.
Pop comes out as the fastest-growing genre in the U.S., followed by rock, Latin music and country. That growth is led by a big year for women pop singers like Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter — and Canada’s Tate McRae, who places at No. 9 on Luminate’s Pop Artist Rank for the U.S.
Find more on Canadian data and trends in Luminate’s Year-End Report here.
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Unison Fund Launches Relief Program For Canadian Music Workers Affected By Los Angeles Fires
Canadian music industry charity Unison Fund has launched a new support program for music workers affected by the Los Angeles fires.
The Natural Disaster Relief Program provides one-time payments of $2,500 to Canadian music workers facing losses from natural disasters, including the wildfires.
The program is the latest initiative offering support to music industry members who have suffered devastating losses in the fires, which have resulted in at least 27 deaths destroyed more than 12,000 structures. The Palisades Fire is 22% contained as of Thursday, January 16, and the Eaton Fire is 45% contained.
“With so many Canadian music professionals living and working in L.A., it was important to create a program that offers meaningful support during difficult times like these,” executive director Amanda Power tells Billboard Canada.
“The Unison Fund Natural Disaster Relief Program is our way of helping our music community, providing immediate support to help rebuild lives and livelihoods after a crisis.”
Founded in 2010, Unison provides counselling and emergency relief services to Canadian musicians and the music community. The charity previously provided emergency support during 2020 and 2021 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, disbursing over $3.5 million in pandemic assistance.
Among the Canadians affected by the fires include Grammy-winning producer Greg Wells, who lost his home, and musicians Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida who were forced to evacuate. Tim Darcy of Canadian band Cola lost his house in the fire, with friends and community members fundraising to help Darcy and his partner Amy Fort, of FSR Radio.
To qualify for the Disaster Relief Program, applicants must have worked in the music industry for five consecutive years, with a majority of their income coming from music.
The Canadian Music Hall of Fame has announced its full crop of 2025 inductees.
Songwriter Dan Hill, “grande dame of Québec song” Ginette Reno, rock superstars Glass Tiger and singer/songwriter/composer Loreena McKennitt will all join the previously announced Sum 41. That legendary punk and rock band, who are currently on their farewell tour after returning to the top of the Alternative Airplay chart after more than two decades, will celebrate the induction with their final televised performance at the 2025 Juno Awards on March 30 in Vancouver.
The other four recipients will be joined by 2024 Hall of Fame inductee and Canadian hip-hop pioneer Maestro Fresh Wes at a special ceremony on May 15 at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre (NMC), in Calgary. Maestro Fresh Wes was inducted into the Hall of Fame during The 2024 Junos broadcast in Halifax, and will again be honoured at the Studio Bell event this year.
The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was established by CARAS, the organization behind the Junos, in 1978 to acknowledge artists who have made a remarkable impact on Canadian music both nationally and internationally.
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Hill, Reno, Glass Tiger, McKennitt, Sum 41 and Maestro Fresh Wes will join the ranks of esteemed stars including Alanis Morissette, Barenaked Ladies, Deborah Cox, Jann Arden, Joni Mitchell, k.d. lang, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Nickelback, Oscar Peterson, Rush, The Guess Who, The Tragically Hip, Sarah McLachlan and Shania Twain.
This is the third time CARAS has held a multiple induction ceremony outside of the Junos.
“As the physical home of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, we’re proud to be a place that honours the individuals that have contributed so much to Canadian music,” says Andrew Mosker, president & CEO of the National Music Centre. “It’s always a privilege to host this special event and welcome the latest inductees to Calgary, where we can celebrate their significant influence and share their inspiring stories.”
The National Music Centre will unveil a new exhibition at Studio Bell on May 7, spotlighting the achievements of the four inductees.
Hill has achieved major international success, both for his own music and in collaboration with other musical legends. His “Sometimes When We Touch,” a tune Dolly Parton called her “favourite song of all time”’ and one she wishes she had written, has notched 63 million YouTube views and over 100 million downloads. It peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978.
Hill has recorded and released multiple Gold and Platinum albums, won a Grammy Award and five Junos, and was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2021. He’s also worked with many of the pop’s top-selling artists, including Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees, Britney Spears and Céline Dion.
Ginette Reno is a legend of Quebec music. In a 65-year career, she’s recorded over 2000 songs, 42 albums, all gold or platinum, and various notable roles on the silver screen and on television.
