We’re celebrating 40 years of Canadian independent music!
Founded in 1971 and incorporated in 1975, CIMA — then CIRPA (Canadian Independent Record Producers Association) — was the first independent music organization in the world. Through the association, the prolific Canadian independent music community created a united voice for its creators and stakeholders, allowing us to build of the industry infrastructure that remain our pillars today.
Some notable highlights in CIRPA/CIMA’s chronology include:
- The creation of FACTOR (the Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Records) in 1982 with funding provided by the three founding broadcaster members (CHUM, Moffatt and Rogers), a fund that was initially administered by CIRPA.
- Working with MuchMusic to establish VideoFACT in 1984.
- Lobbying successfully to secure government support for the sector through decade-spanning funds like Sound Recording Development Programme (SRDP) in 1986 (which was renewed and doubled in 1996), the Ontario Sound Recording Tax Credit (ORSTC) in 1998, Canadian Music Fund (CMF) in 2001 (which was made permanent in 2013) and other key support programs.
- Lobbying both government and the CRTC to increase support for the sector federally, provincially and privately through broadcasters.
- Lobbying successfully to increase Canadian content requirements on FM radio.
- The development of the Canadian Blast exporting brand, now a decade old program helping independent artists, labels, managers, publishers and stakeholders to access world markets, lucrative conferences and festivals in key marketplaces.
- Extensive research and lobbying for copyright reform extensively. The initial phase of reform, passed in 1998, was the first in 64 years, with the latest reforms passed in 2012.
- The creation of MusicOntario to specifically address the needs of the Ontario Music Industry in 2011.
- The publication of Sound Analysis in 2013 – a landmark report commissioned by CIMA and written by Nordicity, that quantified the specific economic impact of the Canadian independent music sector for the first time.
It is no easy task to summarize what we have achieved together over four decades but we are extremely proud of what the Canadian independent music industry has accomplished and will continue to revisit these successes with you over the course of the year!
Stay tuned for what we have in store for you in 2015!
In the meantime, check out our history by clicking here.