Québec

  • population: 8,180,000
  • capital city: Québec (City)
  • music revenue:  $113,700,000 CDN
  • percentage of those aged 18-24 who downloaded music in 2015: 65%
  • Over 95% of Québeckers speak French – but more than 40% can speak English and French

True to its roots while at the same time looking to the future, Québec culture has that unidentifiable something that makes it both unique and universal. Offering this unique creative environment, Québec welcomes artists from all over the world, and conversely, from classical (les Violons du Roy), to pop (Coeur de pirate), to cutting edge indie rock (Arcarde Fire), Québec artists are celebrated internationally.

Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la vidéo

ADISQ

Founded in 1978 to defend the interests of its members and promote the development of the music industry in Québec, ADISQ is a professional, non-profit association.

ADISQ has over 200 members, two-thirds of whom are producers of sound recordings or performances.

In Québec, the influence of multinational record companies is less than elsewhere, with local, independent companies responsible for the majority of music production.

The association makes representations to the government on matters concerning the general policies of the music industry, entertainment and video, the financing of this industry, the defense of the rights of producers and the regulation of broadcasting.

It also conducts negotiations and management of collective agreements with recognized artists’ associations.

 

Fondée en 1978 pour défendre les intérêts de ses membres et favoriser le développement de l’industrie de la musique au Québec, l’Association québécoise de l’industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la vidéo (ADISQ) est une association professionnelle sans but lucratif.

Historiquement, son premier mandat a consisté essentiellement à produire deux activités majeures de promotion collective pour l’industrie québécoise de la musique : d’abord l’organisation d’un stand collectif et la coordination de la participation de ses membres au MIDEM, la vaste foire internationale qui se tient à Cannes chaque année ; ensuite, la production, dès 1979, d’un gala annuel visant à récompenser les artistes, artisans et professionnels de l’industrie québécoise de la musique.

Aujourd’hui, le mandat de l’ADISQ va au-delà de la seule promotion collective sur les marchés domestique et international. L’association effectue des représentations auprès des pouvoirs publics sur les questions concernant les politiques générales de l’industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la vidéo, le financement de cette industrie, la défense des droits des producteurs et la réglementation de la radiodiffusion. Elle procède également à des négociations et à la gestion d’ententes collectives avec les associations d’artistes reconnues et finalement, la promotion collective du disque, du spectacle et de la vidéo.

ADISQ logo

Explore the Province of Québec

Port of Montreal

Stretching over a distance of 1,200 km, the St. Lawrence River is among the world’s largest navigable waterways and the largest in North America. Most Québecers live in urban areas close to the river, between Montréal and Québec City, the capital.

Québec is the only society in North America with a French-speaking majority and currently has a population of roughly eight million people from different ethno-linguistic and socio-cultural groups.

Kayak and Whale

Québecers are outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy reconnecting with their roots. We are also known for our festive spirit. Major cultural and sporting events, urban festivals and charming village celebrations – there’s always a good reason to party and share happy times. Bonne fête!

Festival d'ete

For more information on the land, the people and the festivals of Québec, please visit:

www.bonjourQuébec.com/qc-en/regions0.html

www.Québecoriginal.com/en

www.international.gouv.qc.ca/en/general/arts-et-culture

www.Québecgetaways.com

www.attractionsevents.com

Key Regions in the Province of Québec

Montréal population 3,407,963

Key venues/clubs: Olympia de Montréal, Petit Olympia, New City Gas, Copacabana, Club LaMouche, Telus Theatre, Brutopia, Café Campus, House of Jazz

Key Radio: CBC Radio 1 Montréal, CISM La Marge, KKIC Country, CKUT, Radio VM, The Beat, CJMC-FM, NRJ 94.3 La Radio des Hits, Première Montréal, Virgin Radio 96 FM, CHOX-FM, Ici Musique Montréal

Universities and Colleges: Université de Montréal, Université de Québec à Montréal, McGill University, Concordia University, Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal


Québec population 696,946

Key venues/clubs: Grand Théâtre de Québec, Impérial de Québec, Hôtel Clarendon Jazz Bar, Agora, Pub L’Autre Zone, Fou Bar

