A former NDP MLA is encouraging the B.C. government to maintain its only funding program for independent musicians and the sound and recording industry. Bob D’Eith KC, an ex-parliamentary secretary for arts and film, told Pancouver that the Amplify BC Fund was created in 2018 to support growth in B.C.’s music sector. Creative BC administers the $7.5-million annual program. It was renewed for three years in 2023, but Amplify BC is set to expire at the end of this fiscal year.
“It has been really successful,” D’Eith said. “It’s a great program. The other thing is it is the only thing the music industry has.”
D’Eith is a former CEO of Music BC, musician, lawyer and author. He served as MLA for Maple Ridge–Mission from 2017 to 2024. His comments on Amplify BC came in the midst of a letter-writing campaign directed at Finance Minister Brenda Bailey and Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport Minister Anne Kang.
A form letter to the ministers, which was obtained by Pancouver, points out that the province’s music and sound recording industry generated a record $484 million in GDP and supported 6,850 jobs in 2024.
“The live music and festival sector is facing unprecedented challenges, including rising operating costs, workforce shortages, climate-related disruptions, and ongoing financial uncertainty,” the form letter states. “Across British Columbia and Canada, these pressures are already resulting in the cancellation, downsizing, and closure of festivals and live music events that have served their communities for decades.”
One such example of a shuttered festival is Rifflandia. The popular Victoria music and arts event closed today after 18 years.
B.C. rapper Scope made his futuristic “Scopeman Blue Saga” with support from Creative BC.
Amplify BC supports emerging and established artists
D’Eith described Amplify BC as an all-encompassing fund that enables Creative BC, Music BC, and the music industry to develop the local industry. The fund supports careers of emerging and established B.C. artists, including through travel assistance grants and the ARC artist development program. In addition, Amplify BC funding attracts established out-of-province artists to record in B.C.
Moreover, Amplify BC assists new artists from systemically excluded groups to create demo recordings. In yet another role, the fund expands the capacity of B.C. music companies.
“It also has some money for events that come in, like the JUNOs,” D’Eith stated.
Pancouver asked the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport if it would renew Amplify BC for the 2027-28 fiscal year. A ministry official stated that she was unable to answer the question by the end of today and promised more information on Thursday (June 11).
D’Eith said that when he was CEO at Music BC, he worked hard to persuade the provincial government to create a fund for the music industry. He underscored that other creative industries—such as book publishing, film, television, and digital media—all benefit from tax credits, which add up to hundreds of millions of dollars. These supports are not available to independent musicians and sound and recording companies.
“Tax credits don’t work for the music industry,” D’Eith insisted. “That’s because there are hundreds and hundreds—maybe thousands—of people in the industry who are working independently.”
He contrasted that with a movie or a book publisher, in which many people derive income from one entity.
“So the granting programs make way more sense [in music],” he said.
One program for a $500-million industry
Furthermore, D’Eith noted that the money from the Amplify BC Fund enables artists to leverage federal funding through FACTOR (The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings) and the Canada Music Fund, as well as radio funds. As a result, he maintained that the Amplify BC Fund offers a huge return on investment.
“It’s a half-billion-dollar industry,” D’Eith emphasized. “So, $7.5 million to help support that is really a small investment in a very important economic driver.”
After the 2024 B.C. election, Premier David Eby appointed Victoria–Swan Lake MLA Nina Krieger as the parliamentary secretary for arts and film. However, after she was promoted to solicitor general, the premier did not appoint a replacement.
“It was great having Nina in there,” D’Eith said. “She was doing a fantastic job. The reality is that I would love to see [someone] there, but there is enough support within the ministry to do the work.”
He added that the minister, Anne Kang, is doing a great job as she deals with many issues, including tourism. D’Eith also acknowledged that all the ministries are facing budgetary issues because of the revenue challenges.
“They are under a lot of pressure, but I think it’s incumbent on the industry to make the case for Amplify BC,” D’Eith stated.
Update
On June 10, Pancouver asked the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport one question seeking a yes or no response:
Is the B.C. government going to renew its investment in the Amplify BC Fund when it expires?
The ministry responded with this four-paragraph statement on June 11:
British Columbia is one of Canada’s leading music hubs, with a vibrant and diverse industry that includes more than 280 recording studios, more than 140 record labels. In 2024 alone, the sector contributed nearly $484 million to B.C.’s GDP, supporting artists and businesses in communities of all sizes.
That’s why the Province made a historic, one-time investment of $22.5 million over three years in Amplify BC as part of a broader $42 million commitment to the creative sector announced in 2023. This funding is in place through March 2027 and is helping artists build careers, grow companies, and expand live music opportunities throughout the province.
In the coming months, we will work on reviewing all programs to ensure they remain effective and aligned with sector needs. This will help us determine how best to support the music industry moving forward.
We remain committed to protecting the core services people rely on, while continuing to support B.C.’s creative sector, including music, through measures that strengthen our creative economy and bring people together, such as tax credits and ongoing funding for Creative BC and Knowledge Network.
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