A platform for Canadian music.
Why Triple C exists, and who it's for: the artists making Canadian music, and everyone who loves it.
Our mission
I grew up in Australia, obsessed with triple j. It's where I found so many of the artists I love, and where I heard about the shows worth going to.
It did something bigger, too. It gave people from completely different backgrounds, religions and walks of life something to share. We all had different favourite bands and plenty of arguments about the countdown, and we kept ending up side by side at the same gigs. Australia is a small country, but its music scene felt alive, and a lot of that was down to one station that cared about new music.
When I moved to Canada, I found incredible artists everywhere. What I couldn't find was that shared place to discover them. Music here often felt like a business first and a community second.
Triple C is my attempt to bring to Canada what triple j has done for Australia for decades: help artists get heard, help listeners find new music, and help venues get found by the people who'll fill them.
What we learned from Australia
What a station like this can do
Find the next big thing early
Unearthed, triple j's search for unsigned artists, started in 1995. Grinspoon, a band from Lismore, were among the first winners. Killing Heidi, Missy Higgins, Flume, Vance Joy, Gang of Youths, Ball Park Music and The Kid Laroi were all found through it.
Make the whole country care
A national station playing new music gives people something to share: a countdown to argue about, a band everyone's talking about, a festival lineup everyone's checking.
Back the whole scene
Live recordings, festival coverage and shout-outs for gigs keep venues full and give artists a reason to tour.
Champion First Nations artists
Dedicated shows and mentoring for First Nations artists are part of what triple j does. We want Triple C to do the same for First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists here.
Triple C is an independent Canadian station. Our name is a nod to triple j, the station that inspired all of this (we hope they don't mind). We're not affiliated with triple j or the ABC.
Why we exist
Canada deserves this too
Canadian artists are making some of the best music in the world. Too often, it never reaches the people who'd love it.
Triple C is a not-for-profit radio station built to change that. We play new Canadian music next to the bigger names, help listeners find the artists behind it, and send them out to see those artists live.
Our goal is a lasting platform for Canadian music culture: for artists, for the venues that give them a stage, and for everyone who loves what they make.
Where the money goes
Do you pay artists?
Not yet. Right now, every dollar goes into growing something that lasts.
Triple C is a not-for-profit, and nobody here is paid yet, including our founder. What we have goes into the station: the stream, the tools, and getting Canadian music in front of more people.
We could split a small budget into small fees. That would be pruning the tree before it bears fruit. A bigger audience is what really changes things for artists: more listeners, more people at shows, and more fans who buy the record and the T-shirt.
Paying the artists we play is one of our goals, and one day paying the people who run Triple C too. We'll get there by growing.
Royalties that songwriters and performers earn through SOCAN and Re:Sound keep working as usual. If you're a member, make sure your songs are registered with them.
Artists who bring their music to Triple C now are planting a tree that future artists will sit in the shade of.
Andrew McGrathFounder, Triple C
Making a living in music is hard. It's hard in every art form. I have a lot of respect for the people who make things, and I don't take it lightly when an artist trusts us with their work.
Building something that lasts takes time, and it takes people willing to be early. If you're one of them, thank you. We'll do everything we can to make it worth it.
This station is about the artists. I'll get things wrong along the way, and when I do, I want to hear it. The team and I will always listen, and we'll keep working to do better.
For artists, today
What you get from Triple C
- Airplay alongside established artists, on a station built around Canadian music.
- Your own artist page with your music, videos, links and upcoming shows.
- Your shows on our gig guide and map, and mentioned on air.
- "As played on Triple C" images to share with your fans.
- You keep ownership of your music, and you can ask us to stop playing it at any time.