The Liberal government has been a strong supporter of Canada’s music sector throughout the pandemic and it promised in the last federal election toincrease the annual contribution to the Canada Music Fund to $50 million by 2024-2025.
That’s huge because the Canada Music Fund (CMF) is a key part of what funds FACTOR’s ground-breaking investments in Canadian artists and music companies. Last year alone FACTOR invested $21 million in the music sector. 6,500 artists have had support through FACTOR in the last five years.
But FACTOR’s budget can’t keep up with the growing demands for its programming. The other part of FACTOR’s annual budget comes from contributions from private radio broadcasters and those contributions are falling fast. For example, in 2020, FACTOR received $16 million in radio contributions. In 2024 those contributions could be as low as $2 million. This is why the CMF increase is so crucial. But look, that $50 million would only ensure that existing programming continues and is insufficient to create new live programming, especially for the live sector. That’s why most music associations across the country have called for an increase to $60 million.
So if the government does not make good even on their $50 million promise to our sector, FACTOR’s budget could be cut in half over the next couple of years. If that happens companies will close, jobs will be lost, artists won’t get the investments they need to record or tour which will harm an already precarious local live music scene.
We need your help to raise the voice of the music community and get this government’s attention. By filling in this form, you can email your local Liberal MP if you have one, and Canada’s Ministers of Heritage and Finance. Call on them to be Music Champions and to keep their promise to permanently increase the budget of the Canada Music Fund.
What You Can Do:
- Let your voice be heard by sending an email to Liberal MP’s in your region. Use this action page, to quickly urge them to be Music Champions and keep their promise to their local music communities by increasing the budget to the Canada Music Fund.
- Spread the Word within your networks to raise awareness about the #canadamusicfund and what’s at stake if the government breaks its promise to increase it!