Quebec streams 7 percent of its own music — lowest in the non-English-speaking world
A new Luminate report reveals Quebec listeners favour American music by a huge margin, lagging far behind comparable European countries.
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Quebec's music listeners are leaving Quebec music on the shelf. A new report from Luminate covering the first six months of 2026 found that just 7 percent of streams on music platforms in Quebec came from Quebec artists — the lowest rate among all non-English-speaking countries tracked.
For comparison: the Netherlands sees about 25 percent of streams go to Dutch music, and Sweden hits nearly 30 percent for Swedish artists. Quebec is roughly level with Belgium and Switzerland, which at least have the excuse of multiple languages. Here, it's American music that dominates.
"It's clear this is worrying, but it's not a surprise unfortunately," said Simon Claus, director of public affairs and research at the ADISQ, Quebec's music industry body. "We've known for a long time that Quebec music listening on platforms is famished."
Last year, Quebec artists commanded 7 percent of platform streams — the same weak share a year later, despite growing awareness of the issue. The ADISQ points to streaming platforms themselves as the culprit. "There's work to be done on the platform side, which don't account for the realities of our market," Claus said. "There are mechanisms to think about so our music gets more visibility."
The industry is banking on Quebec's Loi sur la découvrabilité (Discoverability Law), adopted last year, and monitoring CRTC consultations aimed at forcing foreign platforms to prioritize Canadian content. The music sector also acknowledges its own marketing gap. Strategies around album launches have shifted from big media events to algorithm-friendly rollouts, a transition Quebec's industry is still catching up on.
Genevieve Côté, a former SOCAN official, believes the real problem runs deeper: perception. "Many people think Quebec music is either niche or the Cowboys Fringants or Paul Piché," she said. The quality hasn't dropped — albums from Quebec outfits like the Louanges draw direct Prince comparisons — but listeners don't reflexively reach for them the way they do for U.S. acts.
The details
What percentage of streams in Quebec come from Quebec artists?
Just 7 percent of streams on music platforms in Quebec came from Quebec artists in the first six months of 2026, according to a Luminate report — the lowest rate among all non-English-speaking countries tracked.
How does Quebec compare to other countries?
The Netherlands sees about 25 percent of streams go to Dutch music, and Sweden hits nearly 30 percent for Swedish artists. Quebec is roughly level with Belgium and Switzerland.
