This article originally appeared in the March/April 2018 issue of Canadian Musician magazine. For part 1, CLICK HERE.

By Michael Raine

Last issue, we spoke with Music BC Executive Director Alex Grigg, Nettwerk Music Group’s Terry McBride, and program founder Mariel Beros about Music BC’s Phoenix Training & Professional Development Program and, more broadly, why better business education for artist managers, agents, and indie label owners could have a profound impact on the Canadian music industry. But what lessons did the participants of the Phoenix program take away? Here, we catch up with a few attendees to find out.

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This article originally appeared in the January/February 2018 issue of Canadian Musician magazine.

By Samantha Everts-Matusoff

When it comes to figuring out your path in the music industry, it can be a rocky road that’s constantly curving unexpectedly. That’s why we’re here to highlight some of the many options for music education – either for formative instruction or ongoing learning – that can accelerate and ameliorate your journey to whichever destinations you’ve set on your career course.

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This article originally appeared in the January/February 2018 issue of Canadian Musician magazine.

By Michael Raine

There is no shortage of educational programs and events for musicians hosted or supported by the various provincial music industry associations (MIAs). Canada, it’s often noted, does a pretty good job of supporting musicians’ career education and development. But what about those who work with musicians – the managers, agents, labels, and others who play crucial roles in the music industry? These professionals, whose decisions can make or break a musician’s career, are often left out of this educational focus in our national music industry. That’s who Music BC wanted to empower with its intensive Phoenix Training & Professional Development Program.

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This article originally appeared in the November/December 2017 issue of Canadian Musician magazine.

By Michael Raine

When Hill Strategies Research released its 2014 Statistical Profile of Artists and Cultural Workers in Canada, it was little surprise that artists (musicians, authors and writers, directors, choreographers, etc.) are significantly more likely to be self-employed than the wider labour force. Over half of artists are self-employed compared to between 11 and 15 per cent of the general labour force, according to the report. That has significant consequences for the music industry, making folks in it more vulnerable, which is why the Unison Benevolent Fund was so desperately needed.

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This article originally appeared in the May/June 2017 issue of Canadian Musician magazine.   

By Michael Raine

Two related themes have dominated music industry discussions and reporting over the last couple of years. From industry conferences at Canadian Music Week and South by Southwest to reports by the BBC and New York Times, there has been jubilation over revenue growth. Subscription streaming services like Spotify are credited with fueling a 5.9 per cent worldwide growth for the recorded music industry in 2016, which is the largest year-over-year increase since IFPI began tracking the market. In Canada, the growth was even more dramatic at 14.8 per cent thanks to streaming revenues more than doubling. On the flip side, though, is fretting and even outright anger over the paltry royalties the largest online service, YouTube, pays music rights holders.

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