Que. music industry wants CanCon rules for streaming services, ISPs

The Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la video (ADISQ) is asking for regulatory action to help support the music industry as it deals with the shift to streaming music services, including the imposition of new rules for both streaming services and Internet Service Providers (ISPs). “We are asking the Quebec government, the federal government, the CRTC, the Copyright Board, and other relevant bodies to put at the top of their priority list the rebalancing of power and means within the Canadian music market,” Solange Drouin, ADISQ’s vice-president of public affairs and director general, said in a French-language press release Thursday. The organization wants the federal government to put new rules in place that would affect both online music services and ISPs, among other changes. It asked for an end to regulatory exemptions for online music services, new requirements regarding the development and visibility of Canadian cultural content on those services, a significant raise of copyright tariffs, and rules requiring foreign companies to fund cultural content and to pay sales tax. The organization also wants to see changes that would affect ISPs, including amendments to the Telecommunications Act and Broadcasting Act that would make it possible to impose on ISPs obligations regarding the development and visibility of Canadian cultural content. It also asked the provincial government for immediate financial support of $7.5 million annually for the next two years, among other requests. The organization said that the economic model for music is becoming increasingly inequitable for artists and independent companies, and that its plan would re-establish some equilibrium in the market. ADISQ president Claude Larivée said in the release that while streaming is a “fantastic technology” that the industry is “adopting with enthusiasm,” it also imposes a new revenue system that doesn’t make sense for artists. Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly was asked about the issue in question period Friday by Repentigny, Que., MP Monique Pauzé, who noted that Quebec singer Jean Leloup had received less than $30 for 540, 000 plays of his song Paradise City on Spotify AB’s platform, and said Quebec musicians need fast and concrete action, not “consultations that will last for months.” Joly responded she hoped they would participate in consultations the government is holding on the future of Canadian content in the digital age, including an event on Montreal on Oct. 28, according to a transcript in French. She added that she was talking about these questions with her counterparts in other countries, which are also being affected by the same changes. Joly also faced similar questions from reporters on Thursday about the urgency of the situation. “I sympathize with their situation, but the reality is that we have a consultation process and I very much hope they will take advantage of that opportunity,” she said in French, according to a transcript. “I understand there are important issues, but I understand these issues are present in all cultural and information industries.” In response to a question Friday about whether it supported ADISQ’s requests, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) was non-committal. CEO Eric Baptiste said in an emailed statement that “SOCAN fights for the rights of songwriters, composers and music publishers to be compensated fairly for their work and the use of their music.” He added: “Streaming is an evolving and growing method of delivering music and, just as fair compensation for other new technologies took time to determine, the same is true with streaming, and we look forward to working together with the entire music ecosystem to achieve what is fair for music creators and artists.” — With reporting by Anja Karadeglija at akarad@thewirereport.ca and editing by Charelle Evelyn at cevelyn@thewirereport.ca

Que. music industry wants CanCon rules for streaming services, ISPs

Broadcast | September 30, 2016

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Que. music industry wants CanCon rules for streaming services, ISPs

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