Liberals look to strike the right note in planned changes to Canada Music Fund
OTTAWA — The federal government is expected to make long-sought changes next year to a fund aimed at helping Canada’s music industry, about two years after officials first recommended improvements to Heritage Minister Melanie Joly.
The $24-million Canada Music Fund hasn’t seen a boost in funding for a decade, and is facing ever more requests for funding as the digital revolution transforms the industry’s landscape.
Although the 2018 budget made no mention of it, the Liberal government has been telling insiders that it will enrich the fund, although by how much isn’t clear. It also plans to change how the money is distributed, in light of fading sales and the growth of streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music.
Industry officials, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private conversations, say federal officials have suggested that changes to the Canada Music Fund will be part of next year’s budget, the last before the 2019 federal election.