Since their first three albums starting in the mid-1980s, Ontario rock band Glass Tiger spawned 14 Top 40 Hits in Canada in five years. The 1986 hit “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)” (which hit No. 2) and following hit “Someday,” which both reached Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the band’s debut album, The Thin Red Line, went quadruple platinum in Canada and gold in the U.S.
McKennitt has sold more than 14 million copies worldwide while remaining self-managed and self-produced. Her music, combining elements of pop, folk and worldbeat styles, has been dubbed “eclectic Celtic.”
Tickets will soon go on sale at the National Music Centre. More info at the Canadian Music Hall of Fame website.
Tamer Ashour’s journey to becoming a celebrated singer was marked by twists of fate far beyond his expectations or plans. In the early stages of his career, Tamer was deeply focused on his goals as a composer. He poured determination and professionalism into crafting melodies for other artists and strived to deliver his best with each composition. Before the public even knew his name, his voice began to resonate through the streets of Cairo, his hometown, capturing hearts and attention.
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Two decades ago, as a composer, Tamer Ashour recorded demo versions of songs he had written for other artists. During a time when the Internet was gaining traction in the region, forums enabled users to download audio clips directly, and Bluetooth technology allowed songs to be shared across mobile phones. Amid this technological shift, Tamer was stunned to discover that some of his demos, featuring his own voice, had been leaked on forums and websites. Songs like “Zekrayat Kadaba” (“False Memories”),” Thania Wahda” (“One Second”), “Senin El Shoq” (“Years of Longing”) and “Albak Ya Hawl Allah” (“Your Heart, Oh God”) began circulating widely, gaining popularity even though the identity of the singer behind them remained a mystery.
This unexpected turn of events left Tamer, who had never intended to step into the spotlight as a singer, feeling conflicted. He recalls a time when he closely monitored the spread of his voice, allowing it to resonate with audiences before officially stepping into the spotlight to launch his career as a singer. Eventually, he connected his face to the voice that had already resonated with the public and released his debut album, Sa’b. Success followed with albums and hits like “Leya Nazra” (“I Have Insight”), “Esht Maak” (“I Lived with You”) and “Ayam” (“Days”). Alongside his singing career, Tamer thrived as a composer, collaborating with some of Arabic music’s most prominent artists to create melodies that became unforgettable. His compositions include “Ya Reatak Fahimny” (“I Wish you Understand Me”) and “Lawha Bahetah” (“Faded Canvas”) by Angham, “Min El Aasham” (“Out of Hope”) by Amr Diab and “Hikayti Maak” (“My Life with You”) and “Ana Sekketen” (“I Have Two Sides”) by Elissa.
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In our in-depth, half-hour conversation with Tamer Ashour, the star featured on the December cover of Billboard Arabia, he consistently speaks of his career as being shaped either by destiny or a series of fortunate coincidences. Yet, if you pay close attention to his words and perspective, you will quickly see that they reflect both humility and realism. This humility shines through as he speaks with great appreciation about his fellow stars, the artists he has worked with, and the young talents he hopes to support or collaborate with in the future. Even when discussing his own successes, such as his recent hit “Haygely Mawgow” (“You’ll Come to me Broken”), Tamer remains grounded.
After nearly two decades in the music industry, marked by steady and quiet successes, “Haygely Mawgow” emerged as a turning point in Tamer’s career. The song became his biggest hit to date, as demonstrated by its impressive streaming numbers across various platforms and the enthusiastic interaction at live performances. By the end of the year, just two weeks before our interview, the song had won the Song of the Year award at the 2024 Billboard Arabic Music Awards. It also claimed the Top Egyptian Song award, with Tamer leaving the ceremony with two prestigious trophies, a testament to the song’s immense success.
In addition to these awards, the creators behind the work were also recognized for their contributions. Aleem received the Best Lyricist award, while Amr El Shazly was named Best Composer. Tamer took pride in acknowledging their contributions during our conversation, also confirming that he would continue collaborating with these talented names, as well as other diverse collaborators, for his upcoming album, Yaah, slated for release in early 2025.
As his new album is set to be released independently, Tamer Ashour shared his recent experience with independent production, a trend we have seen grow over the years and discussed with many Arabic artists, including Angham, Elissa, Nassif Zeytoun and others. Ashour expressed a unique satisfaction in working outside of major production houses, as it gave him full control over his creative direction. This autonomy allowed him to take responsibility for his decisions and vision, and with that, the credit for his successes, which he feels are sometimes stifled by larger production houses. When talking about releasing independently, he says, “The production experience has been the best of my life in the last ten years. It means you are responsible for yourself, without anyone telling you that you failed or undermining your success. Production houses have always done that, and that was the assurance they offered.”
