Songwriters Association of Canada/Association des auteurs-compositeurs canadiens National Head office / Bureau national Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S6 / 416 Page November 1, 2022 Vincent Labrosse, Clerk Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications RE: Prioritize the passing of Bill C-11, The Online Streaming Act in the Senate Dear Senators, The Songwriters Association of Canada (S.A.C.) is a registered national arts service organization that for forty years has been the leading voice for professional songwriters in Canada.

We are dedicated to educating, assisting and advocating for Canadian songwriters both domestically and abroad. I am writing to you today on behalf of S.A.C. to express our unequivocal support for Bill C-11. Songs, and the songwriters who write them are the foundation on which the entire music industry is built, creating countless jobs for the cultural sector in Canada. And yet, Canadian songwriters are under threat.

Since 1971, CANCON rules (enforced by CRTC regulation) have provided discoverability for Canadian songwriters and have provided a framework for traditional radio and television broadcasters to make guided and targeted investments into the Canadian music business ecosystem. For two generations these investments have fostered a creative class in Canada that is internationally acclaimed and is a source of national identity and heritage.

Thanks in no small part to the base CANCON has helped provide, Canadian music has developed into a burgeoning export industry, with Canadian songs winning global markets almost unimaginable when CANCON was introduced. However, the existing broadcasting act was designed before the internet was a music delivery platform. Since then, foreign owned streaming services have enjoyed exponential growth and have been operating in Canada for almost a decade without providing support for the songwriters whose content they rely on. Modernization of the act is desperately needed, and long overdue.

And so, we welcome and support the objectives of Bill C-11. C-11 will not disadvantage digital creators, nor will it limit freedom of speech in any way. It is important to note that since 1971, CANCON regulation has not impinged on our freedoms as Canadians, but rather simply provided choices and critical investments into Canadian intellectual properties. Songwriters embrace new technologies and are adamant believers in the importance of free speech. But platforms that capitalize on Canadian talent (and Canadian advertising revenue) must support the environment in which they thrive.

Streaming services can no longer be Songwriters Association of Canada/Association des auteurs-compositeurs canadiens National Head office / Bureau national Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S6 / 416 Page allowed to extract subscription fees, advertising revenue and data from Canadians, without contributing to Canadian culture. Our cultural and economic sovereignty demands as much.

Songwriters Association of Canada encourages the Senate’s expeditious passage of Bill C-11 and would be happy to discuss further with you how and why the bill is a crucial piece of legislation, deeply needed by Canada’s professional songwriters. Sincerely, Arun Chaturvedi President Songwriters Association of Canada