Tariffs promised by U.S. President Donald Trump went into effect on March 4, with additional tariffs on April 2.
Widespread campaigns to boycott American goods and support Canadian products and services have flooded social and traditional media platforms as a result, with ‘Elbows Up’ for Canada.
One area affected is the Canadian music industry but not for the reasons one might think. The music industry is affected by the tariffs despite the assumption artists are not importing or exporting anything.
As with many things, the situation is more complex than it appears.
Musicians
The writing and performing of music locally has not been impacted by the tariffs. However, Canadian bands will experience price increases when travelling to the United States.
This is true for bands like Texas King, an alternative rock band with approximately 75,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, as Jordan Macdonald, the band’s lead singer, explained: “The next time we do go to the States, I think we’re gonna have to pay more tax on our merchandise and stuff like that.”
Merchandise isn’t the only thing that makes touring the U.S. difficult, just going south of the has become harder.
“The wait times for visas right now are like three times as long as they normally are,” Phil Spina, Texas King bassist, said. “ Stuff is backed up and things like that affect us for sure.”
Canadian Economy
This makes a huge impact on the Canadian economy.
According to the Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA), the live music sector generated $10.93 billion in 2023. Live music also created over 100,000 full-time jobs, bolstering the economy to the same degree as Canada’s fishing and automotive industries.
The tariffs threaten this industry more than others, however. While food is a necessity and many cities are car-dependent, music – especially live music – is an optional expense. With everything increasing in price, the first thing people with cash drop is optional expenses.
But, according to Erin Benjamin, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of CLMA, live music is more than just entertainment.
“It’s a dynamic contributor to Canada’s economy,” wrote Benjamin in the 2025 CLMA budget recommendation.
“It’s fans from across Canada, and its visitors from around the world.”
Cost to play
The tariffs could also affect newcomers trying to get started in music as instrument and part costs are directly affected by the tariffs. This includes instruments as well as parts and accessories due to the materials either being imported from or processed in the U.S.
This is also true for buying an amp. Morgan Amps, an American amp manufacturing company, crunched the numbers to find out just how expensive their products would be.
“When my parts cost increases by 25 per cent for the materials coming from Canada, it increases the cost of an AC20 DELUXE by $300,” Morgan Amps founder Joe Morgan wrote.
“This $300 in manufacturing costs ends up costing the consumer $1,050.”
– Morgan Amps
These increased costs could turn away many potential buyers, with people who can not – or will not – pay the higher prices to play. This leads to fewer musicians overall and a loss of potential talent and culture in Canada.
Arguably, the tariffs will have an impact on the Canadian music industry, with artists having to charge higher prices and pay more to tour, lack of attendance at live music due to people saving money and potential Canadian talent being turned away by the price tag.