When discussing his songs and his most notable hits, Tamer Ashour refrained from labeling his songs as “sad” and instead preferred the term “drama,” a description he used frequently, as if it were an artistic genre in its own right. “The Arab audience generally gravitates toward songs with a sense of sadness. They do not necessarily have to be sad, but the songs that endure and make singers successful have always been dramatic – not cheerful or upbeat hits. What lingers in the listener’s mind is the emotion of sadness and drama, across all genres, even with popular singers,” he said. He goes on to explain: “Even popular artists during their peak success, like Mr. Hassan Al Asmar, for instance, had the world dancing to songs like ‘Kitab Hayati Ya Ain,’ a dramatic song. There are many examples from that era. The songs that helped them rise to fame and establish their names in the industry were all dramatic in nature, but they were crafted in ways that suited the style they were presenting.”
Tamer Ashour
Mazen Abusrour/Billboard Arabia
Tamer speaks extensively about the concept of the dramatic song and how it has become deeply intertwined with his artistic identity, shaping the path he follows. While he releases emotional and romantic songs, he understands the expectations his audience has of him. He also emphasizes that crafting a dramatic song is not something that happens effortlessly; it requires a solid foundation, with careful attention to the lyrics, melodies and performance style. When we jokingly ask if his success in this genre means he has discovered the secret to the perfect formula, he responds: “It is not the secret to the mix. This is from Allah. There are no specific things I do to make the song come out the way you hear it. People just love my voice in dramatic songs.”
Tamer Ashour
Mazen Abusrour/Billboard Arabia
Kasabian, Clean Bandit, Rag’n’Bone Man and more have been announced for Brits Week 2025, which will see a host of acts play intimate venues throughout London, Glasgow and Bexhill in February and March.
The concert series is organized in conjunction with the upcoming Brit Awards, which will will take place on March 1 at The O2 Arena in London. Nominees are expected to be announced in the coming weeks alongside news of this ceremony’s performers and host.
Brits Week will kick off on Feb. 17 with Cat Burns performing at east London’s Moth Club and continues with shows from Joy Crookes, Rachel Chinouriri, Frank Turner, Nova Twins, Blossoms, Tom Walker, Soft Play and more. See the full run of shows below.
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The Brits Week concert series was first held in 2009 with all proceeds of the shows benefitting War Child, a charity that supports young people caught up in conflicts across the globe. Since 2009, the Brits Week concert series has raised £7.4 ($9.02) million for the organization, according to a press statement.
Tickets for the events go on sale later this week, with a War Child presale taking place this Thursday (Jan. 16) before a general sale on Friday (Jan. 17) at 10 a.m. GMT.
Several huge acts have performed at Brits Week over recent years, including Ed Sheeran (2022), The 1975 (2023) and Coldplay (2016).
In December, Luton-born musician Myles Smith was announced as the recipient of The Brits’ Rising Star award for 2025, which tips rising stars for future success. Smith beat out competition from Elmiene and Good Neighbours to scoop the prize. Previous winners include Adele (2008), Sam Smith (2014) and most recently The Last Dinner Party (2024).
Brits Week 2025 lineup:
February 17 – Cat Burns – London, England @ Moth ClubFebruary 18 – Joy Crookes – London, England @ Islington Assembly HallFebruary 20 – Rachel Chinouriri – London, England @ OmearaFebruary 21 – Frank Turner – London, England @ 93 Feet EastFebruary 24 – Nova Twins – London, England @ OmearaFebruary 25 – Kasabian with Blossoms – London, England @ O2 Shepherd’s Bush EmpireFebruary 28 – Clean Bandit and Friends – London, England @ The PalladiumMarch 3 – Tom Walker – Glasgow, Scotland @ King Tut’s Wah Wah HutMarch 4 – Soft Play – London, England @ Village UndergroundMarch 5 – Rag‘n’Bone Man – Bexhill, England @ De La Warr Pavilion
The Chemical Brothers’ music has been loved by the cinema and video games since the beginning, when in 1995 “Chemical Beats” ended up in the soundtrack of the PlayStation game Wipeout. The latest such appearance is in the film Sonic the Hedgehog 3, where “Galvanize” sounds perfect in a scene with Jim Carrey dancing among laser beams. Tom Rowlands has already worked on commission for some directors such as Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan and Joe Wright for a theatrical production and for the film Hanna, in the latter case paired with Ed Simons (the other half of the Chemical Brothers).
