SamaritanMag Features Arkells On Eve Of Hometown Fest

Billboard Canada Power Players is back for a second year, and it comes at a pivotal time for Canadian music. Canadian Content regulations – a principle that built the domestic industry – are up for review for the first time in a generation, with ongoing hearings taking place with the CRTC. The Online Streaming Act, meanwhile, is attempting to regulate major foreign streaming services to contribute to CanCon as the CRTC once did for radio, but companies like Spotify, Amazon and Apple Music aren't taking it without a fight.

Those issues shadow the industry, which has both struggles and successes. The country was recently named the 8th largest music market in the world by the IFPI and Toronto has emerged as a marquee live music market. That's been reflected in the successes and investments in new venues by companies like Live Nation Canada, MLSE and Oak View Group, though some festivals and promoters outside of their orbit have gone public with their own struggles.