Canadian Independent Music Association Appoints Sam Rayner As Head of Industry & Membership Development

The Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) has added a key leadership team member.

Sam Rayner is the organization's new Head of Industry and Development. He moves up within the non-profit trade association from a role in membership development and services, and is slated to guide CIMA's membership growth through targeted networking events and export activities.

Rayner will lead several of CIMA's key initiatives: the Road Gold Certification program, which acknowledges Canadian touring achievements; programming with music analytics company Chartmetric; and the Make It Better mental health benefit.

"It’s an exciting opportunity to step into this expanded role at CIMA,” says Rayner in a statement. “Every day, we are dedicated to supporting and strengthening Canada’s independent music sector. I’m looking forward to continuing to build on CIMA’s incredible initiatives and momentum.”

Rayner previously worked with Canadian labels Hidden Pony and True North Records, and will serve as a key contact at the organization for labels, managers, artists and industry members seeking to collaborate. CIMA currently represents over 350 Canadian-owned music companies with relationships to 6000 artists in every province and territory.

He'll also support CIMA's export missions, which help bring Canadian music to the international stage at events like Germany's Reeperbahn festival, the U.K.'s Great Escape and SXSW Sydney.

“Sam is a massive champion for Canadian owned music companies and independent artists,” says CIMA President and CEO Andrew Cash. “Not only does Sam bring an incredibly high level of service to CIMA members he continually looks for new and more effective ways to help them grow their business and break their artists.”

Speaking with Billboard Canada for a look ahead at the music industry in 2025, Cash emphasized the challenge of competing in a market dominated by foreign-owned multi-nationals and tech platforms. As 2025 gets under way, Rayner's expanded role indicates CIMA's focus on boosting capacity amongst the Canadian-owned sector.