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But this new adventure was really a challenge. With the usual English irony Tom defined “an act of intimidation” the request of director Joe Wright to score the new Sky Original series Mussolini: Son of the Century, based on the novel M. Son of the Century by Antonio Scurati, which was recently released in Italy. The series tells the story of the birth of fascism in Italy and the rise to power of Benito Mussolini. The challenge was won, because the Chemical Brothers-style tracks perfectly amplify the emotional and sometimes tragic scenes.
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Working with Joe Wright seems to have become a regular occurrence.
True! Ed and I worked together on his film Hanna and then I composed the background music for Joe’s adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s famous play Life of Galileo, an experience I really enjoyed. I like working with Joe: I still remember him when he followed us on our first important tours, all three of us were kids… Suddenly one day he sent me M., Antonio Scurati’s book. I was hooked from the first pages, it’s a fantastic book! I studied history at university and I immediately realized that Joe’s gesture of offering me this reading was a real challenge, because M. is not only a long book but above all dense and profound. Plus, I’ve always been attracted by the history of that period.
So was it easier for you to feel involved in the project?
Yes, but I could also say that making me read M. was also a sort of intimidating act. First of all because I have never worked on a text that deals with a specific historical event, then because the rise of fascism and the figure of Mussolini are certainly not easy historical topics to deal with. Composing this soundtrack was a serious task. I was very excited at the idea of taking on a challenge so different from my previous ones, and for a project that started from such a powerful book.
The compositions you created for the series are very precise in commenting on the scenes in which they are inserted. Did you start working on the sound even before shooting?
That’s right: Joe Wright and I started talking about ideas and musical themes with just the script in hand. It was a long process of ideas, plus I was interacting with a person who is also a true friend in addition to being a great talent. I tried to give shape to his ideas, because this series is the fruit of his vision.
The soundtrack has very rhythmic sound comments – Chemical Brothers style – and not many melodies.
There are melodies! But they are a bit convoluted, they are never obvious. The main theme is all based on a precise and constant rhythm.
The theme is close to the sound of fascist marches but also takes up the ideas of futurism.
Of course, Joe and I discussed the difference and the relationship between noise and music, which was a theme dear to the futurists. I certainly would never have associated a “floral” sound movement with the advent of fascism!
You stated that part of the soundtrack was made by making old acoustic instruments interact with modern electronics.
Right. I developed a system in my studio where I can have total control of all the information I receive by making my technology interact with traditional instruments such as strings and piano. What we were describing musically was a certain past that really happened. When I met Antonio Scurati he was absolutely in agreement with this creative process, as well as the fact that for (this series) all modern electronics were used to tell not an imaginary world but historical facts, the songs often comment on words taken from real speeches by Mussolini.
The tracks are sometimes very short sound comments. Was it difficult to work on them?
Yes, that was also a real challenge. But that’s why I like working on soundtracks: it’s a very different process. I’m also intrigued by being able to comment on the change of emotions during a scene: you can easily go from a sense of calm to one of terror in a few moments, whereas in a song you often try to create only one type of emotion or feeling.
The impression is that in the second part of the series the music becomes increasingly dramatic, as the historical events do.
I tried to musically describe a very complex historical period where a leader conquers the people – part of the population also found Mussolini a funny man – and then comes to total control of the Italian state after the killing of the MP Giacomo Matteotti. I also tried to convey the director’s and writer’s vision: I hope I did it coherently with that.
What do you think of the Oasis reunion?
I’ll be honest: it’s crazy! My kids and their friends are really desperate to get a ticket because that’s a generation that has never seen the Gallagher brothers on stage together. I’ve known Liam and Noel for years, I’ve been to their concerts many times and it’s always been great to be there, but this time the level of hysteria reached to get a ticket here in Great Britain is truly incredible. Speaking of people from Manchester, my kids would love to see The Smiths reunite too!
Which Oasis albums do you like the most?
Whatever age you are, even just 17, Definitely Maybe is still an incredible album: listening to it is as if the songs were speaking directly to you. I’m sure that this effect is triggered also in the new generations. But the second album is not bad either. They are their two masterpieces.
Will we hear new Chemical Brothers music anytime soon?
It’s too early. Ed and I have to take our time, as always. When we release music, we want to make sure it’s music we really love! We’ve never limited ourselves to putting out productions just for the sake of it. And that’s still true today.
