Canada has introduced a pretty significant change which should affect the entirety of the international music community. As it stands, Canada is a very popular hotspot for independent and major music artists to tour. However, this might change with the introduction of new regulatory fees. Under previous legislation, bands were required to only pay a one off fee of $150 Canadian (roughly £92) to play in venues around Canada. However under the new rules, a foreign band wishing to go on a tour in Canada could be required to pay a maximum of $425 (roughly £260) per member to play in a single venue.
Needless to say, this change will prove to be a significant hindrance for artists to go on tour in Canada if they don’t have the might of a recording label behind them.
This change is slightly worrying because it might set an unwanted precedent. To put things in perspective, we should compare the cost of a foreigner to tour in Canada with the cost of a foreigner to tour in the UK. As far as I can tell from doing only a bit of research, if a band wishes to go on tour in the UK the members are required to apply for a tier-5 visa, which should cost only £200 per person for the entirety of their tour. Assuming there is no more fees required, we can conclude that it costs more for a single person to play in a single venue in Canada than it would for that same person to have an entire tour in the UK.
Source:
http://www.tonedeaf.com.au/news/international-news/338482/aussie-band-fights-canadas-introduction-of-worlds-worst-music-law.htm
