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Canadians are Spending More Time Listening to Music, Says Nielsen Study

Jun 3, 2015

Nielsen Music, the U.S. and Canadian music industry’s leading consumption measurement service, reports that overall time spent listening to music in Canada is up 20% since 2013; for teens, the lift is even higher at 40%. According to the newly released Nielsen Music 360 Canada report, the shift comes as music consumption on tablets and smartphones reaches an all-time high and streaming music is growing.

The Nielsen Music 360 Canada Study is a comprehensive in-depth study of consumer interaction with music in Canada. Data for the study was collected April 12-27, 2015 among 3,500 consumers ages 13+. Surveys were conducted online using a third party panel and data was weighted to the Canadian census population based on age, gender, race, education and household size.

The premiere music performance monitoring service also noted that 90% of Canadians report listening to 24 hours of music a week, and 95% of Canadian teens listened to an average of 31 hours of music a week. Most listen to music in the background while doing other activities, notably teens who spend one third of their music time while doing other leisure activities like playing video games, reading, etc.

The Nielsen Music 360 Canada report also looks at the ways technological shifts are impacting consumption, pushing streaming volume up 94% since Nielsen, the sole streaming performance monitor in Canada, began tracking streaming activity in July 2014. Canadians who reported streaming music in the past year has grown to 71%, with Teens spending twice the amount of listening time streaming music as the general Canadian population with YouTube/Vevo being the key driver to how they are discovering new music. Both Teens and Millennials value the social aspects of streaming services, but Teens more commonly discover music through friends or relatives.

Millennials are adopting Spotify over twice as rapidly as the total while Teens more often use Google Play. Francophones generally stream less than the general population, but they are more inclined to use Galaxie Digital. On the whole, however, Radio remains the top format for discovery, with 2/3 of Canadians using radio to discover new music.

Among music listeners, at least half of all smartphone and computer owners use a digital music service on their device. 74% of Canadian teens own a smartphone and they are more likely to use these mobile devices to listen to music than other generational groups. And what are they listening to? While most music listeners in Canada select Rock or Pop, Canadian teens are listening to dance, hip hop and rap.

Roberto Clemente Biopic in the Works

Jun 3, 2015

After tackling the life of baseball great Jackie Robinson with 42, Legendary is returning to the ballpark with a biopic of Roberto Clemente, the Pittsburgh Pirates legend who was the first Latino inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The company has picked up the rights toDavid Maraniss’ book Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero and has entered into an agreement with Clemente’s family for his life rights.

He was inducted posthumously to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, becoming the first Latin American and Caribbean player to be enshrined. His death established the precedent that as an alternate to the five year retirement period, a player deceased for at least 6 months is eligible for entry into the Hall of Fame.

Clemente was an All-Star for twelve seasons, a National League (NL) Most Valuable Player one season, a NL batting champion four seasons, and a Gold Glove winner twelve seasons. In 1972, Clemente got his 3,000th major league hit in the very last plate appearance of his career during a regular season game. Clemente is the first Latin American and Caribbean player to win a World Series as a starter (1960), to receive a NL MVP Award (1966), and to receive a World Series MVP Award (1971).

He was involved in charity work in Puerto Rico and Latin American and Caribbean countries during the off seasons, often delivering baseball equipment and food to those in need. He died in an aviation accident on December 31, 1972, while en route to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

Via Hollywood Reporter

These Sad Animal Facts Will Make You Sad And Laugh At The Same Time

Jun 3, 2015

Via Sad Animal Facts, Brooke Barker

Submissions open for M for Montreal

Jun 3, 2015

The Call for Submissions for our 10th edition taking place from November 18-21st, 2015 is now open!

Would you like to play in front of more than 200 music industry professionals from 20+ countries? Would you like to have a chance to meet our delegates and generate solid career opportunities for your band?

To submit your band or artist, please fill our Online Official Form.

The deadline to apply is July 17th, 2015, 5:00 PM EST.

