Photo by Marie-Michèle Bouchard

APEM Music Tech Summit 2023 – Report

Story by Marie-Michèle Bouchard | Tuesday March 28th, 2023

Guillaume Morin, Saga Stratégie sonoreThe Association des professionnels de l’édition musicale (APEM) successfully hosted the seventh edition of its Music Tech Summit (Sommet musique et technologie) on March 23, 2023, at Centre Phi. This annual conference event aims to provide music publishers and other industry professionals with the tools they need to make the most of technology, and to keep them up-to-date about trends and technological developments in the industry.

Attendees were offered insightful presentations from several industry experts. The first was from Guillaume Morin of Saga Stratégie sonore and Andréa Leydet-De-Mendonsa of Gradiant AI,who discussed the collaboration between sound strategy and AI for music creation. Lysandre Champagne of the Observatoire de la culture et des communications du Québec (OCCQ) hosted the second presentation, during which she shared interesting data on music listening and consumption habits, spending, and how the Internet can be used for music.

Pierre B. Gourde, General Manager of MétaMusique, presented a session on the development of MétaMusique and the upcoming launch of its tool for capturing, indexing, and distributing music metadata. This introduction allowed attendees to discover the features and tools that simplify the task, and increase the discoverability of new releases.

Catalina Briceño, Chloé Sondervorst, Philippe Beaudoin, Sandra Rodriguez]Andreas Katsambas, President and COO of Chartmetric, gave a presentation in English that turned out to be a highlight of the day. He presented the types of metrics currently available to measure a title’s exposure to its potential audience, and how industry professionals can leverage those metrics.

The day’s activities ended with a round-table discussion, moderated by Catalina Briceño, with Chloé Sondervorst from Radio-Canada, Philippe Beaudoin from Waverly, and creator Sandra Rodriguez. They discussed the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence for the music industry. Finally, a networking cocktail party was organized, allowing attendees to connect and exchange ideas.

Screen Composers Guild of Canada launches musicreator.ca

Story by Howard Druckman | Wednesday March 29th, 2023

The Screen Composers Guild of Canada has launched musicreator.ca, a website designed to answer the common questions of songwriters, composers, lyricists, and others in the Canadian music ecosystem.

The website includes articles, videos, and interactive resources, grouped under the core topics of Rights & Revenue; Deals & Contracts; Career Management; and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

In an industry that’s constantly changing, especially with the rapid evolution of digital media consumption, musiccreator.ca addresses important questions, including complex copyright issues; who the key players are in the music-revenue ecosystem; how royalties are generated and distributed; and how can creators champion the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The site includes:

  • More than 50 easy-to-understand articles, with insights from more than 20 subject-matter experts from across the industry.
  • More than a dozen informative videos, including animated explainers that cover key concepts and helpful tips.
  • An interactive “Deal Gauge” to inform negotiations, that consolidates global information to suggest a likely compensation range, depending on the project.
  • A “From the Trenches” video series featuring composer Darren Fung, which allows visitors to hear directly from successful Canadian music creators as they share invaluable information, anecdotes, and career advice.

Visit it now, at musicreator.ca.

Logan Staats receives SOCAN Foundation TD Indigenous Songwriter Award

Story by SOCAN Foundation / Fondation SOCAN | Monday March 27th, 2023

The SOCAN Foundation is delighted to announce Logan Staats as the recipient of this year’s TD Indigenous Songwriter Award. The acclaimed Mohawk artist from Six Nations of the Grand River (in Ontario) is being recognized for his song, “Deadman”.

The SOCAN Foundation’s TD Indigenous Songwriter Award was created to recognize and celebrate the artistic merit demonstrated by Indigenous songwriters of any genre, and this year marks the fifth anniversary of the Awards. Staats will receive a cash prize of $10,000, as well as career development opportunities, and a performance opportunity in front of music industry professionals.

“My nation and my community are in every chord I play, and every note I sing. They’ve saved me,” says Staats. “As I spend more and more time on Indigenous frontlines, it’s really affecting my songwriting. Most of my inspiration has come from my time at Land Back Lane and Wet’suwet’en. I used to keep my activism and music separate, but now they’re totally intermingled.”

Honourable Mention awards of $1,000 are also being made to Aysanabee, Ila Barker, Kaeley Jade, Uncle Joe, and Twin Flames. The winners will be using the funds to support their career development in various areas, including recording new music, videography, and business management.

“Empowering Indigenous voices is essential, and we’re thankful for ongoing support from  TD to celebrate Indigenous songwriters in Canada,” said Charlie Wall-Andrews, Executive Director of SOCAN Foundation. “The award is designed to celebrate merit in the craft of songwriting.”

On March 27, 2023, at 6:00 pm ET, all SOCAN Foundation TD Indigenous Songwriter Award recipients will be honoured on a special edition of The Kim Wheeler Show on SiriusXM’s The Indigiverse, Channel 165. Listeners will learn more about all the recipients from across Canada and hear their music.

“It’s exciting to see how many Indigenous songwriters there are. Congratulations to Logan Staats and all of the special distinction winners,” says Kim Wheeler, host of SiriusXM Indigiverse and Award jury chair. “The industry is growing, and this Award helps celebrate and create opportunities for Indigenous creators and make space for musicians who are making amazing music.”

Hundreds of applications from artists across Canada covering a wide variety of musical genres were submitted for consideration, and the winners were selected by a jury and advisory council of prominent Indigenous artists and industry leaders, including those of First Nations, Métis and Inuit heritage. This special Award is made possible with the support of TD Bank Group. Previous recipients of the award are Laura Niquay, Leonard Sumner, Anachnid, and Jasmine Netsena.

“TD is proud to congratulate Logan Staats as winner of the TD Indigenous Songwriter Award,” said Robyn Small, Senior Manager, Philanthropy, Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship, TD Bank Group. “Through the TD Ready Commitment, our corporate citizenship platform, we seek to help break down barriers for emerging artists and spotlight them through our support for organizations like the SOCAN Foundation. We’re proud to celebrate the musical and cultural works of artists from the Indigenous community, and help create opportunities to amplify diverse voices.”

In 2018, Logan Staats won the musical competition The Launch, a breakthrough that would lead him to Nashville and Los Angeles, to his single “The Lucky Ones” reaching No. 1 in Canada, and to winning the Indigenous Music Award for best radio single.

In the years since, Staats has come home, making the intentional decision to re-root at Six Nations of the Grand River. To Staats, music is a healing salve, contemplatively composed, and offered to listeners in need of comfort. Since returning home, Staats has been able to create music authentically again, reclaiming his sound through honest storytelling and unvarnished, sometimes painful reflection.

Staats has recently found a new label home with Red Music Rising, and is excited to be working on his next album, which includes songs entirely written by Staats, with the exception of one cover.

Counting musical icon Buffy Sainte-Marie (for whom he frequently opens) among his mentors, Staats wants to pay forward the guidance he’s received by connecting with Indigenous youth through music. He frequently leads workshops and visits local schools.