Impact Report

Music has the power to bring people together. Our responsibility is to make sure the way we work does the same.

This report explains what Canada Music Group means by impact, the commitments we have made to the people and communities we work with, and how we intend to measure our progress. It covers all three of our divisions: CMG Records, CMG Distribution and CMG Publishing.

We are a young and growing company, and we would rather be honest about where we are than overstate what we have achieved. Where we describe a commitment, we say what we are working towards. As we gather reliable data, we will report results openly and explain what they show, including where we have fallen short.

Five principles guide how we think about impact.

Creators come first

When a decision affects an artist or songwriter, we ask what is best for them over the long term. If something helps us but harms them, we do not do it.

Honesty over polish

We would rather give a plain answer, including a difficult one, than a polished statement that hides the facts. That applies to this report as well.

Progress over perfection

We do not expect to get everything right straight away. We expect to notice what is not working, say so and fix it.

Listening before acting

The best ideas about how to improve often come from the people affected. We try to ask before we assume.

Long-term thinking

Careers, communities and trust are built slowly. We prefer decisions that are good for the long run, even when they are harder in the short run.

A company affects many people, and we try to keep all of them in mind. These are the groups we listen to most closely.

Artists and songwriters

The people whose work is the reason we exist. We listen through conversations, feedback and the questions they bring to us.

Colleagues

The people who do the work every day. We encourage open feedback, and we treat concerns seriously.

Partners and suppliers

Platforms, venues, agencies, collecting societies and service providers whose practices become part of our own.

Audiences and communities

The listeners and communities who give music its meaning, and the places where it is made.

Industry bodies and regulators

The organisations that set the standards and rules we work within. We aim to follow both the letter and the spirit of them.

For us, impact is not a separate department or a yearly campaign. It is the sum of everyday decisions: how we write agreements, how we report income, how we treat colleagues, how we choose partners and how we show up in the places where music is made.

We focus on five areas where we believe a music company can make a real difference: supporting creators, widening opportunity, strengthening the local music community, looking after our people and operating responsibly. Each one is described in the sections below.

A healthy music business starts with fair treatment of the people who make the music.

Many creators begin their careers without a clear picture of contracts, rights or royalties, and it can be hard to ask questions when you are unsure what to ask. We try to remove that barrier by explaining things in plain language and by making information easy to find.

Clear agreements

We aim to explain every agreement before it is signed, and we encourage creators to take independent legal and financial advice.

Transparent reporting

Royalty statements are designed to be easy to read, showing what was earned, what was deducted and what is payable. Learn more on our Artist Royalties page.

Education

We share practical knowledge about registering songs, agreeing splits, planning releases and reading statements, so that creators can make confident decisions.

Accessible tools

The Distribution Portal gives creators one place to deliver music, follow performance and see their earnings.

Knowledge is one of the most useful things we can share. Over time, we aim to offer learning opportunities on subjects that matter to emerging creators.

Understanding rights and royalties

How copyright works, how royalties are earned and how to read a statement.

Releasing music well

Planning, preparing and promoting a release, from metadata and artwork to timing and audience building.

Working with others

Co-writing, credits, splits and agreements between collaborators.

Building a sustainable career

Managing income, protecting wellbeing and thinking long term.

Where possible, we will make these resources free and available in plain language.

Talent exists everywhere, but opportunity does not. Access to studios, introductions, information and funding is often shaped by where someone lives, who they know and what resources they have. We want to help narrow those gaps.

We try to listen to voices that are not often heard, to look for talent beyond the obvious places and to remove unnecessary barriers in how people submit music, apply for roles or work with us. We also aim for our team, our roster and our collaborators to reflect the variety of the audiences we serve.

Inclusion is not a one-time effort, and we do not claim to have all the answers. We are committed to asking questions, learning from the people around us and improving over time.

Music should be for everyone, and the way we share it and the tools we build should be as easy to use as possible. We aim to make our website, the Distribution Portal and our events accessible to people with different abilities and needs.