Please note that an administration fee is required for each submission.

Need a professional website? M for Montréal is very happy to be collaborating with Bandzoogle, an easy all-in-one platform where you can build a great band website, and they’re offering 15% off to all artists that submit to M for Montréal! Get started here.

Nova Scotia Music Week 2015 Artist Showcasing Submissions Now Open

Jun 3, 2015

Molson Canadian Nova Scotia Music Week 2015 (NSMW) heads back to Yarmouth as the festival will take place in from November 5 to 8. With over 100 artists playing on multiple stages, NSMW is one of the largest music festivals in the region.

Artist showcasing submissions to play NSMW 2015 are now open. Artists interested in performing during the festival can click here to review the showcase manual for eligibility requirements, and here to apply to showcase. Showcasing submissions will close Friday, June 19 at 5:00 p.m. (Complete the application early, and we won’t have to have an awkward conversation at 5:01pm on the deadline day.)

You must be a member of Music Nova Scotia in good standing to apply. If your membership is not up to date by 5:00 p.m. on June 19 your submission will not be considered eligible.

The cost to submit is $30 CAD and is payable via PayPal or credit card over the phone (contact Lisa Stitt by phone 902.423.0291). You can also pay with debit/cash by visiting the Music Nova Scotia office at 2169 Gottingen Street, Halifax, NS.

For more information on NSMW and to keep up-to-date on the event, please visit www.nsmw.ca.

Join the Second Annual Business & Showcase Mission to the Americana Music Festival & Conference

Jun 3, 2015

Does your artist fit the Americana music genre? Then, this is the festival for you! After a successful first year at the Americana Music Festival & Conference in 2014, the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) will be returning with our our second Canadian Blast showcase and business mission to Nashville in September 2015. For some of the key outcomes and successes of CIMA’s 2014 mission to Americana, please click here.

Held annually, the Americana Music Festival & Conference brings together thousands of legendary artists, the next generation of rising stars and industry professionals for four days of music and education. The 16th annual edition will be taking place between September 15-20, 2015 and is expected to feature approximately 165 live performances at over 9 venues in downtown Nashville.

Presented by Music Export Canada, CIMA will be hosting a Canadian Blast daytime showcase party from noon-6pm on Saturday, September 19, 2015. This is an excellent opportunity for 5-6 Canadian bands to showcase to festival delegates and attendees.

For 10 years, the Canadian Blast showcase and B2B initiative has travelled the globe to bring the best and brightest emerging talent and industry from Canada to vibrant international export markets through festivals, conferences, trade shows and independent missions in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Working alongside their partners at the Americana Music Association, CIMA has secured SoulShine Pizza, a 250-capacity venue, who will provide both the venue and catering for the afternoon showcase. Check out more details about the venue by clicking here.

Why should you attend the Americana Music Festival & Conference with CIMA?

Artists will get the opportunity to showcase in front of key tastemakers and industry professionals interested in the American genre.
CIMA members and mission participants receive the US $315 discounted member rate on delegate registration. The regular rate if US $465.
CIMA will be organizing a targeted networking dinner for artist representatives.
Panel participation opportunties available.
Registration includes a marketing campaign (online and print) as well as drink tickets to hand out for each showcasing artist/representative.

Who is eligible for this opportunity?

Style of music must fit the Americana music genre.
Canadian Blast showcasing artists must be accompanied by a business representative as our export missions are centred on creating business opportunities.
Artists who’ve already been accepted by the Americana Music Association for official shows can apply for another showcasing opportunity with Canadian Blast.
Artists who did not apply directly to the Festival may also apply.
All showcasing artist submissions will be reviewed by the CIMA Talent Committee and the Americana Music Festival selection team.

