About Us
The voice of Canada’s vibrant live music industry.
The CLMA works to entrench live music’s economic, cultural, and social value and to create the conditions for concerts to thrive.
Among our members are concert promoters, festivals, talent agencies, venues, clubs, arenas, performing arts centres, industry associations and networks, and suppliers.
Read about us below.
Arkells at Budweiser Stage, August 2021, Tom Pandi
What We Do
ADVOCACY
ENTRENCHING THE VALUE OF LIVE MUSIC
Impacting policy, funding, and opportunity for the live music sector.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
GROWING AND KNOWING
Certifications, webinars, and important news that directly impacts your business.
Programming to open business opportunities.
RESEARCH
IDENTIFYING NEED AND MAKING CHANGE
Quantifying industry specific data, recommending and applying findings to continually develop the industry.
NETWORKING
CONNECTING YOU WITH YOUR INDUSTRY
Access a braintrust of live music workers across the country: meet, ask questions, get immediate advice.
Join the united voice of your industry.
OTHER BENEFITS
PROVIDING YOU WITH RESOURCES
Discounts on events, training, and operational expenses.
“Live music is a ubiquitous art form that unites and engages audiences and artists in impactful, lasting ways. The Canadian Live Music Association is central to the conversation and advocacy of Canada’s deep and diverse live music sector. By collaborating with the industry that supports artists and venues, the CLMA is key to nurturing and championing creative and original artists, developing and enhancing careers and ensuring musical discovery is fostered with the public.”
- Kerry Clarke, Artistic Director, Calgary Folk Festival
The mission of the CLMA is to entrench the economic, social and cultural value of live music – creating the conditions for concerts to thrive, from coast to coast to coast.
Our History
The Canadian Live Music Association was formed in 2014 in response to a national need for united representation of the sector. The organization’s mission is to entrench the economic, social, and cultural value of live music and create the conditions for concerts to thrive from coast to coast to coast.
Our Founding Members
The Agency Group
The Corporation of Massey Hall & Roy Thomson Hall
The Feldman Agency
Ticketmaster Canada
Union Events
Canadian Music Week
Collective Concerts
evenko
Global Spectrum
Live Nation
Music Canada
NxNE
Over the past eight years, the CLMA has developed and adapted the live music industry in Canada through advocacy and business development, offering live music workers opportunities to connect with each other, to grow their professional skills and businesses, and access discounts for operational expenses and programming.
Onset of COVID-19
With the support of its members, the CLMA has led the sector through one of the great crises of our lifetime. Operations of the CLMA fundamentally diverged when COVID-19 shutdowns began affecting live music businesses across Canada including immediate and decisive action to relieve an industry shattered by the inability to gather.
From the federal budget to reopening frameworks, municipal music cities strategies to local restrictions - the CLMA has been proactively informing, impacting, and shaping policy.
Here are highlights of what we have recently seen as a direct result of our strategic advocacy:
Over $450M in sector-specific government relief
$181M in collaborative advocacy leading to passage of C-2, Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program, Hardest-Hit Business Recovery Program, and more
Launch of the CLMA study “Closing the Gap: Impact and Representation of IBPOC Live Music Workers”
More than 60M reached by groundbreaking CLMA campaign #ForTheLoveOfLIVE/ #PourLAmourDeLaSCENE
$280K in industry relief programming like Kinaxis InConcert, putting money directly into the pockets of promoters, venues, techs, and artists