Spotify is still trying to dodge investing in Canadian music.
For years, terrestrial and satellite radio have had financial commitments to developing and supporting
Canadian music. Terrestrial radio, for example, puts money into such programs as FACTOR and Starmaker. There’s also something called Canadian Content Development, which requires individual stations to contribute to Canadian music.
And if a radio station or group is sold, part of the deal includes something called “tangible benefits,” which is usually expressed as a percentage of the value of the overall deal. That’s a tax of sorts, requiring more investment in Canadian music.
In addition to all that, Canadian radio has to adhere to Canadian content rules (CanCon), requiring 35-40% of playlists consists of music from Canadian artists.
Participation in any of the above is negotiable. It is a cost of doing business in Canada.
Spotify, however, thinks it’s special. A foreign company that sucks dollars out of Canada doesn’t put anything back into the country in return for the privilege of doing business with us. Same with all the other streamers.
Instead, Spotify says that giving Canadian artists a global platform is enough. In the new Loud & Clear report, Spotify says statistics prove that “more Canadian artists than ever are building sustainable careers, powered by fans at home and around the world.”
True, Spotify paid out almost $550 million to Canadian artists in 2025, up 19% from 2025.
“More than 370 Canadian artists generated more than $100K CAD on Spotify alone in 2025. More than 100 Canadian artists surpassed $500K CAD. Nearly 70 artists generated over $1M CAD.” And they point out how this has helped French music, female artists, and mixed-gender groups.
Spotify goes further. “In 2025, 92% of royalties generated by local artists on Spotify came from listeners outside the country. Last year, fans discovered Canadian artists for the first time over 3.56 billion times.”
BIG F**KING DEAL. Of COURSE Spotify has to pay out royalties. But Canadian radio (even foreign-owned SiriusXM!) collectively invests far, far more in Canadian artists both in terms of money and support.
And radio’s support is across the board, and not just for superstar artists like Drake, Justin Bieber, and The Weeknd. What would Spotify’s payout numbers to Canadian artists be if it removed just those three artists from the mix.
Bill C-19 asks streamers to make a 5% contribution to Canadian culture once their revenue exceeds $25 million in this country. To a company like Spotify (or Apple or Amazon or Netflix or any of them), that’s the equivalent of whatever change you have in the cupholder of your car.
Can you imagine how such a contribution might alleviate the financial strain being experienced by so many Canadian artists?
Get bent, Spotify. Pay your fair share.
