Canadian Live Biz Welcomes CA$48M In Support From Federal Budget

The Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) “enthusiastically welcomes” Canada’s new federal budget with CA$48 million ($34 million) earmarked over three years for the Canada Music Fund (CMF). 

Prime Minister Mark Carney, leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and former central banker, who was sworn in in March, released his first federal budget yesterday (Nov. 4) titled “Building Canada Strong.”

In a statement posted on the CLMA’s socials and sent out in an email blast, the association said, “The Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) enthusiastically welcomes the federal government’s continued investment in Canada’s cultural sector and the short-term stability this provides through key programs such as the Canada Arts Presentation Fund (CAPF) and Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage (BCAH). These programs help ensure that Canadians in communities of all sizes can continue to experience the festivals, events, and concerts that enrich local life, strengthen regional economies, and showcase the best of Canadian creativity.

“The Canada Music Fund’s (CMF) three-year extension is a positive signal of the government’s commitment to Canada’s music ecosystem,” it continued. “As details of future funding priorities take shape, it will be essential that this investment reflects the full scope of the sector — including the commercial live music infrastructure of venues, festivals, and promoters that also work to sustain touring and connect artists to audiences across the country.”

The CMF is administered by the Department of Canadian Heritage and doled out through grants by the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR) and Musiaction (for the francophone industry). Funding opportunities are available for domestic and international touring and live showcases, in addition to recording, marketing, and other areas of career development for artists and business professionals. 

Canada’s music industry, represented by such associations as the Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) and the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA), are always lobbying for more funding and every time an election is called the advocacy ramps up.

“CLMA, along with its partners in the Creative Industries Coalition, notes that a Live Performing Arts Tax Credit was not included in this year’s budget but remains confident that the discussion will continue,” the CLMA statement added. “Such a measure would help attract private investment, create jobs, and strengthen the infrastructure that supports live performance across Canada.”

The Creative Industries Coalition is a live performance lobbying collective comprised of Equity, IATSE, the Canadian Federation of Musicians (CFM)and the Associated Designers of Canada (ADC).

“We’re encouraged to see the government acknowledge the importance of the Canada Music Fund,” said Andrew Cash, President and CEO of the Canadian Independent Music Association. “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.”

Back in January, the CLMA’s released the first-ever Economic Impact Assessment of the live music industry in Canada, which revealed that that over $10.9 billion annually to GDP and supports more than 101,000 jobs. 

Carney succeeds Justin Trudeau who was PM for almost three terms, just over nine years, and resigned when Carney was selected to head the Liberal Party.