Master list created by SOCAN of many national and regional collectives for the Canadian music industry.
The East Coast Music Association is devoted to developing, advancing, and celebrating Atlantic Canadian music. In addition to their Awards Week, they offer programming designed to elevate artists ready to advance to higher stages in their career; their International Export Program invites industry professionals from around the globe to attend one-on-one business meetings, performance showcases, and conferences, during the week of the awards gala. Music PEI members are entitled to a free ECMA membership—contact the ECMA to redeem.
Women in Music Canada (WIMC) is a registered non-profit organization dedicated to fostering gender equality in the music industry through the support, advancement, and celebration of female identifying and gender-diverse professionals and creatives at every stage of their career. They provide professional development, especially in under-represented areas of the music industry, through hosting educational/career development workshops, mentorships/acceleration programs, keynotes and intensive programs, as well as provide support, resources and advocacy.
The African Nova Scotian Music Association’s mission is to develop, promote, and celebrate African Nova Scotians in the music industry by providing programs, services, resources, and opportunities that foster artistic development, preservation of music heritage, and long-term success. ANSMA has multiple program offerings and resources that African Canadians from anywhere in the country may partake in, including:
- It’s Deeper Than Music – a professional development program that provides a comprehensive exploration of the business side of music.
- Music Mastery Mentorship – this program is tailored for individuals of African descent looking to enhance their technical skills in the music industry.
For more information, see the ANSMA website.
ADVANCE is Canada’s Black music business collective, leading the change in developing an infrastructure for the betterment, upliftment, and retention of Black people in the music business. They offer events, workshops, educational resources, advocacy, opportunities for networking and advancement–such as their JUNO Awards programming that increased the presence of Black professionals at the JUNOs, increased connections with industry leaders, and more.
As the distinctly Canadian division of the American Federation of Musicians, the CFM negotiates fair agreements for Canadian members, works diligently to protect ownership of recorded music, secures benefits such as health care and pension for its members, and actively lobbies legislators on Copyright reform and other matters of interest to professional musicians living and working in Canada.
The SAC is a leading advocacy organization, dedicated to championing the rights and interests of Canadian music creators. SAC often appears at conferences, summits, committees, etc., on behalf of songwriters to advocate for fair compensation, protections against unfair laws/policies, and rights as creators. SAC hosts webinars, panels, mentoring sessions, songwriting camps, networking opportunities, events, etc., and has easily accessible information on their website regarding copyright and royalties in Canada.
YMP’s nationwide platform helps young professionals find job opportunities, networking opportunities, and the ability to create new projects/initiatives, by connecting young professionals across the music industry with each other and with industry veterans for the exchange of ideas, resources, and mentorship. At this time, this program is intended for folks specifically working on the business side of the music industry, as opposed to solely artists.
SoundGirls exists to provide a global support network for women and non-binary people working in the professional audio industry and to assist those with a drive to be successful in audio. Women make up only 5% of the professional workforce in audio and music production—SoundGirls gives women working in the industry an opportunity to meet and network with other industry professionals. SoundGirls offers numerous programs such as events, resources for support, opportunities for jobs and internships, and more.
