The Ontario government is coming for ticket resellers.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced that the provincial government plans to ban ticket resale transactions at prices exceeding face value, making it illegal for tickets to concerts, cultural, sports and other live events to be resold for more than their original cost.
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This new legislation would protect fans and consumers from “exploitative, professional resellers who artificially drive up ticket prices” and ensure Ontarians have a higher chance of attending live events across the province.
“With these new measures, consumers would no longer need to worry about being ripped off in the ticket resale market, and more families and fans would have the opportunity to see their favourite band or sports team perform live,” says Stephen Crawford, minister of public and business service delivery and procurement, in a statement.
On social media, Ford doubles down on the decision: “We’re putting ticket scalpers on notice: Your days of ripping people off are done.”
The government says it also plans to “strengthen validity guarantee requirements” to protect buyers against the sale of fake tickets and stop unfair service fees during the purchasing process.
The decision has received a positive response among some Canadian music organizations. The Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) is in favour of the law, but notes that the rollout is key.
“The effectiveness of any new framework will depend heavily on how it is enforced, and we are pleased to see new enforcement tools introduced,” the organization writes in a statement.
“Without clear, consistent, and well-resourced enforcement, there is a real risk that bad actors will adapt in ways that undermine the intent of these changes.”
The CLMA notes that it will continue working alongside the Ontario government “to help ensure these measures are practical, enforceable and effective for both fans and the live events sector.”
The provincial government’s announcement is aptly timed with the FIFA World Cup, which is set to take over Toronto in June, 2026.
Read more here. — Heather Taylor-Singh
Canada’s Recorded Music Revenues Grow for the 11th Straight Year: IFPI’s Global Music Report 2026
When it comes to music, Canada continues to punch above its weight.
According to the newly released IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) Global Music Report, Canada’s recorded music revenues grew for the 11th consecutive year in 2025.
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The annual study provides a deep dive into the global music market, analyzing issues and trends within the industry.
The report finds that Canada experienced a 5.6% increase in recorded music market growth last year to reach $957.9 million.
That’s a notable jump from last year’s findings, which flagged a relatively small growth of 1.5%, reaching $660.3 million USD. However, the 2024 figures were in comparison to an unusually high 2023, which was elevated by a large one-off performance rights revenue payout.
Despite the revenue peak, Canada dropped one place in the global rankings, now the ninth-largest market across the world.
“We do punch above our weight,” says Patrick Rogers, CEO of Music Canada, the trade association representing Canada’s three major record labels. “That punching above our weight is based on strong copyright laws and strong fundamentals in the marketplace.”
Music Canada and IFPI credit streaming as a key catalyst.
Revenues overall increased 4.5% to $747 million, while subscription streaming revenues grew 3.4% to $598.5 million and ad-supported streaming (audio and video combined) rose by 9.4% to $148.3 million.
“The idea that you can listen to any song ever recorded, when you want, how you want, through the service of your choice, is really powerful,” Rogers says.
Yet, physical music climbed by 15.9% to $122.2 million, led by vinyl, CD and other formats. While they’re major figures, Rogers says, the “growth numbers” can’t be compared to the era of piracy, when some listeners were illegally downloading their music in the late ’90s and early 2000s, decreasing physical media sales. Nearly three decades later, streaming has made music accessible to everyone.
“Canadians have revalued the value of music to a point in which people are happily paying for music again,” he explains.
Read more here. — HTS
ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus Joins Canadian Government and Music Industry for AI Summit in Banff, Alberta
In the music and cultural industries, nobody can stop talking about AI.
This week in Banff, Alberta, that conversation took centre stage for three days at the National Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Culture. From March 15-17, 300 leaders from across the cultural and technology sectors converged in an event co-hosted by the Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity and the Canadian government.
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That included a large contingent from the music industry, including (among many others) representatives from Music Publishers Canada and SOCAN, who have been leaders when it comes to fair compensation and copyright for artificially generated works.
“It’s been nice to see the industry aligned,” Patrick Rogers, CEO of Music Canada, the organization that represents the major labels in Canada. “Everyone’s talking to government from different perspectives, but from the same goal: we know that copyright is part of AI, and that part of the solution to getting proper licensing is based in transparency.”
CISAC (the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers) is an organization made up of 227 member societies in 111 countries, including SOCAN in Canada. It represents more than 5 million creators from music to drama, literature and visual arts and has contributed key research about AI and creativity.
In a remote speech, CISAC president Björn Ulvaeus (likely best known as a member of Swedish pop giants ABBA), spoke about the importance of protecting creators in the age of AI.
“If we want human creativity to thrive in the age of artificial intelligence, we must ensure strong protections for creators. Strong protections mean not only making sure that rights are in place but also resisting broad text and data mining exceptions that allow works to be used without permission or payment. When creators are protected, they can continue producing the amusing and cultural works for which Canada is respected around the world.”
Resisting the text and data mining exception aligns him with Music Publishers Canada’s Margaret McGuffin, who argued in an Executive of the Week interview with Billboard Canada earlier this year that existing copyright legislation already accounts for AI and should not be changed to suit “disruptive” tech companies.
“There is no grey area,” she said. “People who say there is don’t want to license. They want to avoid paying.”
In his speech, Ulvaeus stressed that the cultural sector is not afraid of AI, but wants to see it proceed with caution and fairness. He met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in November, he shared, and told him about how copyright protections led to the rise of ABBA on the global stage.
As part of its commitment, the Canadian government will launch an AI and Culture Advisory council with Ministers Evan Solomon and Marc Miller, and 12 yet-to-be-named rotating members across creative and technology fields. They will meet twice a year to make sure voices are heard in both fields as they prepare to launch a national AI strategy.
Read more here. — Richard Trapunski
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