First, the elephant in the room. Justin Trudeau resigned as Prime Minister after a decade as leader of the country. He’ll stay on until a leadership race elects the new head of his Liberal Party on March 9. What could this period of transition mean for Canada’s music industry and arts funding? Read more:
Meanwhile…
Warner Music Group has formed another strategic partnership to elevate and develop Punjabi music in Canada.
ADA, the company’s independent label and artist services arm, announced a worldwide distribution deal with EYP Creations INC. EYP is a major management and content company in Punjabi music and is based in both Canada and India.
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Canada has emerged as a global hub for Punjabi music, which is one of the fastest growing global genres. Artists including Karan Aujla, Shubh and Diljit Dosanjh have achieved chart success and set records in the country.
Warner has been on the forefront of the Punjabi Wave, uniting Warner Music Canada and Warner Music India to launch 91 North Records in 2023. But this partnership with EYP also aims to foster the next wave of talent so that they can eventually achieve the same heights.
The new deal includes EYP’s record label, UrDebut Canada, which has helped launch new artists like Kushagra and Tanishqa, who have had songs with millions of streams in the last year. The goal, they say, is to open emerging artists to a similarly broad and growing audience of hungry international fans.
“This partnership with EYP Creations marks a strategic step in expanding WMG’s presence within the Punjabi music landscape,” says Warner Music Canada president Kristen Burke in a statement. “This alliance not only supports the growth of Punjabi music in Canada, but also opens doors for discovering and nurturing emerging talent in this vibrant community.”
EYP Creations CEO Nikhil Dwivedi says he’s excited about the potential of working with ADA and talks about the quality distribution and marketing it can open to South Asian artists in Canada.
“We are focused on nurturing young South Asian talent together through launching them at UrDebut Canada label and building them through distribution, management, live events and collaborations around the globe,” he says.
ADA has also partnered with other Punjabi music companies in recent years, including Punjabi music content aggregator, Sky Digital, and Punjabi record label, Geet MP3.
“We’re excited to bring this Punjabi music leader into the Warner Music Group family,” says Cat Kreidich, President of ADA. “Our team is looking forward to partnering closely with Nikhil and everyone at EYP Creations to mine new opportunities in the market and bring new voices into the mix.” -Richard Trapunski
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East Coast Music Association Parts Ways With CEO
On Monday (Jan. 6), the East Coast Music Association (ECMA) issued a press release stating that “the board has conducted a thorough review of our leadership and operations, leading to the decision to part ways with CEO Blanche Israël.” The change has been made ahead of the East Coast Music Awards show in St. John’s, Newfoundland this spring.
The Canadian Press reports on the “clash over the future of the East Coast Music Awards” that led to the decision. In an online petition launched late 2024, some members called for “transparency and stability” amid changes that affected the awards and its associated festival, citing a lack of clarity and consultation around applications and other “significant modifications.” Former ECMA CEO Andy McLean has been installed as interim managing director as the search for a new CEO begins.
ECMA’s stated mission is “to develop, advance and celebrate East Coast Canadian music, its artists and its industry professionals throughout the region and around the world. We advocate for our members to ensure they can sustain music careers while based in Canada’s Atlantic region.”
This year’s ECMA awards honoured folk-rockers The East Pointers with the most awards, followed by Jenn Grant, Morgan Toney, and Tim Baker. –Kerry Doole
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Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars Score The First Post-Holiday No. 1 On The Canadian Hot 100 in 2025
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars have plenty to smile about this week.
The superstar duo have landed the first post-holiday No. 1 song of 2025, topping the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 “Die With a Smile.” The sentimental ballad has had a slow burn to the top, hitting No. 1 in its 20th week on the chart, though it’s been a mainstay on the Global 200. The song also climbed to the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for the first time this week.
Bruno Mars holds both the No. 1 and No. 2 spot this week on the Canadian Hot 100, with his Rosé collab “Apt.” at No. 2. Shaboozey’s record-breaker “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is also back in the top 3, holding the third spot.
There’s also a pair of first-timers making their chart debuts. U.K. singer Chrystal arrives with “The Days” at No. 95. The minimalist dance track got a boost from a high-energy remix by rising Bristol producer Notion, as well as a feature on the popular TikTok account Jaxon’s Journey.
American psych-pop singer Chezile lands on the chart at No. 98 with the melancholic “Beanie,” a psych-pop song with hints of Mac DeMarco that has become a popular cover choice on TikTok. Chezile also had a bump from popular content creator Mr. Beast using the song to soundtrack his proposal announcement.
