Thank you for that important question. It's been the foundational question my entire career to this date.
I've spent 35 years advocating for the industry side of the live music sector. I believe we have in this country a remarkable opportunity. I referenced the promoter program and the festival support component of the Canada music fund. We also see the Canada arts presentation fund, the building communities through arts and heritage program, and all of the Heritage supports.
I've talked to PS Myles about a broader Canadian live music strategy. We need to look to other countries to understand how they're incentivizing growth in this sector. We need to treat these independent and all live music spaces as a legitimate industry—again, it's almost $11 billion to GDP and 100,000 jobs—and understand the growth potential. We are so far from harnessing the potential of this sector.
As I said, during COVID, it was the first time there were direct investments in the independent venue and promoter space in the history of this country. This is a segment of our economy that is underutilized and misunderstood. That is why this study is so important.
You asked a question about artists, which is very important—