Canadian Independent Music Industry Groups Ask for Public's Help to Renew Canadian Music Funding

Independent music organizations are asking the public for help as the deadline looms for Canadian music funding.

A $16 million annual boost was announced in 2024 as a temporary top-up to the Canada Music Fund — which supports both FACTOR and Musicaction, two of the country's biggest and most important music grants.

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The update promised $32 million over two years to enhance the careers of Canadian artists, while strengthening the competitiveness and stability of the Canadian music sector.

With the deadline for the funds approval looming by March 31, 2026, independent groups including the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA), SaskMusic, Music NL and more have requested the public’s assistance in reaching out to local MPs to ensure the funds are renewed.

If not they warn, the investment, which impacts Canadian-owned music companies and artists, could be slashed by up to 50%.

Earlier this month, the federal government announced that the 2026 budget will be discussed on Nov. 4 — months earlier than its initial March deadline.

The news comes at a pivotal time for the Canadian music industry.

According to CIMA, contributions from private radio broadcasting to FACTOR have significantly decreased from $16 million in the early 2020s to approximately $2 million this year. In 2024, the funding body was the victim of a $9.8 million cybertheft.

Meanwhile, funds from Bill C-11 (Online Streaming Act), a part of which was intended to allot 5% of revenue from major foreign-owned digital streaming platforms, have been paused after major streamers like Spotify, Amazon and Apple took the government to court.

“Whether you are a large Canadian company, a new music start up, an established artist or fledgling musician, everyone in our sector benefits from the investments made by FACTOR and Musicaction,” shares Andrew Cash, CIMA president and CEO, in a statement.

Cash urges the public to contribute by emailing Stephen Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, François-Philippe Champagne, the Minister of Finance and Prime Minister Mark Carney.

“Now more than ever before we need to be strengthening the fabric of Canadian-made culture,” he said.

This isn’t the first time CIMA has made direct contact with the Canadian government. Earlier this year, following Carney’s new cabinet, the organization issued an urgent call to Guilbeault to prioritize Canadian-owned culture, IP and sovereignty.

Newfoundland and Labrador music industry association, Music NL, is echoing a similar message.

Executive director Tamara Kater told VOCM local radio station that the $16 million fund helps people make contact with the global marketplace and supports artists in finding publicists and festivals to perform at.

She noted that while it gets distributed nationwide, it benefits organizations at a local level too, and is used to host events such as Music NL week. Without the money, she said, a lot of business developments won’t be able to move forward.

With only a week to go, the organizations are encouraging the public to speak up by emailing representatives.