Canada's Streaming Levy: What the New CRTC Rules Mean for Canadian Artists
On May 21, 2026, Canada's CRTC raised the content-contribution requirement for online video streaming services to 15% of Canadian revenues. Audio streaming like Spotify is under a separate ongoing process, but Spotify has already raised its Canadian subscription prices in this environment.
Short answer
Canada's CRTC announced on May 21, 2026 that online audiovisual broadcasters (Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video) with annual Canadian revenues above $25 million must contribute 15% of those revenues to Canadian content funds, up from the 5% base introduced in 2024. Audio streaming services like Spotify say the 15% rate does not currently apply to them because they are classified as audio platforms, not audiovisual ones. The CRTC's audio policy process is ongoing. Spotify raised its Canadian individual subscription price from CAD $12.69 to $13.99 per month, effective July 2026. Traditional Canadian broadcasters will see their contribution requirements drop to 25% from a current range of 30 to 45%.
Key takeaways
- On May 21, 2026, Canada's CRTC raised the content-contribution requirement for online audiovisual streaming services (Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video) to 15% of Canadian revenues, up from 5%.
- Audio streaming services like Spotify say the 15% rate does not currently apply to them. They are classified as audio platforms, not audiovisual ones, and a separate CRTC audio policy process is still underway.
- Spotify raised its Canadian individual subscription price from CAD $12.69 to $13.99 per month, effective July 2026, in the broader context of Canada's streaming regulatory environment.
- Traditional Canadian broadcasters (TV, radio) will see their contribution requirement drop to 25% from a range of 30 to 45% under the same framework.
What happened?
Canada’s Online Streaming Act (2023) extended the Broadcasting Act to online platforms for the first time. In 2024, the CRTC required all online broadcasters to contribute 5% of their Canadian revenues toward Canadian content programs.
On May 21, 2026, the CRTC raised that requirement to 15% for online audiovisual streaming services with annual Canadian revenues above $25 million. Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video fall into that category.
Audio streaming services like Spotify say the new 15% rate does not apply to them. Spotify told Canadian media it considers itself an audio platform, not an audiovisual one, and that it is covered by a separate CRTC audio policy process that is still ongoing. The original 5% base contribution still applies in the meantime, though Apple, Amazon, and Spotify have each filed legal challenges against it.
| Service type | Before | After | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online audiovisual (Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video) | 5% | 15% | Applies to services with Canadian revenues above $25M, effective May 2026 |
| Online audio (Spotify, Apple Music) | 5% | Under review | Covered under a separate CRTC audio policy process still underway |
| Traditional broadcasters (TV, radio) | 30 to 45% | 25% | Contribution requirements reduced under the new framework |
The CRTC expects the combined contributions from all broadcasters to stabilize Canadian content funding at more than $2 billion per year. Traditional broadcasters such as TV stations will see their requirements drop to 25% from a current range of 30 to 45%.
Why Canadian artists should care
The direct effect on what you earn per stream from Canadian listeners is not straightforward. Royalty rates are set separately, and higher regulatory costs on a DSP do not automatically translate to lower per-stream payouts, at least not right away.
What is more immediate is subscriber economics. Spotify raised its Canadian individual plan price from CAD $12.69 to $13.99 per month, effective July 2026. That is a 10% increase. Higher subscription prices tend to slow subscriber growth over time, which shrinks the total royalty pool generated from Canadian listeners.
We are taking action to ensure stable funding for Canadian and Indigenous content, and to help make it more discoverable.
The contribution framework also shapes how much flows through Canadian content programs. Funds like FACTOR, the Canada Music Fund, and the Canada Media Fund are supported by Canadian broadcasting policy more broadly, and some of those programs are accessible to Canadian recording artists. The connection between the streaming levy and those specific funds is not direct, but the regulatory framework that shapes them is the same one the CRTC is overhauling.
What to do now
If you are a Canadian artist
Programs like FACTOR and the Canada Music Fund have been funding Canadian artists for years regardless of this specific levy decision. If you have not looked into FACTOR grants for recording, touring, export, or marketing, that is worth doing now. Eligibility depends on your Canadian citizenship or residency, not on the streaming levy outcome. Start at factor.ca.
Watch the audio decision
The CRTC’s audio policy process will determine whether platforms like Spotify face a higher levy in Canada. If they do, prices may rise further and DSPs may adjust their Canadian market priorities. That affects how many Canadian listeners subscribe, which affects Canadian stream counts, which affects Canadian royalties. There is no direct action for artists right now on this, but it is worth tracking.
What is still unclear?
Open questions
Whether and when the CRTC’s audio policy process results in a higher levy for audio streaming services is not yet known. Legal challenges from Apple, Amazon, and Spotify against the original 5% are still working through Canadian courts, which could shift the enforcement picture. There is also a trade dimension: the US has flagged the Online Streaming Act as an irritant ahead of the CUSMA review, and how that plays out is genuinely hard to predict. The honest answer right now is that the audio streaming side of this is in flux.
Sources
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