That includes clear language, readable text and good colour contrast, layouts that work on different devices and with assistive technology, and events where people can take part comfortably. We recognise that accessibility is never finished, and we welcome feedback from anyone who has difficulty using something we have made.

If you encounter a barrier on our website or in the portal, please tell us through our contact page, and we will work to fix it.

Music grows from communities: the venues, studios, schools, promoters, media and fans that make a scene. We want to strengthen the places where our artists and songwriters come from.

Giving emerging talent a stage

We aim to support showcases, events and opportunities that give new voices a chance to be heard.

Working with local partners

We collaborate with independent venues, creative organisations and community initiatives, and we try to do so as a partner rather than as a sponsor with a logo.

Sharing knowledge

Our team members are encouraged to mentor, speak at schools and universities and share their experience with people entering the industry.

Our people are the reason we can do any of this. We aim to be a workplace where colleagues are treated with respect, where they can grow, and where concerns can be raised without fear.

That means fair pay and clear expectations, regular and honest feedback, opportunities to learn and to move between teams, and realistic workloads that leave room for rest. It also means a firm stance against harassment, discrimination and bullying. You can read more about life at CMG on our Careers page.

Careers in music can be rewarding and demanding in equal measure. Uncertain income, public pressure and irregular hours can affect anyone, and creators often carry these difficulties quietly.

For the creators we work with, we try to plan realistically, to talk openly about workload and to listen when someone needs a different pace. For our own colleagues, we aim to provide reasonable working hours, time to rest and a culture in which it is normal to ask for support.

We also encourage people to seek professional help when they need it, and we try to make sure nobody feels they must handle difficulties alone.

The music industry has an environmental footprint, from the energy used by data centres and devices to the travel involved in tours, events and meetings. We are a digital-first company, which helps, but we know that is not enough on its own.

Working digitally

We deliver music and manage rights and reporting online, which reduces the need for physical materials and paperwork.

Thinking about travel

We try to travel only when it adds real value, and to combine trips and use remote meetings where they work as well.

Choosing partners carefully

When we select suppliers and partners, we look at how they treat people and the environment as well as at price and quality.

Reviewing as we grow

As the company grows, we will keep reviewing our practices and set clearer targets as we gain better data.

The practices of the companies we work with become part of our own. When we choose partners, suppliers and collaborators, we look beyond price and quality at how they treat people, how they run their business and how they approach their impact on the environment.

We expect partners to deal fairly, to respect rights and to treat people with dignity. If we learn that a partner does not meet these standards, we will raise it with them and, if necessary, reconsider the relationship.

Trust depends on doing what we say. We maintain internal standards for how agreements are written, how royalties are calculated and paid, how personal and financial information is handled and how concerns are raised and resolved.

We respect intellectual property, avoid conflicts of interest, keep confidential information confidential and expect the same of our partners. Our leadership team is responsible for making sure these standards are followed in practice.

New technology, including automated tools and artificial intelligence, is changing how music is made, found and used. It brings real opportunities, and it raises serious questions about consent, credit and fair payment for creators.

We approach these questions with a simple set of principles. Creative work belongs to the people who made it, and their wishes should be respected. Creators should be told clearly how their work may be used and have a say in it. Technology should help people, not replace their judgement or undermine their livelihoods.

The field is moving quickly and our thinking will continue to develop. We will explain our position openly as it does, and we will listen to the creators we work with.

We hold personal, contractual and financial information that belongs to other people, and we take that responsibility seriously. We collect only what we need, use it only for the purposes for which it was given and limit access to those who need it to do their jobs.

We protect accounts and systems with sensible security measures, and we encourage everyone to use strong, unique passwords and to be careful about unexpected messages that ask for sensitive information.

If you have any concern about how your information is handled, or you think something has gone wrong, please contact us as soon as possible.

