A Statement to Members: 2025 Budget Brief
Dear Canadian Live Music Association member,
Each year, the CLMA’s federal budget submission reflects our unwavering commitment to advocating for the live music sector—amplifying your needs, your realities, and your vision for a thriving, sustainable industry. This year, our recommendations look different. That’s because this moment is different.
In 2025, the Government of Canada has made clear that new investments must be focused, coordinated, and outcomes-driven—advancing national unity, productivity, and Canadian cultural identity.
That’s why our submission proposes a modernized, consolidated approach to federal support, built in direct consultation with the government itself. These proposals reflect the policy direction of this moment—and the real, on-the-ground needs of our industry.
What We’re Recommending—and Why
We are recommending the creation of two powerful, complementary tools:
The Canadian Live Performance and Events Fund (CLPEF)—a modernized, unified program that brings together legacy funds (like CAPF and BCAH) into a single, flexible, right-sized model. It would finally recognize both non-profit and Canadian-owned and operated commercial live event venues, festivals, promoters, and producers, streamline administration, and increase support for the infrastructure that makes touring and live performance possible.
The Live Performing Arts Tax Credit (LPTC)—a new production tax credit, modeled on the film industry’s success, designed to stimulate private-sector investment, accelerate job creation, and elevate Canadian stories through live production on our stages.
Together, these measures consolidate and strengthen existing investments while unlocking new funding for live music and performance—with minimal new spending and maximum return.
Read the full submission here.
What This Means for You
These recommendations are designed to increase access, expand eligibility, and create a more unified, efficient, and impactful system of support. We are advocating for a model that’s more inclusive, more realistic, and better aligned with how our industry actually works today.
This is a pivotal moment. Our sector is growing, diversifying, and maturing—and our advocacy must do the same, working for you to leverage the extraordinary potential we collectively represent. We’re proud to bring forward a submission that positions the live music sector as a national economic and cultural asset that deserves the same scale of strategic investment as other creative industries. These are bold but measured recommendations. They are designed to win.
How You Can Help
Connect with your local MP —invite them to your venue or a live event and share what’s at stake. Follow @CanadianLiveMusic on social media and help amplify our message and recommendations. At every opportunity, speak to the economic and cultural power of live music in your community and across Canada.
Thank you for trusting us to lead on your behalf. We will continue to advocate with strength, with clarity, and with the unshakable belief that our artists—and the stages they stand on—don’t just inspire us, they define us. They tell the story of who we are, and who we aspire to be, as a country.
Let’s keep building that future together.
Thank you,
Erin Benjamin
President & CEO
Canadian Live Music Association