Live or Die: Call for Federal Relief
Summary
The Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) represents Canada’s broad and diverse live music sector including venues, festivals, concert promoters, talent agents, and many others in the supply chain. In response to COVID-19 related impacts, the CLMA wishes to underscore the critical need for ongoing Federal relief for hardest hit sectors including live music.
The live music industry continues to be decimated by COVID-19 restrictions. More than 100,000 arts, entertainment, and recreation workers lost their job in 2020 and revenue cratered - down 92% year-over-year - as live events/venues were forced to shutter. Even as vaccination efforts roll out across the country, the industry’s future remains uncertain especially in regions with ongoing restrictions relating to gathering, both indoors and out. Ongoing border closures and restrictions hurts our ability to do business.
Prior to the pandemic, the Canadian live music industry contributed approximately $3 billion annually to Canada’s GDP and created 72,000 jobs. Today, 70% of respondents to a June 2021 CLMA survey say they will NOT be able to stay in business without sustained access to government relief through to the end of 2021. Our industry is poised to move forward, we’ve gotten this far with help - but through no fault of our own we remain closed, even as other sectors are reopening. Struggling to stay operational at this time, the live music community has also rapidly accrued punishing debt, with many also depleting personal savings, having exhausted all other options. The financial burden of the past year will be felt well beyond the return to normal for the businesses that survive.
In an effort to be ready for when the time comes, recent live music and event announcements have been inspiring Canadians and reassuring them that “we will be back”. But, on-going public health restrictions mean the sector has very low expectations of revenue opportunities until the end of 2021 at the earliest. Unlike other businesses (for example restaurants), we need three to six months to “open” (planning takes time). Our business model simply doesn’t accommodate short timelines or limited capacity, creating extreme vulnerability, greater now than at any time in the last 16 months.
Without continued and enhanced access to government relief programs, the major investment-to-date government has made to help save jobs could be entirely lost. The CLMA, along with the Hardest Hit Coalition, urgently calls upon the Canadian government to continue to provide relief for those - like Canada’s live music industry - who need it most.