Fair dealing underpins everything we do. We do not offer or accept bribes, we avoid conflicts of interest and we are careful about gifts and hospitality that could influence a decision. If a personal relationship or outside interest could affect a business choice, we expect people to say so openly so that it can be handled fairly.

Colleagues and partners should feel able to raise concerns about wrongdoing, in confidence and without fear of negative consequences. We take such concerns seriously and look into them properly.

We encourage colleagues to give their time and expertise to the community. That can mean mentoring a young musician, helping at a local event, speaking at a school or lending practical skills to a worthwhile organisation.

We do not measure giving by headlines. We measure it by whether we have made a genuine, useful contribution to the people and places around us.

These are the commitments we are working towards. We will report on our progress as we go.

For creators

Explain agreements in plain language. Report income clearly and accurately. Share knowledge so that creators can make confident decisions.

For opportunity

Look for talent in more places. Reduce unnecessary barriers to working with us. Keep learning about who is and is not being reached.

For community

Support emerging talent and local initiatives. Mentor and share knowledge with people entering the industry.

For our people

Treat colleagues fairly, provide room to grow, and maintain a safe and respectful workplace.

For the planet

Stay digital-first, travel thoughtfully and choose partners responsibly, while setting clearer goals as the company grows.

An honest report does not only describe strengths. These are some of the areas where we know we still have work to do.

Collecting reliable data

We are still building the systems that will let us measure our progress accurately. Until we have them, we prefer not to quote figures we cannot stand behind.

Reaching more creators

We cannot support everyone who sends us music or asks for help. We are working on how to share more knowledge with people we are not able to sign or work with directly.

Widening our own team

As a small company, we have limited ways to make our team as diverse as we would like. We keep working at it, one hire and one partnership at a time.

Setting clearer goals

Some of our commitments are still qualitative. As we learn more, we intend to set specific, measurable goals and report against them.

What gets measured gets improved, but numbers must be reliable to be useful. We are building the processes to collect good data, and we plan to track indicators such as the following.

Creators: how clearly creators feel their agreements and statements are explained, how quickly questions are answered and how many receive education and support.

Opportunity: the range of places, backgrounds and genres represented among the people we work with and the roles we hire for.

Community: the number and type of local initiatives we support and the mentoring and learning opportunities we provide.

People: colleague feedback on fairness, wellbeing and development, and how concerns are handled.

Operations: the practices and partners we choose and the progress we make on the goals we set.

We will publish results in future editions of this report, together with an honest account of what they show.

We are at the beginning of this journey, and we expect to learn a great deal. We will keep listening to artists, songwriters, colleagues and partners, adjust our approach when we find something that is not working, and aim to make each edition of this report more specific and more useful than the last.

Thank you for taking the time to read it.

A short guide to some of the words used in this report.

Impact. The lasting effect that our decisions and activities have on people, communities and the environment.

Inclusion. Making sure people from different backgrounds can take part, be heard and succeed.

Governance. The rules, standards and processes that guide how a company is run and held accountable.

Stakeholder. Any person or group affected by what a company does.

Transparency. Being open about decisions, practices and results.

Digital-first. Working online by default to reduce paper, physical materials and unnecessary travel.

Conflict of interest. A situation where personal interests could influence, or appear to influence, a business decision.

Accessibility. Designing products, spaces and services so that people with different abilities can use them.

Who is this report for?

Anyone who wants to understand how Canada Music Group thinks about its responsibilities, including artists, songwriters, colleagues, partners and the wider music community.

Why are there so few numbers?

Because we would rather be honest than impressive. We are still building the processes to collect reliable data, and we will publish measurable results as soon as we can stand behind them.

How often will this report be updated?

We intend to update it regularly and to make each edition more specific than the last.

Can I suggest something we should include?

Yes, please do. Share your ideas through our contact page.

Does the report cover all divisions?

Yes. It applies to CMG Records, CMG Distribution and CMG Publishing.

We welcome your thoughts on this report, on the commitments we have made and on how we can do better. Please share your feedback through our contact page.