Only 12% of music streamed in Quebec is in French: report
Posted October 13, 2026 10:13 am.
Quebecers stand out from other nations for their lack of interest in their local artists, according to a report by the French-language commissioner released Tuesday.
In a report titled “L’exception québécoise,” French-language Commissioner Benoît Dubreuil notes that Quebec is among the markets where national artists are listened to the least, with a share ranging from six per cent to 12 per cent.
Furthermore, among non-English-speaking markets, Quebec is the region where the national language accounts for the smallest share of listening. According to the report’s data, French-language songs account for only 12 per cent of total streams.
These artists also struggle to break into the charts: “No Canadian artist singing in French appears among the top 10 most-streamed artists in 2022, 2024, or 2025,” the report states.
In 2023, the year that Karl Tremblay, lead singer of Les Cowboys Fringants, passed away, the group did, however, manage to rank in the top 10.
Furthermore, with the exception of English-speaking countries, Quebec is where American artists are listened to the most, accounting for over 40 per cent of streams, compared to 18 per cent in Spain and 25 per cent in Germany—other major non-English-speaking markets.
To reach these conclusions, the commissioner compared Quebec to the rest of Canada and to 24 other European countries. He relied on data from Luminate Data, which enables analysis of the major streaming platforms.
This situation, which is “clearly disadvantageous to the French language and to Quebec’s national artists,” is attributable to several factors, according to the commissioner, including algorithms, a high level of English proficiency, and significant cultural diversity.
He therefore recommends implementing the Act on the Discoverability of Francophone Cultural Content in the Digital Environment, passed by the CAQ government last December, which would help “ensure, at a minimum, that algorithms do not hinder” the distribution of Francophone content.
He also advocates strengthening Quebec’s ties with the international Francophonie and increasing the visibility of Quebec and Francophone music in public spaces.
“For fans of Quebec and Francophone music, the comparison with various European countries may seem discouraging. But we must not let ourselves be discouraged,” the commissioner stated in his report.
“The examples of French-speaking Belgium or countries like Finland and Portugal show us that nothing is inevitable. Even in this age of globalization and digital technology, national music genres manage to find their audience.”
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
