Catherine Durand: music and chocolate

On June 22, Catherine Durand celebrated her 20-year career on the stage of the Francos de Montréal with acolytes like Marie-Pier Arthur, Fanny Bloom, Marie-Annick Lépine and Mara Tremblay. Among this beautiful array of talents, Catherine Durand is the only one to have her own music label: KatMusik, founded in 2016. “I really like to mind my own business!” jokes the folk singer-songwriter who became known for her song La lune au ciel .

"After being cheated by my first manager, after seeing the master tapes of my first two albums disappear because they didn't belong to me, I promised myself that it wouldn't happen again. I did some research, I rolled up my sleeves. With the music industry in full metamorphosis, the money was changing places. I now had access to 100% of the pie."

Becoming a self-producing artist (her production company was founded in 2004) has allowed her to make a living from her music. “I think I found the right recipe for me: I publish and produce my music. I found a manager that I love and who specializes in subsidies and I entrusted the press relations and the booking of shows.”

Entrepreneur by conviction? “I guess so, even if that title makes me laugh. For me, it’s so obvious. And I must have the fiber since I just launched my hot chocolate company, Sük. It’s also the item that sells the best after my shows.”

Going to her workshop to bag her products and meeting people at event markets has become another way for her to escape. “I needed a change of scenery and to clear my head. I took part of my income from my last album ($10,000) and injected it into Sük without thinking too much. The response has been excellent. I like selling a tangible product that people can taste, touch. The feeling of accomplishment is completely different.”

Stéphanie Bédard: music and home fairy

Singer Stéphanie Bédard had an album and a few musical tours abroad under her belt when she took a break. “I discovered that I had entrepreneurial skills, but in a different field than my own,” says the founder of Chalets Clochette, a chalet rental service in Lanaudière. “I realized while developing an online booking site, a brand image, a coherent vision for my business that the basics were the same as in music.”

The one who had broken her contract with her production company after her first album returned to her musical career with more aplomb. She took the path of self-production and became her own manager. "I no longer wanted to have to wait by the phone, but to be fully dependent on my successes and failures."

She quickly discovered the complexity of grant applications, royalties and copyrights. "I attended workshops, I never hesitated to ask more technical questions to the different organizations and I occasionally call on my business coach." The next step? "Go study marketing or entrepreneurship to get all the basic concepts."

To stand out, the actress who became known on Star Académie in 2005 and The Voice France in 2012 must be inventive. "I ran a crowdfunding campaign to finance my recent mini-album. On this occasion, I offered a song as a gift and it worked very well. I now offer this service on my online store. There is no such thing as small income to be ignored. Making music today is no longer just about making tunes. It's about creating content, taking care of social networks and finding an abundance of creative ideas."

The popular singer, however, acknowledges that her income as a performer has decreased. "I'm placing my pawns as best I can to reap the fruits of my efforts in the future," explains the woman who founded Les Productions Trianges in 2009. "Entrepreneurship allows me to explore other facets of my creativity and express myself differently."