Why get involved? Finding reasons for municipal interventions in the Canadian music industry

Abstract

This article investigates the role of Canadian municipal governments in relation to the development of music industry policy. It examines two attempts by Canadian cities (Calgary and Toronto) to develop municipally based music policies. Both cases are examined in context of the policies of other levels of government in Canada, where municipalities have not generally played a significant role in addressing the music industry. Historically, music industry policy has been a concern of federal government policies. The article addresses how this creates a particular conception of the industry and the extent to which municipal policies need to challenge this in order to be effective. Further, the article examines some of the other factors that constrain and shape the ability of Canadian municipalities to intervene in this field.

Keywords:

• music policy
• music industry
• municipal policy
• Canada
• local government

Notes

1. FACTOR, or the Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Record, is a private foundation that provides grants and loans for Canadian-owned music industry to produce recordings by Canadian artists. Some of the money comes from mandated contributions by Canadian broadcasters and the bulk of funding comes from the federal government under the New Works component of the Canada Music Fund.

2. In fact, some copyright policies, notably performing rights tariffs, may serve as more of a hindrance by imposing added costs on venues and promoters.

3. Nonetheless, as Tinic (2006, p. 156) has argued, they may have considerable benefits for local cultural production in terms of providing training and even infrastructure.

4. Much of the material on Calgary’s attempted policy was garnered from a number of interviews conducted with policymakers and other prominent figures involved in Calgary’s music scene between June 2010 and October 2012.

5. While the City of Toronto has not responded to the music industry’s call for policies to promote live music, the Province of Ontario has, announcing the formation of a Live Music Working Group on 30 January 2013 to assist in developing a live music strategy for the province (Bliss 2013).

6. The Quebec based French Canadian music industry is in many respects a very different matter (Straw 2000).