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Streaming
Streaming is Surging in Canada: Report From Digital Media Association (DIMA)
Following the Canadian government's investment in music to cover the major music streaming services' opposed "Streaming Tax," the association that represents companies like Spotify and Apple Music has released a new report touting the positive impact of streaming platforms in Canada.
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Streaming continues to boom in Canada, according to a new report from the association that represents the major streaming platforms.
The Digital Media Association (DIMA) — which represents companies including Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, Amazon Music and others — released its annual report on streaming conducted in partnership with MusicWatch. The data is taken from a survey of 1000 respondents in Canada ages 18-70 and "weighted to the particular country’s primary demographics."
According to DIMA's research, the vast majority of Canadians use streaming platforms, with 93% on free or paid plans while more than half the population (58%) is subscribed to paid individual or group plans. The report also shows favourable reception among Canadians towards the services they use, with 94% saying they either like or love their platforms, while 69% would qualify their experience with the service as good or excellent in terms of how much they pay.
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There's a notable increase in global music discovery on streaming, with 44% of listeners exploring new genres and 33% listening to global artists thanks to the service. In Canada, that's been reflected in breakthrough chart moments by artists like Bad Bunny, who became the first Latin act to top the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and Canadian Albums charts simultaneously following his Super Bowl Halftime Show performance.
The continuing expansion of the Punjabi Wave in Canada and its subsequent chart impact have been a stellar example, with Cheema Y and Gur Sidhu most recently dominating Billboard Canada's charts with their Bermuda Triangle album. All of its eight tracks impacted the Canadian Hot 100, while the album itself earned a top 10 placement on the Canadian Albums Chart.
The report also lists music featured in visual media as the top kind of music that is discovered on streaming (76%), which aligns with a massive year for synch placements in Canadian media, as well as for Canadian music. The blockbuster success of Heated Rivalry sent Canadian music soaring on streaming platforms, with bands like Wolf Parade and Feist seeing respective increases of 2,650% and 1,500% in their Spotify streams. The Beaches witnessed a similar success with the recent hockey romance TV drama Off Campus, which helped them hit an all-time streaming peak. After their 2025 Coachella performance was featured in the series' second episode, streams of their song "Edge of the Earth" saw an 888% week-over-week increase in streams, with their catalogue streams even rising by 48%.
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DIMA's release appears strategically timed to the Canadian government's announced plan to invest $600 million into music, audio and audiovisual media amidst Online Streaming Act rollouts. The investment cover the potential costs that would have been incurred by the so-called "Streaming Tax," in which Canadian broadcasting companies and major foreign streamers making upward of $25 million in yearly revenue were looking at potentially paying up to 15% of their yearly income to CanCon funds. DIMA has been one of the main opponents to that decision, and has been celebrating the government's decision. In the report, the association touts a stat that "76% believe the believe the government should play no role in regulating access to music on services."
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"We are encouraged by the government’s clear recognition that championing Canadian culture must go hand-in-hand with protecting affordability, innovation, and consumer choice. By directing the CRTC to review its framework and stepping up with federal investments for the cultural sector, the government has shown a commendable willingness to listen to the concerns of the digital industry, creators, and everyday consumers," DIMA said in a statement following the announcement.
The report also comes amidst another high-profile policy discussion relating to music streaming. In December 2025, Quebec passed Bill 109 — the Act to affirm the cultural sovereignty of Québec — which sought to impose quotas on French-language content to improve its visibility and access on streaming platforms, which created tension between the government and streamers, including organizations like DIMA.
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In its research, DIMA reports that 62% say streaming "helps to preserve, promote and discover local culture and artists."
The DIMA 2026 Annual Report is available now, which you can read in full here.
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