Discoverability
Authors: Romuald Jamet and Guillaume Blum, LeDevoir
source: https://www.ledevoir.com/opinion/idees/800986/culture-chronique-accident-industriel-annonce-musique
The Gala de l’ADISQ is coming up for the great celebration of Quebec music: awards, laughter and controversy will be on the menu, as they are every year. And we won’t forget to highlight the successes and fears of the industry: a record number of Quebec titles released, a record year in terms of financial spin-offs, but always the ever-present fear that the ship is sinking. Only 8% of the music listened to on platforms in Quebec is French-language, and only 5% comes from Quebec. So whose fault is it?
The streaming platforms? Recommendation algorithms? The public not listening enough? Of course, there are many reasons, and streaming platforms are largely to blame. But the next jolt will come from an entirely different player: the programmed end of satellite radio channels.
Sirius XM is gradually moving from satellite broadcasting of its audio content to digital distribution of music via webradios. So far, so good, as the digitization of terrestrial and satellite airwaves becomes more widespread throughout the world. On the other hand, we forget that Sirius XM used to donate substantial sums to the artists it broadcast (respectively 15.5% and 4% of revenues generated in the USA and Canada) for Quebec’s most internationally acclaimed music: country.
The latest SOPROQ report shows that Sirius XM’s licence fees have fallen by 14% in three years, and will continue to fall as its satellite airwaves are digitized and its least profitable channels are phased out. Sirius XM is a private player and, as such, has every right to transform its business strategies. Three French-language channels (not just from Quebec) have already been axed, along with CBC/Radio-Canada channels.
Paradoxically, the style of music that has most certainly been delegitimized in Quebec (along with rap) is the very one that has enabled it to survive for many years: over 80% of the Quebec music industry’s revenues were generated in the United States, mainly thanks to a few country artists appearing on both French-language and American country channels. Thanks to a complex but mutually supportive distribution system – with a share of the money generated by major artists going to support up-and-coming artists – it won’t just be country artists who take the hit, but the entire Quebec music industry.
So the entire music industry, its representatives and our government leaders could have guessed what was coming: this windfall is destined to dry up, and revenues from U.S. satellite radio channels will soon no longer be able to support the Quebec music industry. This begs the following questions. How is that predicted industrial accident that has not led to any preparation for the transition, in both the private and public sectors? How is it that no thought was given to the long-term future of this cultural heritage, at a time when music and artists were already weakened by the record industry crisis and the ridiculous revenues generated by streaming?
Building tomorrow’s Quebec music
Complex causes, complex answers. ADISQ was created to support Quebec’s music industries in the wake of the oil crisis and the precipitous departure of the majors from Quebec in the 1970s. It will have its work cut out for it in the years ahead.
We won’t be attending the final ADISQ Gala this year, but we invite the industry, private and public players, and the ministers responsible, to take this problem very seriously, and to use this event to reflect on and build the Quebec music of tomorrow.
It’s about time the cultural – and political – value of Quebec music took precedence over private and economic interests alone. The Gala de l’ADISQ is often used to give the image of a reunited family within the industry, which is not the case: if these industries share the same house that is Quebec, their coexistence resembles more a roommate than a community. But the house is also burning down in the cultural environment. And here again, we shouldn’t look the other way.
So we’re not calling for an examination of conscience, but for government and industry support for the creation of an independent structure with the capacity to analyze, guide and synergize initiatives taken by all stakeholders (including researchers!) to support players in Quebec culture and their discoverability in and through digital environments.
In particular, we call for a significant increase in the value of the 2023-2028 digital creativity strategy, as the $34 million investment is a drop in the bucket for a Quebec cultural market worth $11 billion and employing over 140,000 people!