Claiming the final spot on the chart is Imogen Heap’s “Headlock.” She’s not a first-timer but the acclaimed singer-songwriter is getting some love for her 2005 track, which is also seeing a lot of traction on TikTok.
None of those songs are on the U.S. Hot 100 this week, in keeping with a trend of viral TikTok tracks showing up on the Canadian charts first. Heading into 2025, it looks like the app is still one of the leading career-boosters out there, though it is facing potential existential threats on both sides of the border. –Rosie Long Decter
LONDON — The British government has launched a public consultation into the ticketing industry, including the heavily criticized use of dynamic pricing for popular tours, as part of wider efforts to stop music fans from “being fleeced” by “greedy ticket touts.”
The 12-week consultation was announced by the Department for Business and Trade and Department for Culture, Media and Sport on Friday (Jan. 10). It sets out a range of measures to transform the U.K.’s secondary ticket market, including a proposed cap on the price of ticket resales and new legal regulations for ticket platforms around transparency and the accuracy of information they provide to fans.
“From sports tournaments to Taylor Swift, all too often big events have been dogged by consumers being taken advantage of by ticket touts,” said business secretary Jonathan Reynolds in a statement. “These unfair practices look to fleece people of their hard-earned income, which isn’t fair on fans, venues and artists.”
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Government ministers are additionally reviewing pricing practices across the entire live events business, including the use of dynamic pricing by primary vendors whereby prices surge based on demand.
The use of dynamic pricing for concert tickets came to the fore in the U.K. in September when it was used on the U.K. and Ireland legs of Oasis’ Live ‘25 reunion tour, prompting hundreds of complaints from fans after tickets unexpectedly soared from around £150.00 ($200) for standard admission to £355.00 ($470) without prior warning.
The angry consumer backlash was accompanied by fierce condemnation from British politicians, including the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, and culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, who called the “vastly inflated” prices “depressing to see.”
Soon after, the U.K. competition regulator launched an investigation into Ticketmaster examining whether the Live Nation-owned company broke consumer protection laws and engaged in “unfair commercial practices” by failing to notify ticket buyers in advance about the price rises. Ticketmaster has consistently stated that ticket prices are set by the artist team and event organisers, not itself.
Starmer had previously vowed to cap resale prices on secondary ticketing platforms, such as Viagogo and StubHub, in the run up to July’s election win.
According to the Competition and Market Authority (CMA), around 1.9 million tickets were sold through secondary platforms to British consumers in 2019, accounting for between 5% and 6% of all tickets sold that year. Tickets sold on secondary sites are typically priced more than 50% higher than their face value, reports CMA, which estimated the U.K. secondary ticketing market to have been worth around £350 million ($430 million) a year pre-pandemic.
“For too long fans have had to endure the misery of touts hoovering up tickets for resale at vastly inflated prices,” said Nandy announcing the three-month-long consultation, which closes April 4.
The government said it was seeking views from live industry stakeholders and music fans on a number of proposed measures designed to make ticket resales fairer and more transparent.
They include capping the price of resale tickets at up to 30% above face value and banning resellers from listing more tickets than they can legally buy on the primary market. These measures would disincentivise industrial scale touting, said the government.
Ministers are also proposing to pass tougher regulations for ticket resale companies and issue tougher fines for offenders. At present, the maximum fine that can be issued by Trading Standards against companies that breach ticketing sale rules is £5,000 ($6,100). The consultation will investigate whether this cap should be increased.
The primary ticketing market is also under scrutiny with ministers calling for evidence on whether fans are protected from “unfair practices,” including the use of new technologies and dynamic pricing.
Rocio Concha, director of policy and advocacy at consumer protection organization Which?, said the government must use the consultation “to regulate the industry properly, ensure ticket resales don’t exploit fans and decide when the use of dynamic pricing is unfair and shouldn’t be allowed.”
As in other countries, the practice of dynamic pricing is commonly used in the U.K. by travel companies, taxis and hotels, but it has only been fleetingly used in the British touring market with Oasis’ comeback tour – which is being jointly promoted by Live Nation, SJM Concerts, MCD and DF Concerts – marking its most high-profile roll out for live music concerts in the United Kingdom and Ireland so far.
The British government’s probe of the ticketing business is the latest attempt by authorities to tackle the persistent issue of large-scale ticketing touting in the U.K.
In 2021, watchdog the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) concluded its long-running investigation into secondary ticketing platforms by making a series of recommendations to government on how to fix the sector. Those recommendations were rejected by the then Conservative government, but now form the basis of the Labour Party’s proposals.
