Canadian Companies

Album Sales Market Shares 

in Canada (2003)

The four major labels and approximately

300 independents in Canada share a music

Others 17.5%

BMG 11.5%

market that, these days, is worth around

EMI  

$950 million in annual revenues. (By

Warner  

13.9%

14.3%

comparison, the Canadian book publishing

industry brings in about $2.4 billion in

revenues annually.)

25

Warner, EMI, Universal and the newly 

Sony  

minted Sony BMG account for more than

15%

80% of sales in Canada, with the largest

Universal 28.8%

share of the market going to Universal

Source: Nielsen SoundScan Music & Copyright, 

July 7, 2004.

(30%) followed by Sony and BMG's

combined 27%. Although the majors get

most of their earnings from foreign releases,

releases each year, with an estimated total

they are also home to some of the most

market share of 15%.

26

Releases by

commercially successful Canadian artists,

Canadian artists account for approximately

including those with a significant inter 

90% of revenue for smaller labels (firms

national profile. In 2000, foreign owned

earning less than $1 million in a year)

firms including the five majors and 

and 77% for firms earning more than 

11 foreign  indies  released 16% of the

$1 million annually. About a dozen labels

product of Canadian artists, yet captured

are responsible for 80% of the roughly

54% of sales of Canadian artists.

$200 million earned by independents

(about 12% of total sales).

27

The reality 

The approximately 300 Canadian inde 

of day to day business for the hundreds

pendents, for their part, play a significant

of Canadian  micro  labels is intense

role in developing Canadian talent, account 

dedication by a small part time staff

ing for more than 80% of all Canadian

working on a shoestring budget.

17