From Montréal to the World: How Canadian Artists are breaking through global borders

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The traditional trajectory of a music career used to be relatively linear. An artist would build momentum in their hometown, expand nationally, and, with enough industry support, eventually attempt to reach audiences abroad. Today, the internet has largely erased those barriers. Artists can break through and find a global audience at any time from anywhere, opening doors to the industry for anyone to reach for stardom. A song made in Montréal can resonate just as quickly in Algiers, Hanoi, or Brussels as it does locally.

Few platforms have played a bigger role in that transformation than YouTube. Over the past twenty years, it has evolved from a simple video-hosting website into a central pillar of the modern music ecosystem. For Canadian artists, its function extends far beyond distribution. It acts simultaneously as a production hub, an educational resource, an archive, and a direct link to global audiences.

To better understand that evolution, we spoke with Montreal rapper Parazar, whose growing international audience reflects the increasingly borderless nature of online music discovery, as well as Gabriel Obadia, Head of Music at YouTube Canada, about how the platform continues to reshape the relationship between artists, audiences, and visibility.

From Viewer to Creator

“Oh my God, when you told me that, I immediately remembered the original logo. The brown logo, the little TV,” says Parazar with a laugh when I ask if she remembered YouTube’s original logo. Like many other creators, she first discovered it as a viewer before seeing it as a space for creation and distribution.

Over twenty years, YouTube has evolved and so has the way we use it. There are more ways than ever for fans to discover, engage and participate with music, changing how listeners become fans. At the center of it all, music videos are still the medium for fans to enter an artist’s world and become superfans. “I’ve always believed that, in terms of music, it’s extremely important to keep the concept of music videos and visuals,” she says.

For Parazar, video acts as both a promotional tool and an extension of the musical work itself. “A music video is kind of like the cover of a book. When you open a story, it gives you the image. It gives you the whole visual meaning.”

Obadia sees this evolution as part of a broader shift in how audiences engage with music online. “Back in the day, you had a handful of programmers planning out a few hours of music videos a day," he says. "Digital platforms have instead put that power in the hands of music fans from around the world, and given artists new ways to express their creativity.”

That logic shapes how music is experienced. “Your song won’t feel the same live, it won’t feel the same in the video, and it won’t feel the same in your car,” Parazar adds. YouTube becomes a space where these different interpretations coexist and where a visual translation of music becomes possible.

Circulation Beyond Borders

One of the most important opportunities for artists now is to be discovered by fans all around the world. This direct access to an international audience is crucial.

Parazar has experienced this with her audience abroad. “What we notice in certain countries like Algeria is that people are always on YouTube. They really go to YouTube to listen to music,” she explains. That interest is measurable: as of October 2025, global hours of French language watch time grew over 20% year-over-year. And in just the first half of 2025, viewers globally watched more than 9.5 billion hours of French language content.

For Obadia, that global reach is central to YouTube’s role in Canada’s music ecosystem. “What motivates me most about the future of Canada’s music industry is the rapid rise of diverse genres from artists here at home,” he says, pointing to the growth of French Canadian and Arabic hip-hop, Afrobeats, and Punjabi pop. “Artists like Parazar are proving that local sounds have deep global resonance.”

Because of YouTube’s scale, he argues, artists are increasingly able to speak directly to fans without intermediaries. “A bilingual track from Montréal blending French and Arabic can instantly find a dedicated fan base in North Africa or Europe without having to go through traditional industry gatekeepers.”

In this context, the platform acts as a primary access point to music. It allows geographically distant scenes to connect without relying on the usual structures of the industry. As Gabriel Obadia notes, it gives ‘’artists the ultimate ability to reach fans anywhere on the planet, no matter how niche their music might seem locally’’

A Space for Continuous Learning

Beyond distribution, YouTube also plays a role in artists’ development. Tutorials, technical demonstrations, and archives contribute to an accessible knowledge economy.

Parazar highlights this in her own practice. “I’ve learned so many things from the tutorials on YouTube, how to record myself, how to use Logic Pro, and everything else.” The platform becomes both a workspace and a space for visibility.

Obadia describes YouTube as “the world’s biggest library,” where artists can learn everything from beat-making techniques to video editing workflows. He also points to tools like YouTube Analytics, which allow artists to better understand their audiences and build sustainable careers independently.“We want to make sure emerging artists have a ladder to climb on their own terms,” he says.

It also serves as an active archive. To prepare for performances, Parazar revisits past footage and live recordings. “I’ll do research and look at old concert footage. I get inspired by a song or something from the show we’re putting together.”

Shorts and the Continuity of Formats

The arrival of Shorts reflects current habits of rapid consumption. Without replacing long-form content, they coexist with it and create multiple entry points to creative work.

For Parazar, this evolution fits naturally into current practices. “Shorts on YouTube are a different format, but it’s the same kind of content that finds an audience.”

Obadia rejects the idea that short-form and long-form formats are competing with one another. “We see both formats as complementary tools for artists. Shorts act as an incredible discovery engine,” he says. “They are a low-barrier way for new artists to grow an audience and test concepts.” At the same time, he argues that long-form music videos remain essential because they “immerse fans into an artist’s creative world.”

In twenty years, YouTube has established itself as a structuring space for creation around the world. It has helped redefine access to production, distribution, and learning. For local artists like Parazar, it serves as a working tool, a showcase, and a bridge to audiences beyond traditional circuits. In that environment, artists are no longer limited by the size of their local scene. A single upload could be the spark that crosses borders, finds its community, and resonates with the world.