Gatekeeping Is Choking the Canadian Music Industry—Here’s How We Fix It
- BEATCAVE
- 11 hours ago
- 3 min read
By someone who's been in the rooms, seen the patterns, and knows we can do better.
There’s a quiet truth about the Canadian music industry that we don’t talk about enough: it’s not always talent that wins—it’s access.
I’ve spent years working in and around the spaces that claim to shape Canadian music culture. I’ve sat on panels, been part of funding decisions, watched artists rise, and witnessed others—just as talented—get left behind. Why? Because gatekeeping is baked into the foundation of how things move here.
Let’s call it what it is: Canada has a gatekeeping problem, and it’s stifling the next wave of greatness.
The U.S. Collaborates, Canada Hoards
When you look south of the border, you see hubs like Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York building culture in public. Collaboration is currency. You’re more likely to see a young artist on a track with a legend, or a producer pulling up on someone they found on IG the night before.
In Canada? It’s a different vibe. We operate in silos. We treat success like it’s a finite resource, something you have to protect from others—even if they’re just trying to grow.
This scarcity mindset is rooted in our ecosystem. We don’t have as many major labels. We don’t have endless grants or playlists or awards shows. So people start guarding their corner like it’s survival. But that mentality kills scenes before they can thrive.
Why Gatekeeping Happens
It’s easy to say it’s about ego, but it goes deeper. People gatekeep because:
They’re scared of being irrelevant.
They think “putting someone on” means they lose something.
They’ve had to climb steep ladders and don’t want to extend that same ladder to others.
Infrastructure doesn't support open collaboration—so they protect what little they have.
But here’s the thing: gatekeeping doesn’t create longevity. It creates repetition. We’re hearing the same artists, the same sounds, on the same playlists year after year. Not because there’s no talent—but because the pipeline is clogged.
What It Looks Like (and Feels Like)
Gatekeeping isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s quiet. It looks like:
Playlists dominated by the same 12 artists who already have PR and label backing.
Grant juries recycling names because they’ve “already proven themselves.”
Showcase lineups that feel more like re-runs than launches.
A&R reps only replying if your numbers are viral.
For emerging artists, producers, engineers, and even managers, it feels like shouting into the void. You know you’re good. Your community knows you’re good. But the doors stay closed.
The Impact
Gatekeeping doesn’t just slow things down—it erodes the culture. It burns out artists. It makes creatives feel like outsiders in their own country. It pushes talent to relocate or give up altogether.
And for an industry that already struggles with visibility on the world stage, we can’t afford to keep blocking our best players.
What Needs to Change—Now
If you’ve got access, you’ve got a responsibility. Whether you’re an exec, an artist with a platform, a programmer, or a studio owner—you can help shift this culture.
Here’s what change could look like:
Introduce emerging creatives to your circle. A mention, a post, a co-sign—it matters.
Create open access points. Host free sessions, drop calls for collaboration, let people in.
Break the playlist bubble. Push curators to rotate voices and actually listen to submissions.
Mentor—but with real opportunities. Not just coffee chats. Co-create. Recommend. Connect.
Stop waiting for viral. Start betting on talent.
This Isn’t Just a Rant. It’s a Call to Build.
Canada is full of gifted songwriters, producers, and artists who deserve more than leftovers. If we want the world to respect our scene the way they do the U.K. or the U.S., we need to start respecting it ourselves.
That means tearing down the gates, not reinforcing them.
Because the future of Canadian music won’t come from cliques—it’ll come from collaboration.
And that’s exactly what organizations like Beatcave are building. We’re not gatekeepers—we’re bridge builders. Our events, like CAMP, are designed to bring the industry together.
We focus on collaboration, knowledge sharing, and networking—because we believe the best ideas come when everyone has a seat at the table.
It’s time to rewrite the culture.
Let’s build. Together.