Universal Music Canada lays off staff across several departments

Universal Music Canada has laid off staff across several departments, telling employees at a company town hall on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

Billboard said it learned of the cuts through its own reporting. The report was published on Oct. 2.

More than 12 roles were included in the announcement, according to sources cited by Billboard Canada. The publication put the company's headcount at about 205 people, citing a 2025 annual report, which would place the cuts at about 6-7% of its workforce in Canada.

The roles cut spanned communications, marketing, A&R, label partnerships and administration. A&R stands for artists and repertoire, the staff who find and sign new acts. At least one vice-president role and at least one senior manager role were among those affected.

Multiple offices were affected. Universal Music Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Universal Music Group, headquartered in Toronto, with additional offices in Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary.

The cuts were made for cost-cutting and restructuring reasons and were not based on performance, according to Billboard Canada's sources. Those sources were not named, and that reason has not been confirmed in a company statement.

Universal Music Canada declined to comment on employee relations, saying it does not comment on such matters. A company representative told Billboard Canada that the company "continues to be Canada's leading music company proudly signing and supporting Canadian artists and representing UMG's global roster in the Canadian market."

The layoffs follow a wider efficiency drive at the parent company. In 2024, Universal Music Group announced a strategic organisational redesign intended to generate €250 million in savings within two years. Chairman and chief executive Lucian Grainge said at the time that the redesign would result in reduced headcount and efficiencies.

In January 2024, UMG confirmed plans to lay off several hundred employees in the first quarter of that year, as reported by Variety and Reuters. A separate report on the latest Canadian cuts was also published by Exclaim on Sept. 30.