Registration Information & Mission Fees:

The Artist Showcase & Business Package is priced at a discounted rate of $800 for CIMA members in good standing.
Non-members have a rate of $1200.
For Business delegates who are not showcasing with Canadian Blast, as spots are limited, we do offer you a Biz-Only package for $300 (for members, $600 for non-CIMA members)which includes: promo of your other AMA festival shows, invite to CB show and other networking events with international participants, panel opps, access to discount delegate badge)
For access to the discounted delegate badge rate, please contact Trisha Carter (trisha@cimamusic.ca) for the promo code before August 14, 2015.

Deadline to submit an application for this opportunity: June 10, 2015

Applications for the Prix MNB Awards and MNB Festival showcase opportunities are now open

Jun 3, 2015

It’s that time of year! The sun is shining, the birds are singing and applications for the Prix MNB Awards and MNB Festival showcase opportunities are now open!

MNB Festival 2015 will take place from October 15-18 2015 and we’re pleased to announce that we’ll be returning to Moncton for the event!

We’re accepting applications from today, Thursday May 14th 2015 until Monday June 8th at 11:59 PM (Atlantic). Take advantage of early bird pricing for both showcase and award applications – they’re only $15 from today until May 21st, after that they’ll be $20.

We’ve shifted our focus to be more inclusive of all types of artists, no matter where they are in their career. That means that our awards criteria have changed this year – please make sure you read it through before starting your application.

Stay tuned to musicnb.org for updates and details on the event.

Ready to apply? Click on any of the following links to be taken to the application.

Showcase during MNB Festival 2015

** First things first – click here to read the awards criteria **

Apply for General Category and Genre Specific Awards

Apply for Industry and Special Awards

Apply for Expat Artist of the Year

LED ZEPPELIN Reissue Program Concludes With Deluxe Editions Of Presence, In Through The Out Door, And Coda

Jun 3, 2015

Deluxe editions of Led Zeppelin’s final three studio albums: Presence, In Through The Out Door, and Coda will be released on July 31. As with the previous deluxe editions, all three have been newly remastered by guitarist and producer Jimmy Page and are accompanied by companion audio comprised of previously unreleased music related to the original release selected and compiled by Page. You can pre-order each release here.

Originally released in 1976, Presence was recorded during a whirlwind 18-day session at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany. The album—which peaked at #1 in both the U.S. and UK and was certified triple platinum—crackles with energy on Zeppelin classics like “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” and “Achilles Last Stand” and delivers powerful jolts of the group at its visceral best.

The companion audio disc that accompanies Presence has five unreleased reference mixes from the sessions, which reveal works in progress. Along with alternate incarnations of “For Your Life,” “Achilles Last Stand,” and “Royal Orleans,” there is also the previously unheard instrumental curiously titled “10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod (Pod).”

On its release in the summer of 1979, In Through The Out Door topped the U.S. and UK album charts and has since been certified six-times platinum. Sadly, it would be the last album that Led Zeppelin recorded prior to drummer John Bonham’s passing the following year. Among the seven album tracks are “Fool In The Rain,” and “All My Love,” two songs that remain rock radio staples to this day.

The album’s companion audio disc features an unreleased rough mix of every track from the original album, including early versions with working titles such as “The Hook” (“All My Love”), “The Epic” (“Carouselambra”), and “Blot” (“I’m Gonna Crawl”).

The appropriately titled Coda was Led Zeppelin’s final album of studio recordings. Released in 1982, it was comprised of eight unreleased tracks recorded between 1970 and 1978. It peaked at #6 on the album charts and has been certified platinum in the U.S.

The reissue campaign ends with a double-barrel blast of Led. Coda will be the only Led Zeppelin deluxe edition to include two companion discs, featuring 15 tracks recorded between 1968 and 1974. The oldest song in the collection is also perhaps the most interesting. The frenetic blues jam “Sugar Mama” was recorded in 1968 at Olympic Studios during sessions for the band’s eponymous debut. The song was completed but never officially released until now. “Baby Come On Home” from the same session is also included in the set. Also included is the previously unreleased “St. Tristan’s Sword,” a rollicking instrumental recorded during the Led Zeppelin III sessions in 1970.

