Streaming services to be required to finance culture in Canada with new online act

MCNA member organizations are applauding the new requirements by the Canadian government on online streaming services to contribute a portion of their revenues to cultural content. The Canadian Radio – Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) will be requiring those services making $25 million or more in revenues to contribute 5% of revenues to cultural and creative industry funds. To become effective September 1st, 2024, Bill C-11 is expected to generate approximately $200 million per year in funding for creators.

Songwriters Association of Canada President Arun Chaturvedi said:

“S.A.C. applauds the recent CRTC decision requiring online streaming companies to contribute to the funding of Canadian, Indigenous and Francophone music and audiovisual content. This will infuse more than $200 million a year into the Canadian cultural ecosystem (with these investments flowing to crucial funds such as FACTOR, Musicaction, the Indigenous music office and more) and is a big win for the arts community in Canada.”

Screen Composers Guild of Canada Vice President John Rowley said:

"The Screen Composers Guild of Canada welcomes CRTC's decision on the new contribution framework.  This was a complex hearing into the role and responsibilities of the world’s largest content companies in the Canadian broadcasting space.  The Commission's decision is an important step toward levelling the playing field, striking a reasonable balance between stakeholders while ensuring vulnerable creators and communities benefit directly."

SPACQ-AE Executive Director Ariane Charbonneau said:

“SPACQ-AE congratulates the CRTC for this historic decision, which has been long awaited by our members and the industry. The CRTC was very proactive in quickly putting the regulatory plan into practice, which will come into effect in September. We are pleased that online streaming services, which have been in Canada for years, are finally participating in our broadcasting system, along with radio and television."

The contributions will focus on local news on radio and television, French-language content, Indigenous content, works created by and for equity-deserving groups, official language minority communities and Canadians from diverse backgrounds.

Leading into the passage, MCNA Co-Chair Greg Johnston testified on behalf of songwriters and publishers and Screen Composers Guild of Canada (SCGV) Vice President John Rowley testified on behalf of screen composers in front of the CRTC.

For ACCORD, participants included APEM, Canadian Council of Music Industry Associations, CMRRA, MPC, SAC, SCGC, SOCAN, and SPACQ. CIMA, ADISQ, ADVANCE, and MMF Canada also contributed strategically.