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CA NAICS 51223CA | Industry Report

Music Publishing in Canada Industry Data and Analysis

AP
Alex Petridis
Analyst New York, United States December 2025

The music publishing industry in Canada is undergoing a gradual transition toward royalty collection from music streaming services, shifting away from its traditional business model of album sales. Falling sales of physical albums and digital downloads have compelled publishers to seek new revenue streams and reduce their dependence on traditional licensing platforms. To meet changing consumer preferences, publishers continuously cultivate licensing agreements with newer revenue streams, such as mobile applications, online radio platforms and subscription-based music services. The digital wave has introduced fresh revenue opportunities through platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, although these often come with lower royalty rates than traditional sales. Notably, organizations such as the CMRRA advocate for fairer streaming rates, further emphasizing the industry's adaptive efforts in safeguarding artist and songwriter earnings. This transition has buoyed the industry in recent years, with solid streaming revenue growth supporting the sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, through the end of 2025, industry revenue will climb an annualized 2.3% to $956.6 million, including a 0.8% gain in 2025 alone.

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What's included in this industry analysis

IBISWorld's research coverage on the Music Publishing industry in Canada includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2015-2030. The most recent publication was released December 2025.

About this industry

What's this industry report about?

The Music Publishing industry in Canada operates under the NAICS industry code 51223CA. The Music Publishing industry in Canada is responsible for acquiring and registering copyrights for the musical compositions of musicians, songwriters and composers. Establishments license the intellectual property of their clients, authorize the use of these compositions through various media outlets and ensure that royalties are paid to the creators of these works. Establishments act on behalf of the copyright owners and generate revenue through various licensing agreements. Related terms covered in the Music Publishing industry in Canada include label, mechanical royalties, synchronization royalties and p2p.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in Music Publishing industry in Canada include Mechanical royalties, Performance royalties and Synchronization royalties.

What companies are included in this industry?

Companies covered in the Music Publishing industry in Canada include Sony Music Publishing, Warner Music Group Inc. and Universal Music Publishing Group.

Performance

What's included in the Performance chapter?

The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Music Publishing industry in Canada.

Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.

Products & Markets

What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?

The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Music Publishing industry in Canada.

Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.

Geographic Breakdown

What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?

The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Music Publishing industry in Canada.

Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.

Competitive Forces

What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?

The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Music Publishing industry in Canada. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.

Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.

Companies

What's included in the Companies chapter?

The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Music Publishing industry in Canada. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.

Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.

External Environment

What's included in the External Environment chapter?

The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Music Publishing industry in Canada. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.

Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.

Financial Benchmarks

What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?

The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Music Publishing industry in Canada. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.

Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.

Industry Data

What's included in the Industry Data chapter?

The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Music Publishing industry in Canada.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the market size of the Music Publishing industry in Canada in 2026?

The market size of the Music Publishing industry in Canada is $956.6m in 2026.

How many businesses are there in the Music Publishing industry in Canada in 2025?

There are 499 businesses in the Music Publishing industry in Canada, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.4 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Music Publishing industry in Canada?

The Music Publishing industry in Canada is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Music Publishing industry in Canada?

The Music Publishing industry in Canada is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

Has the Music Publishing industry in Canada grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Music Publishing industry in Canada has been growing at a CAGR of 2.3 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Music Publishing industry in Canada over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Music Publishing industry in Canada is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Music Publishing industry in Canada?

The biggest companies operating in the Music Publishing industry in Canada are Sony Music Publishing, Warner Music Group Inc. and Universal Music Publishing Group

What does the Music Publishing industry in Canada include?

Registration and administration of music copyrights and Collection of royalty payments are part of the Music Publishing industry in Canada.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Music Publishing industry in Canada?

The company holding the most market share in the Music Publishing industry in Canada is Sony Music Publishing.

How competitive is the Music Publishing industry in Canada?

The level of competition is high and steady in the Music Publishing industry in Canada.

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