I stood backstage at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom last month, watching the audience pulse with anticipation as Northern Haze prepared to take the stage. The legendary Inuit metal band from Igloolik, Nunavut has been performing since 1984, singing in Inuktitut about life in the Arctic. The crowd erupted when they appeared – young Indigenous fans alongside veteran music lovers who’ve tracked the band’s journey for decades.
What struck me wasn’t just the raw energy, but a conversation I overheard between two industry professionals. “They’re incredible,” one said, “but under the current rules, some of their music wouldn’t qualify as Canadian content.” I had to listen twice to make sure I heard correctly.
This moment crystallized the debate now unfolding across Canada’s music industry. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is reconsidering how it defines Canadian content, potentially making the most significant changes to the system since its introduction in 1971.
The current system, known as MAPL (Music, Artist, Performance, Lyrics), awards points based on whether the music, artist, performance, and lyrics are Canadian. To qualify as Canadian content, a song needs to meet at least two of these criteria. This framework has supported generations of Canadian artists while ensuring radio listeners hear homegrown talent.
“The existing system was created for a different era,” explains Miranda Mulholland, musician and founder of the Sawdust City Music Festival. “It was designed for traditional recording models where artists needed radio play to survive. The digital landscape has completely transformed how we create and consume music.”
The potential changes come after Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge asked the CRTC to review its Canadian content regulations as part of efforts to modernize the Broadcasting Act through Bill C-11. The bill extends Canadian content requirements to streaming platforms, making the definition of what counts as “Canadian” more crucial than ever.
When I visited Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music this winter, I met with students concerned about their futures in a rapidly changing industry. “We’re worried that Canadian artists will get lost in the global streaming shuffle,” said Jared Williams, a composition student. “But at the same time, the old rules don’t always recognize diverse approaches to music-making.”
The current system has been criticized for privileging certain types of musical creation. Under existing rules, a song written by a Canadian, performed by a Canadian, in a Canadian studio still wouldn’t qualify as Canadian content if it was produced or mixed by a non-Canadian. Conversely, a song written and produced by non-Canadians could qualify if performed by a Canadian artist.
These inconsistencies affect artists like Haviah Mighty, whose groundbreaking hip-hop often features international collaborators. When we spoke at a music conference last year, she expressed frustration: “My music is undeniably Canadian in its themes and spirit, but collaboration is essential in today’s music world. The current system sometimes forces artificial choices.”
The CRTC’s review has sparked divided responses. The Canadian Independent Music Association supports maintaining strong Canadian content requirements while modernizing them to reflect current production practices. Meanwhile, streaming companies argue for flexibility in how Canadian content is defined and promoted.
Data from Statistics Canada shows the economic importance of getting this right. The music industry contributes over $3 billion annually to Canada’s economy, supporting approximately 30,000 jobs. Beyond economics, cultural expression remains at stake.
“This isn’t just about quotas and percentages,” notes Wab Kinew, who before becoming Manitoba’s Premier was a hip-hop artist and broadcaster. “It’s about ensuring Canadian stories and perspectives have space to flourish in our own media ecosystem.”
For Indigenous artists, the stakes are particularly high. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission highlighted the importance of Indigenous cultural expression, yet many Indigenous artists face additional barriers. Susan Aglukark, the award-winning Inuk singer-songwriter, has advocated for regulations that specifically recognize Indigenous languages and cultural expressions.
“When I sing in Inuktitut, I’m preserving language and sharing worldviews that have been systematically suppressed,” she told me during an interview at the National Arts Centre. “That cultural significance should be recognized in how we define Canadian content.”
The CRTC is expected to announce new guidelines later this year following its consultations with industry stakeholders, artists, and the public. The changes will likely consider factors beyond geography, potentially incorporating cultural significance and thematic content into the qualification process.
Walking through Toronto’s Kensington Market recently, I passed storefronts displaying posters for upcoming shows featuring artists spanning genres from jazz to electronic to folk. Each represents a thread in Canada’s musical tapestry. Any new definition of Canadian content will need to support this diversity while adapting to how music is made and consumed today.
“The goal should be a system that supports Canadian artists without creating artificial barriers to collaboration and innovation,” suggests Catherine Moore, adjunct professor of music technology at the University of Toronto. “We’re not just competing locally anymore – Canadian artists are part of a global conversation.”
As I left Northern Haze’s show that night at the Commodore, fans spilled onto Granville Street, still buzzing from the performance. Their music had transcended language barriers, connecting with everyone in that room. Whatever system emerges from the current consultation process, it must preserve space for these distinctly Canadian voices while recognizing the borderless nature of contemporary music creation.
The redefinition of Canadian content isn’t just a regulatory exercise – it’s about ensuring future generations of musicians can continue telling Canadian stories in all their complexity, to audiences both at home and around the world.
