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At SOCAN, it is our mission to ensure music creators are respected, recognized, and fairly compensated. We support and champion their right to earn an income when their music is publicly performed, whether on a festival stage, on radio, or on a streaming platform.
We are proud of the vibrant Canadian music festival landscape. These events bring communities together, generate economic activity, and showcase incredible talent.
When any festival puts on commercial performances, it is not legal, fair or ethical to withhold payment from the songwriters and publishers whose work makes these performances possible. Performers, technicians, and vendors are paid, and so too should the songwriters be paid for the public performance of their work.
Paying an artist to perform live and paying SOCAN license fees are two entirely different actions that serve different purposes. SOCAN license fees are paid to the people who created the music, who are not necessarily the performers.
The tax status of an organization does not, in itself, exempt that organization from its legal obligations to pay music creators. Festivals across the country meet their responsibilities each year by obtaining a SOCAN license for their performances, and, by doing so, compensate the creators whose music powers their stages.
Festival concerts can’t exist without songs, and those songs must be paid for. Let’s work together to build a sustainable, respectful future for Canadian music.