Collective Arts Amplifies Emerging Canadian Talent with True North Tunes

Collective Arts is doubling down on its long-standing commitment to music with the launch of a multi-pronged program built to support, champion, and discover Canadian musicians. At a time when Canadian artists face shrinking funding opportunities and increasing challenges around discovery, Collective Arts is focusing its efforts on what it has always done best: creating platforms, spaces, and experiences that put artists first.

The program brings together three connected pillars: True North Tunes, an artist discovery competition; Tape Deck, an original video series capturing raw analog performances; and Groove Hunter, a new music-inspired mix pack, all anchored by collectiveartsmusic.com, the brand’s dedicated platform for Canadian music discovery.

True North Tunes: A National Stage for Emerging Artists
True North Tunes gives emerging Canadian musicians a national platform to share original work, gain exposure, and connect with new audiences. Artists selected through the program will be featured across the platform, with access to curated playlists, mentorship opportunities, and live performance experiences designed to support them beyond a single moment of visibility.

To amplify the call and reach as many Canadians as possible, Collective Arts has partnered with Samsung Canada and Complex Canada  bringing additional scale, storytelling power, and credibility within music and youth culture to the initiative.

From now until May 31, emerging artists across Canada can submit their original music through the True North Tunes website: truenorthtunesmusic.ca. Submissions are open to artists of all genres and backgrounds, free to enter, with a focus on originality and creative expression.

The program will take place across three stages. A panel of judges will first select the Top 100 artists, followed by two rounds of public voting to determine the Top 20 and final Top 3. The top three finalists will receive the full Collective Arts treatment: recording a four-song set at Lacquer Channel for the Tape Deck series, being immortalized on a limited-edition Collective Arts beer can, and taking home a suite of prizes including custom vinyl records, a Grand Prize Winner trophy, a live performance opportunity, a hosted celebration event, a recording session, one-on-one mentorship, and a tech prize pack.

Tape Deck: Music Stripped Back to Its Essentials
In partnership with Toronto’s Lacquer Channel, Collective Arts continues to develop Tape Deck, a video series rooted in analog recording sessions. Tape Deck builds on the legacy of the Black Box Sessions, launched in 2013 in partnership with Indie88, where touring artists recorded acoustic sets in a small, stripped-back studio. That series became known for its intimate video performances, featuring award-winning artists such as Hozier, Vance Joy, City and Colour, Charlotte Cardin, and many more.

Tape Deck carries that ethos forward, turning raw, unfiltered live recordings into intimate visual content that brings fans closer to the artist and the creative process.

Check out the series here: https://collectiveartsmusic.com/pages/tape-deck

Groove Hunter: A Mix Pack Built for Music Lovers
Rounding out the program is Groove Hunter, a new mix pack featuring a set list of Collective Arts classics. This trio of crushable Collective Lager, everyone’s favourite NEIPA Life In The Clouds, and the highly sessionable Hazy State is here to amp up any occasion — hoppy, groovy, and ready to enjoy in one convenient pack.

Each pack of Groove Hunter includes a limited-edition zine of curated music content, art, and articles, extending the brand’s music storytelling beyond the screen and into the hands of fans.