Atlantic music fund proposed to level playing field

Music organizations in Atlantic Canada are proposing a new pool of government money that would help build supports for musicians in the region.

• Music PEI excited about Atlantic Canada music industry strategy

The Atlantic Canada Music Fund idea is based on a similar fund in Ontario, launched by the provincial government a few years again.

"What has happened is it's created a very unlevel playing field," said Rob Oakie, executive director of Music PEI.

"Most of the resources for the music industry are in Ontario to begin with. They have millions in that fund, and what it's doing is drawing artists and industry professionals even more so to Ontario."

• Partner up, write a song, sell it: Welcome to the Canadian Songwriter Challenge
• May Run Festival scores $87K in government support

The fund was proposed in Striking a New A-Chord, a report released on the east coast industry released last week.

Oakie said planning for the fund is still at the talking stage, but said it would have to be new government money. The money would be more infrastructure focused, directed towards recording and artist development, as well as human resources that support musicians, such as management companies.

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | P.E.I. Burger Love 2017: By the numbers
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | Someone 'has shared a document on Google Docs with you': Watch out for this new phishing scam