Key Radio: CKIA-FM, CKRL 89.1, CiQi FM, WKND 91.9, CHYZ 94.3 FM, Ici Musique Québec City, Lévis 96.9

Universities and Colleges: Laval University, Champlain Regional College, Cégep Limoilou, Cégep de Sainte-Foy


Gatineau population 236,329

Key venues/clubs: Le Loft 455, Le Petit Chicago, House of Targ, Black Sheep Inn, Pressed

Key Radio: Live 88.5, Premiére Ottawa-Gatineau, CBC Radio 1 Ottawa, Unique FM, Rouge 94.9, Aboriginal Voices Radio, Rythme FM

Universities and Colleges: Université du Québec en Outaouais


Sherbrooke population 140,628

Key venues/clubs: Antiquarius Café, Au Café Du Palais, Bar le Saloon, La P’tite Grenouille

Key Radio: CFAK-FM, CJMQ The New Voice of the Townships, Ici Musique Sherbrooke, CBC Radio 1 Québec City, Rythme FM, Première Sherbrooke, Rouge 102.7

Universities and Colleges: Université de Sherbrooke, Bishop’s University

Québec’s major festivals

M for Montréal

www.mformontreal.comMontréal, QC

Founded in 2006 by Sébastien Nasra, M for Montreal showcases more than a hundred local and international buzz-worthy bands in over 20 venues across the city.

Over 200 industry heavyweights from 15+ countries, tastemakers and music aficionados take over Montreal for 4 days – with incredible music, business opportunities and an overload of fun!


Mundial Montréal

http://www.mundialmontreal.com/Montréal, QC

Mundial Montréal is North America’s premiere world music summit. Taking place annually in November, it is a springboard for the best in emerging world music talent, from Canada and beyond.

With a highly curated program of artists, networking activities and inspiring conversation, Mundial has quickly established itself as the go-to event in North America for world music discovery and professional opportunities.

With a combination of local artists and visiting artists from Algeria, Estonia, Brazil, Israel and Madagascar, together with over 250 industry professionals from Canada, the US, Europe, Mexico and Cuba the festival is 4 days of intense networking, learning, and discovery.


Festival D’été De Québec (Québec Summer Festival)

http://www.infofestival.com/Québec, QC

Every year, the Festival d’été attracts over one million festival goers to Québec City’s historic district for concerts by international superstars and top new talent. Festival d’été is Québec City’s great music festival and Canada’s largest outdoor musical event with 1,000 artists, 300 shows, and 10 stunning venues.

World-renowned stars as well as up-and-coming bands in all styles: rock, folk, hip-hop, electro, French song, jazz, pop, reggae, and world music.

Québec city historical center is taken over by tens of thousands of festival-goers enjoying the unique ambiance of this urban festival.

Festival alumni include: The Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters , Keith Urban, Lady Gaga, Billy Joel, Bryan Adams, Stevie Wonder, Bruno Mars, Tiësto, Bon Jovi, The Black Keys, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Sting, and Styx.


Osheaga

http://www.osheaga.com/Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montréal, QC

The Osheaga Music and Arts Festival is a multi-day indie music festival that is held every summer at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montréal.

Since the debut event on labour day weekend in 2006, has established itself as the most important festival of its genre in Canada, while discovering local and national emerging talent and offering them the opportunity to play alongside the biggest international artists in the business.

Festival alumni include: Outkast, Beck, Snoop Dogg, Metric, Eminem, The Flaming Lips, K’naan, Coldplay, Feist, Mumford & Sons, Sonic Youth, Arcade Fire, Beck, and The Cure.


POP Montréal

http://popmontreal.com/Montréal, QC

Founded in 2002, POP Montréal is now a permanent fixture on the Montréal festival map and the international music circuit. Each year, the five-day festival presents more than 600 artists to over 50,000 people.

Delivering a bold cross-section of art forms and events, the festival includes symposium discussions, artisan and visual art exhibitions, fashion shows, film screenings, and, of course, a few all-night parties.

