Spotify makes clear that its support for Canadian artists could be at risk as a result of new costs introduced by the CRTC and disrupt the impact they’ve made so far. As they’ve shared, Spotify has serious concerns that the CRTC’s current system excludes Canadian success stories. You can read more in their blog here, Canadian Music Has Evolved Into a Global Export. Canada Must Evolve With It.
So, how are Canadian artists fairing overall? Here’s a look at a few key takeaways:
Canadian artists are discovered more than ever
- In 2023, Canadian artists were discovered by first time listeners more than 3.8B times on Spotify.
- In 2023, over 4,500 Canadian artists were added to editorial playlists on Spotify.
More money is being distributed to Canadian artists
- In 2023, royalties generated by Canadian artists from Spotify alone more than doubled compared to 2018, exceeding $435M CAD.
- 92% of all royalties generated by Canadian artists on Spotify in 2023 were from listeners outside of Canada.
- The number of Canadian artists who generated over $50,000 CAD and the number of Canadian artists who generated over $100,000 CAD in royalties from Spotify alone has more than doubled since 2017.
- Approximately 40% of all royalties generated by artists in Canada on Spotify in 2023 were by independent artists or labels.
But the Canadian music market’s revenue is also growing. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s (IFPI) Global Music Report—which is an assessment on the music industry as a whole—Canada is outpacing the global industry with 12.2% revenue growth last year (compared to 10.2% globally). And on Spotify, Canadian artists are generating revenue at an even faster rate: When compared to 2022, their revenue grew by more than 15% in 2023.
