CBC Launches Digital Music Service

TORONTO: CBC today launched CBC Music and the CBC Music App – a free new digital music service designed to connect Canadians to the music they love. With a choice of 40 different web radio stations, 14 distinct genre-based communities, and music from nearly 1,000 major and independent music companies, CBC Music provides listeners with access to the very best Canadian and International music. Featuring original content from the most knowledgeable and experienced music personalities and programmers from across the country, hundreds of concerts, features, blogs, playlists, and more, the new music service is a place for music lovers to explore, discover and connect with other music fans. Canadians can experience CBC Music now at cbcmusic.ca.

The new CBC Music App allows listeners to stream CBC Music to their iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, including 40 web radio stations, as well as CBC Radio 2 and CBC Radio 3.

"CBC Music successfully connects Canadians with music when and how they want it, and provides an unmatched experience for music lovers across the country," said Chris Boyce, executive director of radio and audio of CBC English Services. "As a modern public broadcaster, we're proud to bring this rich digital experience to Canadians, using the knowledge, content and extensive music collection that only CBC can offer."

Key features of CBC Music on cbcmusic.ca include:

Completely free, and easy to navigate – just click to play

40 web radio stations built from a library of millions of tracks of music

14 genre-based music communities ranging from rock to classical, pop to jazz, hip hop to country, and everything in between

CBC Radio 2 & CBC Radio 3

Direct access to the music of almost 1,000 major and independent music companies

Artist pages on more than 25,000 independent artists with thousands of songs you can play whenever you want

The best music content from a variety of CBC programs including Q and George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight

CBC personalities who guide Canadians through the infinite world of music

Hundreds of concerts available on demand. Original content including articles, blogs and playlists, updated daily

'The Canadian Concert Calendar' maintained by artists – one of the largest Canadian concert calendars available

The CBC Music App is available for free from the App Store on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.ca/appstore. Experience CBC Music online at cbcmusic.ca.

U of T Faculty of Music Gears Up For Transmission Institute Opening

> VICTORIA, BC: The Transmission Institute (TI), a unique, strategic partnership between Fan Tan Group, producers of transmission: GLOBAL SUMMIT (TGS), held in Victoria Feb. 8-10, and the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, has been announced.

TGS founder and CEO Tyl van Toorn and Dean of the Faculty of Music for the U of Toronto, Dr. Don McLean, broke the news during the recent three-day, by-invitation-only gathering.

TI, which will be co-located with the U of T Faculty of Music in Toronto, is said to be an expansion of TGS' commitment to being a global centre of gravity for entrepreneurialism, business, science, development and innovation within the creative industries.

"We hope to sustain the mission of Transmission between summits and to develop a dynamic research and training environment that will ensure leadership presence and problem-solving capacity in creative digital media technologies," says McLean.

Notes van Toorn: "After six years of developing and executing a series of events around the world, Transmission is ready to evolve into an international institute. TI will be supported by a network of experts that creates and transforms ideas into innovative, sustainable and impactful projects and businesses in the creative industries."

The Fan Tan Group, of which van Toorn is founder and CEO, has been producing Transmission since 2005 as part of the company's TransmitNOW initiatives. For the the first three years, it was held in Vancouver before moving to Victoria, the company's current home base. During that time, Fan Tan has produced 13 projects on three continents including TransmitCHINA, part of an international event series that brings together creators, entrepreneurs, innovators and thought leaders from the creative content and technology sectors to exchange and leverage ideas linked to the creation and demand of digital creative content. It is also aimed at developing business opportunities internationally, particularly in emerging markets, for companies working in these sectors.

TransmitCHINA takes place from May 29-June 1, 2012 in a year when two new initiatives have been launched: TransmitBRAZIL from September 18-23, 2012 and Transmit Israel from November 20-24, 2012.

As van Toorn points out, the company has successfully expanded its scope of interest from just music, to connecting academic, investment and technology sectors within all of the creative arts communities who are affected by the digital dissemination of their work. – MARTIN MELHUISH

Ed's note: Noted Canadian music journalist and author Martin Melhuish will provide follow-up insights from the Victoria confab in the next several days.

