Recent News
Sep 26, 2017
Musical instrument lending library to launch in Barrie, Ontario, on October 1
On Sunday, October 1, Barrie will be the latest Canadian city to open a musical instrument lending library. The Huronia Symphony Orchestra and The Barrie Public Library are partnering on the project, with the generous support of the County of Simcoe and MusicPro Barrie. In addition to the lending library, the project will include youth […]
Sep 22, 2017
MusiCounts Band Aid Program applications now open
The MusiCounts Band Aid Program is now accepting applications from Canadian schools whose music programs are in need of instruments. Canadian elementary, junior high, secondary, and separate schools can apply to receive up to $10,000 worth of instruments to ensure their program’s sustained growth. Whether your school offers concert or jazz bands, rock band programs […]
Sep 19, 2017
Lido Pimienta wins 2017 Polaris Music Prize
Colombian-Canadian artist Lido Pimienta was awarded the 2017 Polaris Music Prize Monday night in Toronto for her politically-charged and independently released album, La Papessa. Determined by a Grand Jury of 11 music media professionals, the $50,000 Polaris Prize is awarded to the best Canadian album of the year “judged solely on artistic merit without regard to […]
Sep 18, 2017
IFPI’s 2017 Connecting With Music report includes Canadian insights
Today, IFPI released Connecting With Music, its 2017 consumer insight report with information from 13 of the world’s leading music markets. The report was created with data commissioned from Ipsos Connect, and provides a snapshot of the way music fans around the globe are engaging with recorded music. In 2017, Canada became the sixth largest […]
Sep 14, 2017
Brett Kissel reaches new career milestones with latest Gold plaques
Brett Kissel was a big winner at last weekend’s CCMA Awards in Saskatoon, SK, taking home four awards including Male Artist, Interactive Artist, and Country Music Program or Special Of The Year. In addition to his Video Of The Year trophy for the ballad “I Didn’t Fall In Love With Your Hair,” the Alberta-born country […]
Sep 07, 2017
World’s largest music stream ripping website to cease operations globally following legal action
IFPI, in conjunction with the RIAA and BPI, announced today that following successful legal action from record companies in the United Kingdom and the United States, the world’s largest music stream ripping website will shut down. YouTube-mp3.org, a Germany-based site with 60 million visitors a month, facilitated the ripping of downloadable music files from online […]
Aug 31, 2017
Canada’s Music Incubator and National Music Centre announce AE West program
Canada’s Music Incubator (CMI) and the National Music Centre announced a new partnership today to bring CMI’s highly regarded Toronto-based Artist Entrepreneur Program to Studio Bell in Calgary, AB. Artist Entrepreneur (AE) West will launch this fall, and the organizations have put out a national call for submissions. AE West is a five-week creative entrepreneurship program […]
Aug 30, 2017
Toronto music industry raises more than $4,000 for Unison and MusiCounts at Blue Jays game fundraiser
In its second year, the Toronto music industry Blue Jays game raised an incredible $4,404.75 to support the Unison Benevolent Fund and MusiCounts. This is nearly double the amount raised in the event’s inaugural year, where $2,100 was raised in support of the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research. Jon Box of Universal Music […]
Aug 29, 2017
Dean Brody surprised with Canadian Gold/Platinum awards in Toronto
Canadian country star Dean Brody returned to Toronto last week for a sold-out show at Budweiser Stage alongside Open Road Recordings label-mate Tim Hicks and rising Big Machine Records artist Carly Pearce. On Friday afternoon, Ron Kitchener, Brody’s manager and president of RGK Entertainment Group, surprised the artist with a custom award plaque commemorating his […]