I rent my venue to promoters. Shouldn’t they be responsible for paying the SOCAN fee?
A.
Both the owner of the venue and the promoter can be held responsible for the unlicensed performance.
Whether you broadcast a TV or cable TV show that includes music in some of the programming, or operate a terrestrial, satellite or online radio station that broadcasts music, getting Licensed To Play by SOCAN means that the people who created that music are compensated for your use of their work. You’re also making sure that the music used to build your viewership or listenership is used fairly, legally and ethically. The license fees that broadcasters pay to SOCAN for the public performance of music – whether via cue sheets for individual music performances or blanket licenses for all music performances within a given time period – compensate songwriters, composers and music publishers that make up SOCAN.
Brett Kissel
Brett Kissel
Since earning the JUNO Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award in 2014, and a SOCAN Country Music Award in 2015 for “3 2 1,” Kissel has played on The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville; performed on the televised JUNO Awards show; saw “Airwaves,” become his first No. 1 song at country radio, while the music video topped of CMT’s Top 20 Countdown; earned three 2016 Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) honours, including the Fan Choice Award; and opened three shows for Garth Brooks. Kissel has also co-written with such professional songwriters as Craig Wiseman (Kenny Chesney, Three Days Grace), Tim Nichols (Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw), and Jason Matthews (Luke Bryan).