National Music Centre Opens Montreal Hub in Effort to Elevate Francophone Artists

The National Music Centre has opened a satellite hub in Montreal.

Located in the city’s Quartier des Spectacles neighbourhood, the space is designed to deepen the province’s connection with the country’s music community.

It’s positioned in the same building as major Francophone music organization l'Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque (ADISQ), which recently celebrated its 47th awards ceremony. According to the NMC, the proximity to ADISQ will help foster collaboration on a range of activities, including music industry events, professional development programs and workshops for industry professionals and artists.

“There’s no better time than now for nation-building and creating bridges between the East and the West. As a national organization, it’s vital that we not only amplify but actively engage with Canada’s diverse music communities,” says Andrew Mosker, NMC president and CEO.

“Our new presence in Montreal reflects our commitment to strengthening relationships with Francophone creators, artists, businesses, industry partners, and audiences in the rich cultural hub of Quebec and other parts of Canada.”

This expansion joins NMC’s Calgary home base, which is a museum, concert venue and recording studio rolled into one. The new Montreal hub includes the ADISQ Hall of Fame — a celebration of Quebec’s music industry and Canadian Francophone artists — joining the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in Calgary.

Eve Paré, executive director of ADISQ says “Our partnership with the NMC will create new opportunities for innovative projects, foster collaborations, and offer enriching musical experiences for Francophone communities from coast to coast.”

Montreal is home to some of the country’s biggest French-speaking artists, including Charlotte Cardin, Patrick Watson, Cœur de Pirate and Les Cowboys Fringants, to name a few.

In June, Spotify reported that French-language music was one of the platform’s top-performing genres, citing artists like emerging rapper Enima, Cardin and Watson, whose track “Je te laisserai des mots” became the first-ever francophone artist to hit over one billion streams on the streamer last year. Since 2024, the platform has seen a 15% increase year-over-year for francophone music.