There has also been a number of investigations by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) into secondary sites, with a particular focus on Viagogo.
When reached for comment, a Viagogo spokesperson insisted the company will “continue to constructively engage with the Government and look forward to responding in full to the consultation and call for evidence on improving consumer protections in the ticketing market.”
Responding to the public consultation, a spokesperson for Ticketmaster U.K. said the company was “committed to making ticketing simple and transparent” and supported plans to introduce an industry-wide resale price cap.
“We also urge the government to crack down on bots and ban speculative ticket sales,” said the U.K. arm of Ticketmaster, which has capped resale prices to face value on its platform since 2018. StubHub did not respond to a request to comment.
Adam Webb from U.K. campaign group FanFair Alliance called the government’s proposed measures “potentially game-changing” and highlighted the success of other countries, including Ireland, in passing legislation that has effectively banned ticket scalping. “The U.K. simply needs to follow their example,” said Webb.
Following a recent license review, London dance venue Drumsheds has been allowed to remain open but was ordered to enforce new safety measures at its events.
Located in Tottenham, a northern suburb of the capital, the 15,000-capacity venue was reported as being at risk of losing its license late last year. This followed a number of serious incidents on the premises and a subsequent investigation launched by Enfield Council.
On Oct. 12, 2024, a 27-year-old man died after attending a Drumsheds event, an incident believed to have been drug-related (as per The London Standard). On Dec. 7, a 29-year-old woman also died after a show by Belfast dance duo Bicep at the venue, with police stating the tragedy was also connected to drug usage. An emergency licensing review was called after the latter incident.
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In November, meanwhile, a man was stabbed inside Drumsheds, with emergency services called to the scene. No arrests have been made in connection with any of these three incidents. The stabbing was later confirmed by police to be non-fatal.
Following a meeting held by Enfield Council Tuesday (Jan. 7), it has been ruled that Drumsheds has permission to remain open, but will need to operate under specific safety measures going forward. The space — a repurposed IKEA unit — will now boast an increased police presence during events, and any serious incidents on the premises must be reported to emergency services immediately.
Issues with the organization of the venue were highlighted online last month, when a public petition was launched amid claims of “overcrowding” at Drumsheds events following a surplus of social media posts related to “unsafe queues.” This happened at the 15th anniversary celebration for U.K. bass label UKF, which took place on Dec. 13 and was headlined by Pendulum, Nero and Knife Party.
As per Mixmag, however, the review findings from the meeting have stated that the venue will not have to reduce its capacity, nor implement mandatory ID scanning and “bomb detection dogs.” It isn’t yet clear how the new measures will impact upcoming events at Drumsheds. The first scheduled event following the review, billed as Red Bull’s Culture Clash, is set to be held on Mar. 8. The line-up features London DJs Jyoty, Kenny Allstar and Teezee.
LONDON — Hit albums by Taylor Swift, The Weeknd and Sabrina Carpenter helped music sales in the United Kingdom reach a record high in 2024, exceeding the peak of the CD era in both revenue and volume for the first time, according to year-end figures from the Digital Entertainment and Retail Association (ERA).
Overall music spending in the U.K. grew to £ 2.4 billion ($3 billion) last year, a rise of 7.4% on 2023 and comfortably surpassing the previous high of £2.2 billion ($2.7 billion at today’s currency rates) back in 2001 when Dido, Robbie Williams and David Gray were topping the British album charts.
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Driving the growth was a 7.8% year-on-year rise in paid-for streaming revenues, which climbed to just over £2 billion ($2.5 billion). Vinyl sales were up 10.5% to £196 million ($245 million), while CD sales were more-or-less flat with 2023 — when revenues increased for the first time in two decades — at £126 million ($157 million). Download sales fell 3.2% to £41 million ($51 million).
The biggest selling album in the U.K. last year was Taylor’s all-conquering The Tortured Poets Department with just under 784,000 equivalent sales, including almost 112,000 vinyl purchases, which also made it 2024’s biggest-selling vinyl album.
Behind Swift in the year-end U.K. album charts was The Weeknd’s The Highlights, followed by Carpenter’s sixth studio set Short N’ Sweet. Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” was the year’s number one single, topping the British charts for seven weeks and selling 1.9 million equivalent units, the London-based organization reported Wednesday (Jan. 8).
Streaming now makes up 88.8% of music sales in the United Kingdom, a marginal 1.1% rise on 2023’s figure and more than double streaming’s share of the U.K. market six years ago, according to labels trade body BPI, which published its preliminary year-end listening figures last week.
