What is a performing right?
A performing right is the right to perform musical works in public or communicate them to the public by telecommunication. SOCAN members have assigned this right to SOCAN to administer (i.e., license and distribute royalties) and enforce on their behalf. Tariffs for performing rights are set by the Copyright Board of Canada.
In 2014, MAGIC!’s song “Rude” became a No. 1 hit in the U.S., and spent six weeks on top of the Billboard singles chart, selling more than three million in America, and spawning a video that has now earned more than 1.24 billion views on YouTube. The reggae-pop song went gold, platinum, or multi-platinum in Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and Australia. In 2015, the four SOCAN songwriters in MAGIC! opened for Maroon 5 on tour throughout North America and Europe, and the group won two JUNO Awards. That year, MAGIC! also earned the SOCAN International Achievement Award, and in 2016 they collaborated with Sean Paul on “Lay You Down Easy.”