Made for Everyone
Membership
The Canadian Musicians Co-operative is a not-for-profit, Arts Service Organization operating on the multi-stakeholder co-operative model.
Co-operative Principles
Voluntary and Open Membership
The Co-op is a voluntary organization, open to all persons able to use our services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics, or disability. The Co-op is an autonomous, self-help organization controlled by our members.
Democratic Member Control & Participation
Our members actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. We are governed by an elected Board of Directors, and led by an appointed Council of Officers.
All members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote) in their stakeholder group. As a not-for-profit co-operative, members do not directly benefit from any dividend resulting from their participation in The Co-op, instead, revenues are invested in promotion and advancement of our common purposes as a National Arts Service Organization (ASO).
The Co-op provides education and training for our members, elected representatives, volunteers and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of our co-operative and it's participation in the Canadian creative economy. We also support and inform the general public about co-operative opportunities through our programming and services. We work for the sustainable development of our communities through programs uplifted by our members.
We believe that co-operatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the co-operative movement by working together through local, national, regional, and international structures.
Education, Training & Information
Cooperation Among Co-operatives
Condensed from the International Co-operative Alliance
Professional Creator members are artistic creators with professional experience.
We welcome singer/songwriters, session musicians, and many other types of independent artists.
Members in this tier receive full live and replay access to workshops and priority access to a variety of resources, and many other membership perks!
Professional Creator membership applications are approved by the Board of Directors.
*All artists in the summer EA/3P program are granted one full development year in the Professional stream, even if you would otherwise not qualify.
Creator
Professional
Professional Arts Administrator members are non-artistic professionals, working in the creative economy.
We welcome arts administrators in all areas, including royalty & copyright management, publishing, sync & licensing, grant writing, and more.
Members in this tier receive full live and replay access to workshops and priority access to a variety of resources, and many other membership perks!
Professional membership applications are approved by the Board of Directors.
*All participants in the summer employment program are granted one full development year in the Professional stream, even if you would otherwise not qualify.
Arts Administrator
Professional
Professional Tech/Production members are creative industry workers, specializing in the support, production and delivery of artistic works and performances.
We welcome audio & video engineers/producers/directors, graphic design & content creators, stage technicians, and IT professionals.
Members in this tier receive opportunities for hands on training, full live and replay access to workshops and priority access to a variety of resources, and many other membership perks!
Professional membership applications are approved by the Board of Directors.
*All participants in the summer employment program are granted one full development year in the Professional stream, even if you would otherwise not qualify.
Tech/Production
Professional
General Consumer members include supporters, fans, and family members (including parents).
Members in this tier have access to some workshops and training programs.
Everyone is welcome to obtain a general membership to the Co-op. It's a great way to show your ongoing support for our initiatives.
If you are interested in volunteering with the Co-op, please email us at volunteer@canadianmusicians.coop for more information. High School students welcomed.
Volunteer/Support
General
FAQ
The Answers You Need About Membership
One great resource is the Ontario Co-operative Association - check it out here! https://ontario.coop/what-co-operative
Another really great resource is https://www.ica.coop/en/cooperatives/cooperative-identity
Where can I learn more about the Cooperative Movement?
We have an account that allows us to host hundreds of websites! Your existing artist domain name can be connected to our hosting service and you have four different methods of crafting your website. (If you don't own one already, wait until our IT team can help you do this step!)
1) Easiest: Use one of our music industry templates, add your own content, branding and colour scheme.
2) More customization: Start with pre-made section elements, (or add them to the templates) to customize your functionality, or look and feel.
3) No templates: Design your own sections from scratch in the Elementor editor.
4) Custom Code: With the support of our IT team, bring your own custom code.
I know one of the membership benefits is website hosting. How does that work?
If that was the case - we'd only be able to have one artist member! But we work hard to ensure everyone has equitable access, and our programming is designed to help our members benefit to the greatest extent possible from our collaborative opportunities. For example - in Winter 2022-2023 we ran an experiential workshop series to train Audio Engineers in the First and Second Engineer roles. While the engineers were busy learning, a number of our members were on the live floor building experience in a studio session setting, and the resulting audio files make excellent assessment tracks for grant applications for the participants.
Do members get unlimited use of the studio?
That's a great question! Our professional development programming, and most of our member benefits are designed specifically for professional artists and arts-adjacent careers. Two of our summer programs are youth-focused, allowing for them to participate in an intensive "levelling up" process, but there is lots of opportunity here for everyone of all ages!
I am a professional artist, but I'm over 30. Why join if the jobs are only for youth?
That's ok too, if you find that the co-operative movement isn't of interest to you, you are not obligated to take part in anything after your summer employment contract ends. Some people prefer to be aligned with profit-driven capitalism models, and that's ok too. We hope you'll enjoy the opportunity to try a different model for collaborative success.
I just want a summer job, that's all I'm interested in...
No, however you can earn points through volunteering that you can redeem for additional services or items on the list.
Can I volunteer to earn my membership?
Totally true! We are excited to be partnered with Perkopolis to access hundreds of perks and discounts all across Canada and the US. Save on everything from everyday essentials to luxury travel and experiences. Free with your membership!
I heard you have lots of discounts and stuff available. True?
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Members may belong to only one stakeholder group at a time (Creator, Consumer, Industry)
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Everyone is welcome to obtain a general consumer membership; professional memberships are approved by application only.
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You do NOT need to participate in the summer programs to become a member.
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Creator and Consumer memberships renew on an annual basis.
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Membership has no bearing on summer employment application ranking, and it does not count towards your score. However many members do rank higher in scores for placement due to the knowledge and skills they have learned and applied while a member.
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All participants at the co-op are required to have paid for one of
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a membership
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day pass or
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individual workshop registration fee (except for workshops that are made available to the general public).
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