BPI reports that just under 200 billion music tracks were streamed in the U.K. last year, up 11% on 2023’s total, with the equivalent of 201 million albums consumed across streaming, CD and vinyl sales, a year-on-year rise of 9.7%. Streaming alone generated the equivalent of 178 million album sales in 2024, says ERA.
ERA and BPI both use Official Charts Company sales data as the basis for their reporting, although the two organizations take different approaches to measuring the vitality of the recorded music business. ERA’s figures are based on retail spending in the U.K. alongside information provided by streaming services and label trade income, whereas BPI’s analysis measures music consumption levels. Both trade groups will publish their full annual reports later in the year.
The historic low point for the U.K. music industry came in 2013 when rampant piracy and a fast-eroding physical market saw sales fall to just over £1 billion (£1.2 billion in today’s currency). Since then, sales have more than doubled.
“2024 was a banner year for music, with streaming and vinyl taking the sector to all-time-high records in both value and volume,” said ERA CEO Kim Bayley in a statement. She called last year’s retail sales figures “the stunning culmination of music’s comeback” and triumphantly declared: “We can now say definitively – music is back.”
According to ERA, combined physical sales totaled £330 million ($412 million) in the U.K. in 2024, up 6.2% on the previous 12 months, with CD and vinyl sales accounting for nearly 14% of music revenues. The benefits of such a “mixed physical-digital ecology” is key to the music’s industry’s revival, said Bayley.
“We continue to believe that digital and physical channels are complementary and vital for the health of the entertainment market overall,” she said.
Overall, revenues across the U.K. entertainment market – comprising of music, video and games retail sales – were up 2.3% on 2023’s total to a record high of £12 billion ($14.9 billion), marking the 12th consecutive year of growth and an eighth successive all-time-high.
Of the three sectors, the growth of recorded music sales outpaced both video (comprising of video-on-demand subscription services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and DVD sales) and games, but music remains the smallest of the three entertainment industries in revenue terms.
Video was the largest sector with revenues growing 6.9% year-on-year to £5 billion. Games sales totaled £4.6 billion, down 4.4% on 2023 but still nearly twice as large as the recorded music business.
ERA has been reporting on the U.K. entertainment industries since 1999 when music, video and games sales totaled £4.1 billion ($5.1 billion).
It’s the end of an era in Canada as Justin Trudeau announces he will step down as Prime Minister.
The Liberal Party leader has held the country’s top political office since 2015. He will stay on while the Liberals hold a leadership race, with the winner becoming the next Prime Minister until an election is called.
Justin Trudeau faced calls from inside his party to step down, with his popularity plummeting amidst a year where incumbent leaders have lost elections globally.
“This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election,” Trudeau said.
The resignation announcement comes as a major piece of arts legislation, the Online Streaming Act, is being implemented. Trudeau’s government oversaw the passing of the Streaming Act, introduced as Bill C-11, which served as the first major update of Canada’s Broadcasting Act and sought to modernize Canadian arts policy for the digital age.
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A federal election is expected soon, with Conservative Party leader — and recent Jordan Peterson podcast guest — Pierre Poilievre ahead in the polls. Poilievre came out last fall against the Streaming Act’s requirements that major foreign streamers contribute 5% of Canadian revenues to support Canadian content, likening it to a tax.
“Spotify prices are going up thanks to Trudeau,” he posted, alongside a graphic of Trudeau DJing. The regulation does not explicitly mandate streaming services to raise their prices.
It’s unclear what a change in government could mean for implementing legislation like the Online Streaming Act, though Poilievre has promised a generally cuts-heavy approach to public funding.
Last year, Trudeau also announced a $32 million increase in funding to the Canada Music Fund, which supports granting bodies FACTOR and Musicaction, and $31 million in funding for festivals and arts performances. The announcements were welcomed by several industry associations.
In recent years, Trudeau has made headlines for appearing at a handful of concerts in Toronto. After tweeting at Taylor Swift to come to Canada when she first announced the Eras Tour, he later attended with his family at Rogers Centre. When Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh played the same venue, Trudeau came backstage to congratulate him, recognizing the unique Canadian attendance record. Last year, Canadian songwriter and poet Mustafa penned an open letter to the Prime Minister to protect and speak for the people of Palestine.
While the future of Canadian politics is up in the air, writer John Semley joked on BlueSky that this may have been Trudeau’s savviest political decision: resigning before Kendrick Lamar plays “Not Like Us” at the Superbowl.
This story was originally published by Billboard Canada.