MusicTogether: Supporting Ontario Musicians During COVID-19
MusicTogether was a $300,000 emergency relief fund and livestream concert series for Ontario musicians, launched in the spring of 2020 when COVID-19 shut down live music. The idea was simple: pay artists to perform a set from their living rooms, and give fans an easy way to watch, tip them, and buy merch. The whole thing ran on volunteers, and every dollar raised went straight to the musicians.
KEY FACTS AT A GLANCE
Launched | April 2020, during the COVID-19 shutdown |
Total fund | $300,000 (CAD) |
Per artist | $1,000 one-time fee for a home livestream |
Artists involved | 250+ Ontario acts across every genre |
How it ran | Volunteer-run, 100% of funds went to musicians |
Status in 2026 | Closed, a historical, pandemic-era program |
$300K
total relief fund
$1,000
per livestream set
250+
Ontario artists
100%
went to musicians
Overview
When tours and festivals vanished in March 2020, working musicians lost most of their income almost overnight. MusicTogether was Ontario’s coordinated answer. Members of the Canadian music industry and the provincial government pooled money so artists could keep performing, and keep getting paid, from home. Toronto sat at the center of it, but the roster reached musicians right across the province, from folk and jazz to hip-hop, francophone, classical and Indigenous music.
The Wave It Was Part Of
MusicTogether didn’t appear in a vacuum. As venues went dark, a wave of livestream relief efforts sprang up across Canada within weeks. The National Arts Centre teamed up with Facebook on #CanadaPerforms, a fund that started at $100,000 and grew past $700,000 as donations rolled in, later adding a literary strand. Halifax’s Side Door, co-founded by musician Dan Mangan, opened its house-concert booking tools to ticketed online shows. MusicTogether was Ontario’s contribution to that moment, and one of the few efforts backed by direct government matching.
How the $300,000 Fund Came Together
The money came in two halves. People in the music community put up the first $150,000. The Government of Ontario matched it with another $150,000 through the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. That match was tied to Ontario Live, a provincial push to build an online marketplace where people could buy from and support local artists, festivals and cultural businesses while venues stayed shut. Arts & Crafts and Shopify built and ran the website that handled applications, streams and payments, and donated that work.
How Artists Took Part
Taking part was easy. An eligible musician, a Canadian citizen, 18 or older, living in Ontario, applied through the site. Selected artists livestreamed a concert from home and got a one-time $1,000 performance fee. The site did more than cut cheques, though. Each artist also got a Shopify storefront to sell merch and collect donations, plus $100 in Facebook ad credits to promote their show. A dedicated resources section walked performers through the practical side: who was eligible, what to expect on stream, and step-by-step guides on livestreaming through Instagram, setting up a merch store, and building a donation page. Fans could check the schedule of upcoming streams, watch for free, and drop a donation any time.
The People and Partners Behind It
MusicTogether was founded by Raja Khanna, Gary Slaight, Jeffrey Remedios, Oliver Johnson, the label Arts & Crafts, and Daniel Debow. Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene became its public voice. Around them gathered a striking cross-section of the Canadian music business, including senior figures from Universal, Warner and Sony, who set rivalries aside to get it running. Here’s who did what:
WHO DID WHAT
Matching partner | Government of Ontario – Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism & Culture Industries, via the Ontario Live initiative |
Title promoters | Slaight Music and Arts & Crafts |
Platform build | Shopify volunteers, with Arts & Crafts running marketing and finances |
PR | Killbeat Media |
Legal | Henderson & Co |
Curation | CION, APCM, Nagamo Publishing, Wavelength Music, Small World Music, The Remix Project, Yes Yes Y’all, Aga Khan Museum and more |
Why the Lineup Was so Siverse
That 250-plus roster wasn’t an accident. MusicTogether leaned on curation partners who each knew a different corner of Ontario’s music scene. Cultural Industries Ontario North brought in artists from the province’s north. APCM championed francophone performers. Nagamo Publishing helped surface Indigenous musicians, Small World Music brought global and diaspora artists, and groups like The Remix Project, Yes Yes Y’all and Wavelength Music pulled in hip-hop, queer and independent acts. The payoff was a lineup that spanned classical, jazz, folk, R&B, hip-hop, electronic, traditional and children’s music, a real snapshot of who makes music in Ontario.
Notable Artists
More than 250 Ontario acts played the series. A few names fans still look up: TIKA, Ivana Santilli, Carmen Elle, The Elwins, Ralph, Devin Cuddy, Le R Premier, Les Rats d’Swompe, Kaia Kater, and children’s-music icon Sharon Hampson of Sharon, Lois & Bram.
Sharon Hampson and the children’s music trio Sharon, Lois & Bram have left an indelible mark on the music landscape.
MusicTogether Today
MusicTogether was built for one moment: the 2020 shutdown. Its funding round and the bulk of its livestreams ran through that year, and it isn’t taking new applications today. It’s best read as a piece of recent Canadian music history – a fast, scrappy example of an industry and a government moving quickly to keep artists working. Musicians looking for help now should check current provincial and federal arts-funding programs instead.
Musicians who wish to be part of MusicTogether and take advantage of the organization’s support and opportunities can apply through a straightforward process. MusicTogether provides clear guidelines and criteria to ensure a fair and inclusive selection process.
FAQs
A $300,000 emergency relief fund and livestream “living room concert series” that paid Ontario musicians a one-time $1,000 fee to perform from home during the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown.
It was founded by Raja Khanna, Gary Slaight, Jeffrey Remedios, Oliver Johnson, Arts & Crafts and Daniel Debow. Funding split evenly: $150,000 from the music community and a matching $150,000 from Ontario’s Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries through Ontario Live. Shopify and Arts & Crafts built the site.
A one-time $1,000 fee for a home livestream, plus a Shopify store for merch and donations and $100 in Facebook ad credits.
More than 250 Ontario acts livestreamed through the series, across nearly every genre.
#CanadaPerforms was a national fund run by the National Arts Centre and Facebook for performing artists of all kinds. MusicTogether was Ontario-specific, focused on musicians, and backed by provincial government matching.
Canadian citizens aged 18 or older, living in Ontario, working as musicians.
No. It was a pandemic-era program centered on 2020 and is best understood as a historical initiative, not an active fund.
Sources
- CBC Music: Ontario musicians can now apply to $300K relief fund
- Billboard Canada: New $300K Fund Set Up for Ontario Musicians
- CBC News: NAC launches relief fund for streaming artists (#CanadaPerforms)
Where Ontario Musicians Can Find Funding in 2026
MusicTogether is no longer active, but these established Canadian bodies run current grant and funding programs for musicians:
- FACTOR: funding for Canadian recording artists
- Ontario Arts Council: music grants
- Canada Council for the Arts: grants
Disclaimer. This page is an independent, informational retrospective about the 2020 MusicTogether initiative. It is not the official program, is not affiliated with its organizers or the Government of Ontario, and is not accepting applications or donations. For current funding, please consult official arts-funding bodies.
