How much does a SOCAN license cost?
SOCAN, also known as the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, is a non-profit organization that is responsible for administering the rights of the music in Canada. Due to the fact that at a global level this type of management would be impossible, every country has different organizations in charge of managing the royalties of music, and you respond to the organization of your country to obtain the licenses.
Why do I need a SOCAN license?
You need a license to play music in your business. It’s not the same listening to a song on your own recreationally. The reach of each case is different, as well as its value and the retribution that is due to the artists for their work.
Due to an agreement accepted by the Copyright Board of Canada, SOCAN represents thousands of artists and collects the fees and then distributes them to their respective beneficiaries: the singers and songwriters that you love so much. Without organizations like SOCAN, you would have to pay the reproduction permission to each artist that is played in your business. They manage, unify and then distribute the royalties to the artists.
How much does a SOCAN license cost?
The price of the annual license depends on the type of establishment, the size, and the number of days in which music is played. To get an idea, a 1500ft² retail space costs CAD171.90 per year. To this should be added the expenses of Re:Sound, another performing rights organization in Canada, since not all artists are included in SOCAN. SOCAN offers a calculator on their official website to see how much it would cost.
The smart solution
It is important to remember that paying a license to SOCAN only works with services that are commercial and that playing music with a USB drive, CD’s or Spotify in a business is still illegal. SoundMachine, which is a commercial service, covers the payment of the SOCAN and Re: Sound license in its monthly price of CAD39.95, so you don’t have to worry about anything. SoundMachine has hundreds of music stations, the ability to import your own playlist from streaming platforms, plus functionalities specially designed for business such as day-parting or free message programming. Try it for free 30 days by clicking here.
