Quebec’s Support for Local Artists Lags Behind Global Trends
A recent report by French-language Commissioner Benoît Dubreuil highlights a concerning trend in Quebec: a lack of interest in local artists compared to other nations. The report, titled “L’exception québécoise,” reveals that Quebec falls behind in supporting national artists, with only six to 12 percent of streams dedicated to them.
Notably, Quebec stands out among non-English-speaking markets for having the smallest share of listening to French-language songs, accounting for just 12 percent of total streams. Despite efforts, Canadian artists singing in French struggle to break into the top 10 most-streamed artists, except for a brief moment in 2023 when Les Cowboys Fringants made the cut following Karl Tremblay’s passing.
In contrast, American artists dominate the Quebec music scene, with over 40 percent of streams dedicated to them, surpassing other major non-English-speaking markets like Spain and Germany. The comparison to the rest of Canada and 24 European countries, based on data from Luminate Data, paints a stark picture of the challenges faced by Quebec’s national artists.
The commissioner attributes this disparity to various factors such as algorithms, English proficiency, and cultural diversity. To address these issues, he recommends implementing the Act on the Discoverability of Francophone Cultural Content in the Digital Environment to support the distribution of Francophone content.
By strengthening ties with the international Francophonie and increasing the visibility of Quebec and Francophone music, the commissioner believes Quebec can overcome these challenges. Despite the current landscape, he encourages fans of Quebec and Francophone music not to lose hope, citing examples from countries like French-speaking Belgium, Finland, and Portugal where national music genres thrive even in the digital age.
Keyphrase: Quebec music scene
