Canadian music reaching more listeners abroad

Canadian musicians had a record year abroad in 2014, with airplay royalties exceeding Can$55 million (US$42 million), the agency that collects monies on their behalf said Monday.

The uptick is "proof that our music creators resonate around the globe, and that SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) is doing even better at the complicated job of tracking international use of music," that non-profit society said in a statement.

The United States remained the top market for Canadian music, followed by France, Britain, Brazil and Germany.

New albums released in 2013 or 2014 by Bryan Adams, Arcade Fire, Bobby Bazini, Justin Bieber, Leonard Cohen, Drake, Sarah McLachlan, Nickelback and Rush were largely responsible for the increase in radio play and licensing of Canadian music.

Several Quebec and Acadian artists also reached a growing audience in France, including Coeur de Pirate, Lisa Leblanc, Pierre Lapointe and Robert Charlebois.