I will provide a brief report on the current situation, as Benoit said.
The Canada Music Fund, through Musicaction in particular, helps provide direct funding for recording projects and marketing projects. That means the promotion and circulation of our artists.
ANIM monitors the allocation of that funding. We are pleased to note that we have managed to obtain funding roughly commensurate with our demographic weight. We are involved in this monitoring effort with Musicaction, working with that agency to try to maintain this level. Musicaction's budget is unfortunately not rising even though music production in the Canadian francophonie and Canada as a whole is increasing, resulting in greater pressure in this area.
We are very pleased and satisfied that the Music Showcase program is being extended. This is a program that enables artists from the Canadian francophonie to circulate in the same way as those from Quebec. Consequently, it is a real success for us because they are circulating now more than ever.
The picture is less positive with regard to the Canada Council for the Arts. With a budget of $8 million, the francophone communities are not even receiving 1%. That is an approximate statistic for the period from 2007 to 2012.
With respect to industry professionalization, although progress has been made in production in particular, there are still deficiencies, particularly in artist support infrastructure. Artists thus receive little support from professional services. That means management, production and promotion. It also means that limits are being placed on the outreach of artists and their products. This is quite a significant missing link. Associations that provide services to the arts of course play this support role, but in too many cases they lack the resources they need to do it, even though they are meeting industry demand for the moment. This is still a significant missing link in artist support.
With respect to market penetration and development, despite the fact that distribution structures are developing, we are still facing challenges associated with market size, circulation across the country as a whole, which is immense, and the ability to penetrate the Quebec and international markets. This is improving thanks to the Music Showcase program in particular, but the battle is far from won. This is a long-term effort, and we must not give up.
As a result of all this, commercial activities still show poor profitability. This is the new music economy, and it requires new funding sources: sales of products such as CDs, digital and other tracks, fundraising campaigns, the collection of royalties, shows, publishing and so on. All these funding sources help artists live from their music. CD sales or tours alone are no longer enough for artists to live on their music incomes.
As regards promotion, production among Canadian francophone artists is becoming more and more varied in an increasingly segmented market. There is something for everyone. However, these artists remain relatively unknown. Initiatives such as the Gala des prix Trille and the Gala des Éloizes give these artists access to a national platform thanks to Radio-Canada in particular. It is here especially that our arts service organizations and our media can play a major role. With more promotional resources, our organizations and media, such as 100 Nons in Manitoba, Musique Nouveau-Brunswick and APCM in Ontario, offer stability and legitimacy for our artists' work and products. They can rally audiences and inform the general public about artists' new offerings and activities. They are genuine hubs of information and support for the music industry and for these artists with whom we work.
As for strengthening our national organization, ANIM fully plays its role with the help of a single employee. I am always amazed to see how actively involved ANIM is. It carries out numerous projects and plays the roles of analyst, mediator, guide, promoter and so on.
I repeat that the health of our organizations is an essential link in the chain of healthy music production, particularly in the Canadian francophonie.