In 1972, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page took a fabled trip to India to perform with the Bombay Orchestra and now, for the first time, recordings from these sessions will be officially released with dynamic takes on “Friends” and “Four Hands” (“Four Sticks” from Led Zeppelin IV). Among the many other highlights featured here is an early version of “When The Levee Breaks” from 1970 titled “If It Keeps On Raining”; rough mixes of “The Wanton Song” and “In The Light,” from the Physical Graffiti sessions at Headley Grange, the latter a different alternate version than the one included in the Physical Graffiti deluxe edition; and an instrumental mix of “Poor Tom” from 1970.

• Single CD – Remastered original album. Presence and Coda will be packaged in a gatefold card wallet. All CD and LP versions of In Through The Out Door will be wrapped in a brown paper page replicating its initial release.
• Deluxe Edition (2CD and 3CD) – Remastered album, plus a second disc of unreleased companion audio. Coda will feature two companion audio discs.
• Single LP – Remastered album on 180-gram vinyl, packaged in a sleeve that replicates the LP’s first pressing in exacting detail. All vinyl versions of In Through The Out Door will also include the water-sensitive insert that replicates the inner sleeve from the album’s initial release.
• Deluxe Edition Vinyl – Remastered album and unreleased companion audio on 180-gram vinyl. Coda will feature two companion LPs.
• Digital Download – Remastered album and companion audio will both be available.
• Super Deluxe Boxed Set – This collection includes:
o Remastered album on CD in vinyl replica sleeve.
o Companion audio on CD in card wallet.
o Remastered album on 180-gram vinyl in a sleeve replicating first pressing.
o Companion audio on 180-gram vinyl.
o High-def audio download card of all content at 96kHz/24 bit.
o Hard bound, 72+ page book filled with rare and previously unseen photos and memorabilia.
o High quality print of the original album cover, the first 30,000 of which will be individually numbered.

Presence
Track Listing
1. “Achilles Last Stand”
2. “For Your Life”
3. “Royal Orleans”
4. “Nobody’s Fault But Mine”
5. “Candy Store Rock”
6. “Hots On For Nowhere”
7. “Tea For One”

Companion Audio
1. “Two Ones Are Won” (Achilles Last Stand – Reference Mix)
2. “For Your Life” (Reference Mix)
3. “10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod (Pod)” (Reference Mix)
4. “Royal Orleans” (Reference Mix)
5. “Hots On For Nowhere” (Reference Mix)

In Through The Out Door
Track Listing
1. “In The Evening”
2. “South Bound Saurez”
3. “Fool In The Rain”
4. “Hot Dog”
5. “Carouselambra”
6. “All My Love”
7. “I’m Gonna Crawl”

Companion Audio
1. “In The Evening” (Rough Mix)
2. “Southbound Piano” (South Bound Saurez – Rough Mix)
3. “Fool In The Rain” (Rough Mix)
4. “Hot Dog” (Rough Mix)
5. “The Epic” (Carouselambra – Rough Mix)
6. “The Hook” (All My Love – Rough Mix)
7. “Blot” (I’m Gonna Crawl – Rough Mix)

Coda
Track Listing
1. “We’re Gonna Groove”
2. “Poor Tom”
3. “I Can’t Quit You Baby”
4. “Walter’s Walk”
5. “Ozone Baby”
6. “Darlene”
7. “Bonzo’s Montreux”
8. “Wearing And Tearing”

Companion Audio
Disc One
1. “We’re Gonna Groove” (Alternate Mix)
2. “If It Keeps On Raining” (When The Levee Breaks – Rough Mix)
3. “Bonzo’s Montreux” (Mix Construction In Progress)
4. “Baby Come On Home”
5. “Sugar Mama” ( Mix)
6. “Poor Tom” (Instrumental Mix)
7. “Travelling Riverside Blues” (BBC Session)
8. “Hey, Hey, What Can I Do”

