ACTRA
ACTRA is Canada's national labor union representing 30,000+ professional performers in English-language recorded media. It operates nine regional branches, negotiates collective agreements across film, television, video games and commercials, and runs member services including casting, residuals, and AI advocacy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1943
- HeadquartersSt. John's, Canada
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What ACTRA does
ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) is the national labor union representing professional performers in English-language recorded media across Canada. Founded in 1943 and headquartered in Toronto, the organization represents more than 30,000 members across nine regional branches spanning Vancouver to St. John's, covering actors, voice performers, stunt performers, and other media artists in film, television, digital media, commercials, video games, audio recordings, voice-over, and radio. ACTRA's economic model is subscription-based, funded primarily through membership dues and augmented by transactional fees from work permits and collective agreement administration, with affiliated collecting societies (ACTRA PRS for residual/use fees, ACTRA RACS for recording royalties) handling rights monetization.
The union's service portfolio includes the ACTRA Membership System (AMS) for dues and profile administration, ACTRAonline.ca as a producer-facing casting marketplace with voice.actraonline.ca as a dedicated sub-platform, HAVEN Online as a bilingual workplace incident-reporting and counseling resource, and the CHROMA bilingual magazine (launched 2026). ACTRA negotiates and enforces multiple collective agreements — Independent Production Agreement (IPA), National Commercial Agreement (NCA), Audio Code, BCMPA, BCMAA, and broadcaster-specific deals — and operates an ACTHuman policy hub addressing AI displacement risk.
Go-to-market is community-led: membership growth through advocacy and bargaining representation; producer-side demand generated through collective agreement coverage and the casting platform. Notable risks include an unresolved NCA lockout by the Institute of Canadian Agencies since April 26, 2022, and ongoing exposure to AI substitution which the union is countering through contract-level safeguards (e.g., Ubisoft 2026–2028 video game agreement).
ACTRA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ACTRA
- Legal name
- ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists)
- Website
- https://actra.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1943
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- ACTRA is Canada's national labor union representing 30,000+ professional performers in English-language recorded media. It operates nine regional branches, negotiates collective agreements across film, television, video games and commercials, and runs member services including casting, residuals, and AI advocacy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ACTRA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performer Union Services
- NAICS
- Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Artist Booking, Talent Buying & Agency Services (MPAGAAAF)
Keywords
Where ACTRA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St. John's
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
ACTRA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: ACTRA collects membership dues from its 30,000+ members. Members must pay dues as a condition of membership per ACTRA's By-Laws. Dues support union operations, collective bargaining, member services, and advocacy efforts.
- Work Permits and Fees: ACTRA charges fees for work permits, including commercial work permits under the National Commercial Agreement and other production permits. These fees are collected when non-members or permit holders work under ACTRA agreements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Per session | National Commercial Agreement (NCA) - Commercial performers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
ACTRA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ACTRA is the national union of professional performers working in recorded media in Canada, representing over 30,000 members. It negotiates and enforces collective agreements covering film, television, commercials, animation, audio recordings, and video games; provides member services including a national casting platform (ACTRAonline.ca), residual and royalty collection through PRS and RACS, workplace safety resources via HAVEN Online, and advocacy on AI, Canadian content, and performer rights.
Product overview
ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) is the national union of professional performers working in recorded media in Canada. Rather than a single product, ACTRA offers a portfolio of member services including the ACTRAOnline casting database for talent discovery, the HAVEN Online incident reporting and support platform for workplace harassment, the ACTRA PRS and ACTRA RACS collecting societies for rights management and use fee distribution, the CHROMA magazine publication for members, and the ACTRA Membership System for administrative services. These services collectively support over 30,000 performing artists across Canada.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CHROMA: ACTRA's national bilingual magazine for performers, launched in 2026 as the first fully bilingual English and French publication for the union
- ACTRA NOW
- HAVEN Online
- ACT*Human*
- ACTRA Award of Excellence
- ACTRA Visionary Award
- ACTRA National Women's Committee
- Canadian Stunt Hall of Fame
Products and services
- ACTRA Union Membership Union membership for professional performers (actors, voice performers, stunt performers, and other media artists) working in English-language recorded media in Canada. Members gain access to collective bargaining protections, the ACTRAonline.ca casting platform, residuals collection through PRS and RACS, HAVEN Online workplace safety resources, and legal representation.
