CRTC Launches Free Database to ‘Make It Easier’ to Identify Canadian Music

The CRTC has launched a new music database to help identify Canadian Content in music.

CRTC Canadian Music Selections Database is a free, downloadable resource that the commission says “makes it easier for broadcasters, artists and the public to identify Canadian music.” It’s reportedly the first time that the information will be available in one place.

The database combines “information previously spread across several industry sources,” with its initial launch including a large selection of popular Canadian songs from the likes of The Weeknd, Céline Dion, Shania Twain, Justin Bieber, Drake, William Prince, Charlotte Cardin, Three Days Grace and more.

“Canadian artists play an important role in telling our stories and showcasing our culture," Scott Shortliffe, CRTC's vice president of broadcasting, tells Billboard Canada. "When broadcasters can more easily identify Canadian music, they can give audiences greater exposure to Canadian voices and talent.”

According to the commission, “new releases and older songs will be added regularly to the database including additional French, Indigenous, and third-language music.”

The discoverability of Francophone and Indigenous artists has been an ongoing conversation. In Quebec, Bill 109 — which would require digital platforms to prioritize French-language cultural content — was a hot topic. Meanwhile, the Indigenous Music Office released a study last November that found that promoting Indigenous music on streaming and broadcasting platforms was a clear pathway to reach larger audiences.

With the database’s launch, radio stations can now quickly identify and promote music that counts toward their Canadian content requirements . Every week, commercial radio stations are required to play at least 35% of Canadian music, while CBC/Radio-Canada must feature at least 50% of their popular music selections.

The definition of CanCon is a continually hot topic, but has become an especially controversial recently among trade talks with the U.S. and pushback against the Online Streaming Act.

Over the years, the CRTC has clarified what qualifies a song as Canadian, using the MAPL system — music (composed entirely by a Canadian), artist (performed principally by a Canadian), performance (the musical selection consists of a live performance that is recorded wholly in Canada, or performed wholly in Canada and broadcast live in Canada) and lyrics (written entirely by a Canadian).

As part of the database’s kickoff, the CRTC is encouraging user feedback “to help improve the database and ensure it continues to meet the needs of broadcasters, artists and the public.”

The platform is the latest step the commission has taken to modernize its CanCon practices. Last October, the commission removed radio licensing expiration dates in favour of conducting regular audits, which they claimed would efficiently address non-compliance issues.

The Canadian music industry has been discussing the importance of supporting CanCon in response to the CRTC’s once-in-a-generation update to the Broadcasting Act.

During the September 2025 hearings, the CRTC said streamers should “contribute to the discoverability of Canadian, French-language and Indigenous music either through financial contributions or through initiatives targeting the promotion and exposure of these songs to their users.”