Disc Two
1. “Four Hands“ (Four Sticks – Bombay Orchestra)
2. “Friends” (Bombay Orchestra)
3. “St. Tristan’s Sword” (Rough Mix)
4. “Desire” (The Wanton Song – Rough Mix)
5. “Bring It On Home” (Rough Mix)
6. “Walter’s Walk” (Rough Mix)
7. “Everybody Makes It Through” (In The Light – Rough Mix)

Family Channel Sets Dates for Big Ticket Summer Concert Series August 15-25

Jun 2, 2015

With summer, the most exciting time of year for kids, just around the corner Family Channel is readying its plans to make this the best summer ever! Family’s annual Big Ticket Summer Concert, presented by LEGO Friends, will be touching down in SEVEN locations across Canada this August. The highly-awaited concert tour will visit more than double the number of cities of last year’s show, traveling coast-to-coast from August 15-25 making stops in Abbotsford, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto and St. John’s. Showcasing the biggest and brightest young talent from across the globe, Brit pop-rock band The Vamps and rising superstar Becky G are among the performers taking the stage this year. For a complete list of tour dates, venues and ticketing information, please visit Big Ticket Summer Concert’s online destination, Family.ca.

“‘More’ might as well be the theme for this year’s Big Ticket Summer Concert tour – we’ve got more artists from more countries, for more shows in more cities, bringing the concert experience to more fans and families in Canada than ever before,” said Paul Cormack, Vice President, Marketing, DHX Television. “The formula for the Big Ticket Summer Concert has always been to bring stars from the network right to the fans together with incredible musical talent who can use the extra push from Family to break into the bigtime. We’re very excited to be able to announce the same line up for every city in which the tour stops and we can’t wait for our audience to connect with the stars we have performing this year in a very “Family” setting that fans can’t get anywhere else.”

Hailing from the UK, pop-rockers The Vamps are ready to bring down the house at this year’s Big Ticket Summer Concert. Most recently, the multi-talented group collaborated with Canadian breakout artist Shawn Mendes on a revival of “Oh Cecilia” and their high-energy performance will electrify the stage. This year’s concert also marks the Canadian debut for singer/songwriter Becky G, whose hit single “Shower” became her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at #16. With multiple hits burning up Top 40 charts worldwide, her Latin pop flare will ensure the crowd “Can’t Stop Dancin’.”

This year’s Big Ticket Summer Concert bill will also showcase the talent of Canadian alternative-pop artist Shane Harte whose debut single “Let You Know” is racking up views and streams from around the world. And from California, The Tide will open the shows. Of course, the event wouldn’t be complete without appearances by some of Family’s biggest stars and, after performing across the country on a sold-out national tour, cast members of the wildly popular tween drama The Next Step will bring their high-energy dance routines back to the live stage for what will be their fourth Big Ticket Summer appearance. Series stars Jordan Clark (Giselle) and Lamar Johnson (West) show off a few of their other talents, bringing an added dose of charisma and charm as this year’s concert hosts.

Advance tickets will be available for all seven shows beginning tonight, through Thursday, June 4 at 10 p.m. (local time). The pre-sale code will expire when the limited quantity is sold out, or on Thursday, June 4 at 10 p.m. (local time), whichever comes first. Ticket sales open to the general public on Friday, June 5 at 10 a.m. (local time). For additional event information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.family.ca or www.ticketmaster.ca.

A one-stop online shop for everything Big Ticket Summer Concert-related, Family.ca answers all the questions fans have about the show. The dedicated website features details about the hosts and artists, offers music videos from the concert’s performers and allows fans to pre-order concert t-shirts at the online merchandise store. Plus, later this month, fans can enter the “LEGO Friends VIP Experience Contest,” for the chance to win an once-in-a-lifetime trip for four to the Toronto show.

Geddy Lee Can’t Live Without His Binoculars And 9 Other Things You’d Never Guess

Jun 2, 2015

Geddy Lee and I have one thing in common – we both got our granny glasses from Josephson Opticians in Toronto. Well, two, if you count me playing bass in a band that has also sold 40 million records.