- ACTRAOnline Casting Platform Online talent database and casting platform allowing casting directors and producers to search, view, and contact ACTRA performer profiles including resumes, credits, headshots, and contact information.
- HAVEN Online National bilingual resource hub and online reporting platform for incidents of inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, providing incident reporting system and access to counselling services for ACTRA members.
- ACTRA PRS (Performers' Rights Society) Collecting society that manages and distributes use fees and residuals to performers for secondary uses of their recorded performances, including international claims and direct deposit services.
- ACTRA RACS (Recording Artists' Collecting Society) Collecting society for ACTRA recording artists that manages rights and distributes royalty payments for recorded performances.
- CHROMA Magazine National bilingual magazine for ACTRA performers created by and for members, covering industry news, union updates, and performer stories.
- ACTRA Membership System (AMS) Online membership management system allowing ACTRA members to access profiles, update information, pay dues, and access member-only resources.
- National Commercial Agreement (NCA)
Quantifiable outcome
- 30,000+ members represented across Canada
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ACTRA
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ACTRA technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
ACTRA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.
- The Academy of Canadian Cinema & TelevisionminorACTRA has an exclusive partnership offering members a 25% discount on Academy membership fees. Members can vote in Canadian Screen Awards upon joining.
- IMDbProminorACTRA has a partnership with IMDbPro offering members exclusive discounts on the platform for career development and casting. The partnership was renewed for 2026.
- HAVEN OnlinecoreHAVEN Online is a national bilingual resource hub and online reporting platform for incidents of inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, providing access to counselling services.
- ACTRA Fraternal Benefits Society (AFBS)coreAFBS provides benefits to ACTRA members. ACTRA shares member information with AFBS for cross-referencing, address changes, and benefit facilitation.
- ACTRA Performers' Rights Society (ACTRA PRS)coreACTRA PRS collects and distributes residual and use fees to performers. ACTRA shares member information with PRS for payment processing.
- ACTRA Recording Artists' Collecting Society (ACTRA RACS)coreACTRA RACS represents recording artists' interests and collects royalties. Part of the ACTRA organizational structure.
- SAG-AFTRAmajorSAG-AFTRA expressed solidarity with ACTRA during the NCA lockout, recognizing shared membership and the importance of collective agreements for performers' rights.
- Equity UKmajorEquity UK expressed solidarity with ACTRA, condemning ICA's union-busting tactics and supporting Canadian performers' fight for fair wages and protections.
- International Federation of Actors (FIA)majorFIA represents performers' unions in about 70 countries. They expressed solidarity with ACTRA and applauded ACTRA's bold stand against ICA's union-busting.
- Directors Guild of CanadamajorThe Directors Guild of Canada stood in solidarity with ACTRA during the ICA lockout, recognizing ACTRA will do everything in its power for its members.
- Canadian Actors' Equity AssociationmajorEquity expressed solidarity with ACTRA, recognizing the fight's significance for Canadian artists and artists worldwide who rely on collective agreements.
- Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)majorCLC, representing over 3 million workers, expressed solidarity with ACTRA and urged ICA to return to the bargaining table.
- IATSEmajorIATSE supported ACTRA's efforts to protect performers, stating all workers deserve fair wages and working conditions.
- Ontario Federation of LabourmajorRepresenting one million workers, standing shoulder to shoulder with ACTRA in the struggle for fair collective agreements.
- TAMACmajorTAMAC, representing talent agents, expressed strongest support for performers locked out and applauded ACTRA's fight for fair wages.
- BIPOC TV & FilmmajorBIPOC TV & Film recognized unions' role in protecting precarious workers and condemned advertising agencies seeking to undermine protections.