Festival alumni include: Wolf Parade, Kings of Leon, Franz Ferdinand, The Weakerthans, Whitehorse, The Man, Legendary Pink Dots, David Byrne, Chilly Gonzales, Radio Radio, The Butthole Surfers, Kid Koala and Motörhead.


Coup de coeur francophone

http://www.coupdecoeur.ca/various and Montréal, QC

Founded in Montreal in 1987, Coup de coeur francophone is a festival dedicated to the discovery of new artists and promoting songs in a wide range of styles.

Presented every November in Montreal as well as in more than 45 other Canadian cities, it brings together national and international performers in a program line-up that features up-and-coming artists who are bold and creative.

In 1995, Coup de coeur francophone created its “traveling festival” component by establishing the Réseau pancanadien. Each year, it presents hundreds of shows to Canadian francophone communities from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans.


Amnesia Rock Fest

http://www.amnesiarockfest.com/en/Montebello, QC

Rockfest was created in 2005 by a 17 year old kid from Montebello who was passionate about music. We’re music fans, just like you. We do our best to keep ticket prices affordable and much cheaper than most music festivals.

Located in beautiful Montebello, Québec, bordering the Outaouais River, the festival is less than an hour away from Ottawa and a just over an hour away from Montréal. Montebello is a small countryside village with a population of just 900 residents (and 1,000 cows).

To live the full experience, we recommend one of our on-site campgrounds. Hotels and motels are also available, but are usually sold out a year in advance.

Festival alumni include: System Of A Down, Linkin Park, The Offspring, Slayer, Snoop Dogg, Pixies, Rob Zombie, Sublime With Rome, Deftones, Blink-182, Mötley Crüe, Weezer, Alice In Chains, Megadeth, Billy Talent, and Primus.


Heavy Montréal

http://heavymontreal.com/Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montréal, QC

Heavy Montréal is the premiere North American destination for fans of rock, punk, and metal.

Since the first edition in 2008, the festival has welcomed close to 300,000 fans who have congregated to see the likes of groups such as Metallica, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Slayer, The Offspring, Marilyn Manson, Mötley Crüe, Disturbed, Slipknot, Anthrax, System of a Down, Mastodon, Kiss, Alice Cooper, Avenged Sevenfold, Rob Zombie, and Korn.

Heavy Montréal is run by the same team since our first year in 2008, at an ideal site just minutes from downtown Montréal, booking world-class artists from home and abroad using cutting-edge sound, lights, and staging.


FME-AT

http://www.fmeat.org/Rouyn-Noranda, QC

Save up your vacation time for the end of the summer because you won’t want to miss the, Festival de Musique Émergente (Emerging  Music Festival).

The Festival gives new music lovers, journalists and industry professionals the perfect opportunity to gather in Rouyn-Noranda over the Labour Day weekend and experience the best new talent anywhere.

FME, which completely takes over the northwestern mining town of Rouyn-Noranda, will be bursting with an impressive and varied line-up of bands from Quebec and around the world.

From electro-pop to punk rock, metal to indie folk, hip hop to dancehall, the festival is a crossroads of influences to over 150 Canadian music industry professionals as well as those from France, Belgium, the UK and Switzerland.


Montréal International Jazz Festival

http://www.montrealjazzfest.com/Montréal, QC

Ranked as the world’s largest jazz festival by Guinness World Records, the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal has been synonymous with a passion for music for over three decades.

Every year, North America’s French-speaking metropolis welcomes global music fans to 10 days of jazzcentric celebration, where fans of all types of jazz-related music rub shoulders with aficionados of the genre in its purest form.

The Festival hosts some 30 countries, 3,000 entertainers, 1,000 concerts and activities—two-thirds of them free – in 15 concert halls and on 8 outdoor stages, welcoming more than 2 million visitors every year.

Among the legends who have appeared are : Dave Brubeck, Stéphane Grappelli, Leonard Cohen, Miles Davis, Keith Jarrett, Oliver Jones, Ella Fitzgerald, John McLaughlin, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, Diana Krall, Tony Bennett, Vic Vogel, Herbie Hancock, Paco de Lucia, Astor Piazzolla, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Charlie Haden, Oscar Peterson, Wynton Marsalis, Uzeb, and B.B. King.

Québec music biz news