US Continues To Canada As Piracy Haven

> WASHINGTON: Canada maintains status on US list of copyright piracy havens: "…Overall the piracy picture in Canada is nearly as bleak as it was a year ago. The country is perpetuating its reputation as a haven where technologically sophisticated international piracy organizations can operate with virtual impunity in the online marketplace. To underscore U. insistence that Canada finally take concrete action to address the serious piracy problem it has allowed to develop just across our border, and that it bring its outmoded laws up to contemporary international standards, IIPA recommends that Canada be maintained on the Priority Watch List in 2012. – 301 IIPA Report

Blue Saphire Talent Expansion

> TORONTO:  Jeff Burns, President of Blue Sapphire Music is pleased to announce the appointment of Francois Lachance as VP,  A&R. Headquartered in Toronto, the Blue Sapphire label is distributed by DEP/Universal.  Effective immediately, Lachance will be responsible for all talent acquisition and development for the company. Located in Montreal, he will also spearhead Blue Sapphire's expansion into the Quebec market

Commenting on the Lachance's appointment Burns stated, "Francois brings to Blue Sapphire the knowledge and energy needed to succeed in today's difficult music industry. He is eager to continue finding and creating hit songs. He has a strong passion for the music business and for nurturing great talent, definitely a 21st century music man."

Francois Lachance is a well-versed music executive, who for the past 10 years has run Prime Time Productions 360 Inc., a Montreal based youth-oriented multi-platform company offering a full range of entertainment focused services including music production, music publishing, branding, TV production, booking, touring and merchandising in a strategic partnership with entrepreneur Stephen Bronfman.

Lachance will keep his position as C.E.O of Prime Time holdings, including Prime Time music 360, Prime Time agency and Prime Time Studio & Music Publishing.

SOCAN Moves to Strengthen Canadian Songwriter Hall of Fame

> TORONTO: SOCAN has acquired the assets of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF). The objective of the CSHF is to honour, celebrate, and educate Canadians about the outstanding accomplishments of Canadian popular music songwriters and those who have contributed significantly to their legacy. "The Hall of Fame is a great fit for SOCAN as we continue to champion the work of our members coast to coast," SOCAN CEO Eric Baptiste stated in making the announcement.

The next step in the transition involves creating a new governance structure and establishing a new board of directors. While SOCAN will now operate the CHSF, its directors will include representatives from Canada's music industry, including CSHF's founding partners, CMPA and SAC.

"SOCAN's new commitment to CSHF recognises the important work CSHF has done, and has still to accomplish, in honouring Canadian songs and songwriters," said Catharine Saxberg, Executive Director. "As a proud founder, CMPA is very excited about the potential to make CSHF even stronger with the resources and talents that SOCAN will contribute under this new agreement."

SOCAN Unveils Refreshed Brand Identity

> TORONTO: Eric Baptiste, CEO of SOCAN, has unveiled the music performing rights organization's refreshed brand identity, including a new logo "created to better reflect the modern, innovative nature of this organization, which serves as a connection between the people who create music and those who use music within their businesses," A new two-coloured logo and its new tagline, music.people.connected., is intended to represent the role the rights organization plays in connecting the two key stakeholders.  SOCAN will also be launching a new website in the coming weeks. Besides a new look that reflects the new brand, the site will feature improvements that make it easier for visitors to navigate the site, find what they are looking for, and read content.

MuchFACT Signs On as Juno Sponsor

TORONTO: MuchFACT (A Foundation to Assist Canadian TalenT) has signed a two-year sponsorship of the JUNO Award for Video of the Year, effective immediately. MuchFACT is the groundbreaking music video, EPK, viral video and website production fund, exclusively sponsored by MuchMusic and MuchMore, divisions of Bell Media.

"MuchMusic and MuchMore would like to congratulate all the nominees in the Video of the Year category," said Neil Staite, VP & GM, Music and Entertainment, Bell Media.  "Since 1984, MuchMusic and MuchMore have provided $64 million to 5,300 projects (and) we look forward to continuing to assist Canadian talent with the creation of content that promotes them at home and abroad."

"MuchFACT is proud to sponsor a JUNO Award category celebrating the accomplishments of both music and film production," said MuchFACT Chairman David Kines. "It's always been our mission to nurture and shine a spotlight on the Canadian music industry, and there's no bigger stage for this than the Juno Awards."

MuchFACT has helped to launch the careers of a great many prominent Canadian acts, including Feist, Nelly Furtado, k-os, Céline Dion, Barenaked Ladies, The Tragically Hip, Sam Roberts, Arcade Fire, and k.d. lang.

International

> US-based indie digital aggregator and online store CD Baby has published metrics on its 2011 business. While stats are heavily skewed towards the home market the overall numbers reflect global sales which account for 25% of the digital music firm's annual transactions. One can view the metrics in full here but a few key numbers include:

– iTunes and Amazon respectively accounting for 77.4% and 10.5% of all digital downloads,

– CD sales in the year totalled 633,280, down 8.4% from 691,340 in 2010

– Total artist commissions amounted to $41.7 million, up 13.3% from $36.8 million.