SOCAN are the performing and rights reproduction agency protecting creators and copyright holders in Canada. Get to know what they represent and how they can help you.

SOCAN manage the rights of more than 160,000 songwriters, music publishers, composers, and visual artists for their work across Canada and working on their behalf with the government. They are the local Performing Rights Organisation and also cover Reproduction Rights for music and visual art.

SOCAN Performing Rights Protection

Musicians, publishers, and rightsholders who have signed their music up with SOCAN will be protected when their tracks or compositions are used in public. Performing Rights covers radio plays, music played in shops, cover songs played live, and much more. It ensures that when creators and rightsholders’ music is being used anywhere they end up earning for the use of it.

To find out more or sign up to have your rights protected by SOCAN, head here.

SOCAN Reproduction Rights Protection

This covers the rights of music any time it is reproduced; meaning when it is recorded onto a CD, record, or even placed on a digital service. SOCAN manages these rights by providing the licenses to necessary organisations for their reproductions of music.

You can find out more about that part of SOCAN’s business here.

Who is SOCAN for?

SOCAN works with all kinds of people. Here is a breakdown of the types of people they work with in the process of protecting music rights.

Songwriters – Protecting the performing and publishing of their music
Composers – Protecting their compositions whenever they’re played
Producers – Protecting their work whether they did the whole track or just part of it
Publishers – Protects the use of songs in their catalogue
Live Music Venues – Offers licenses for legal and ethical live music
Broadcasters – Licenses plays on TV, Radio, and online
Streaming Services – Ensures compensation for streams where due
Businesses – Licensing over 100k public businesses playing music
Event Producers – Licensing live music for venues and promoters

Of course, if you want to find out more about what SOCAN do and how you can get involved with Canada’s biggest rights protection agencies for music then explore their website.