- Association Nationale des Doubleurs Professionnels (ANDP)majorACTRA Montreal Voice Directors ratified a new agreement with ANDP for voice directors in the dubbing industry, effective October 2025 to September 2028.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ACTRA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- ACTRA Fraternal Benefits Society (AFBS): The not-for-profit fraternal benefits society affiliated with ACTRA providing insurance and financial services to members. Comparable as a closely-affiliated organization sharing ACTRA's member data and providing member-facing services.
Direct peers
- IATSE: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, representing behind-the-camera entertainment workers in film, TV, and live performance. Comparable as a North American entertainment-industry union with shared bargaining counterparties (producers, broadcasters) and coordinated support to ACTRA during the ICA dispute.
- SAG-AFTRA: The US national performers' union covering film, television, radio, and recorded media. Directly comparable to ACTRA as a national union representing professional performers; the two organizations actively coordinate on cross-border issues like AI protections and residuals.
- Directors Guild of Canada: National collective bargaining organization for directors, and other creative and production personnel in Canadian film and television. Comparable as a Canadian entertainment-industry union and an active solidarity partner of ACTRA in collective-bargaining disputes.
- Canadian Actors' Equity Association: The Canadian union for live performance stage actors, opera singers, and dancers. Closely comparable as a Canadian performer union with similar collective-bargaining mandate, and a documented solidarity partner of ACTRA.
- Writers Guild of Canada: Represents English-language screenwriters in Canadian film, television, and digital media production. Comparable as a Canadian creative-industry trade union negotiating collective agreements with the same producer and broadcaster counterparties as ACTRA.
Broad incumbents
- Canadian Labour Congress (CLC): Canada's national labour central representing over 3 million workers. Comparable as a federally-engaged labour umbrella that provides political and bargaining support to unions like ACTRA on industry-wide disputes.
- International Federation of Actors (FIA): Global federation of performer unions spanning approximately 70 countries. Comparable as a performer-representation trade body, and an active international ally of ACTRA in collective-bargaining campaigns like the ICA lockout.
- Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA): Canada's trade association for independent production companies engaging performers under ACTRA agreements. Comparable as the principal organizational counterpart to ACTRA in collective bargaining for film and television productions.
Regional players
- Equity UK: The UK performers' trade union representing actors, singers, dancers, and variety performers. Comparable mission and structure (collective representation, AI advocacy), and a documented ally of ACTRA — though focused on UK stage and recorded-media performers rather than Canadian ones.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ACTRA social profiles
Digital presenceACTRA compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
ACTRA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ACTRA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
ACTRA subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
ACTRA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ACTRA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ACTRA
What does ACTRA do?
ACTRA is the national union of professional performers working in recorded media in Canada, representing over 30,000 members. It negotiates and enforces collective agreements covering film, television, commercials, animation, audio recordings, and video games; provides member services including a national casting platform (ACTRAonline.ca), residual and royalty collection through PRS and RACS, workplace safety resources via HAVEN Online, and advocacy on AI, Canadian content, and performer rights.
Is ACTRA a public or private company?
ACTRA is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ACTRA founded?
ACTRA was founded in 1943. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is ACTRA based?
ACTRA is headquartered in St. John's, Canada, in the North America region.
How does ACTRA make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are work Permits and Fees.
Who are ACTRA's main competitors?
ACTRA Fraternal Benefits Society (AFBS) is listed as an others. Direct peers are IATSE, SAG-AFTRA, Directors Guild of Canada, Canadian Actors' Equity Association and Writers Guild of Canada. Broad incumbents are Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), International Federation of Actors (FIA) and Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA). Equity UK is listed as a regional player.
Does ACTRA have an API?
No public API is recorded for ACTRA.
What industry is ACTRA in?
ACTRA's product category is Performer Union Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAB, Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music), with a secondary code of MPAGAAAF, Artist Booking, Talent Buying & Agency Services. Its NAICS code is 7114 and its SIC code is 8600.