Visit SOCAN Academy for a variety of educational tools and resources to help you navigate the music industry, how to best work with SOCAN, learn more about craft and career development, and hear advice from our members.
INDUSTRY NEWS & EVENTS
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SOCAN News & Events
Features
Song of the Week
Media Centre

41st Gémeaux Awards: SOCAN Members Among The Winners

Forty-eighth ADISQ Gala: Here’s What You Need to Know

Eurovision submissions open until Sept. 9

Yves Lapierre, 1946–2026

SOCAN Announces Completion of CMRRA Acquisition

Photo Gallery: Honey Jam 2026 at TD Music Hall

Roublond Wins the 58th Grand Concours Loto-Québec at the Festival international de la chanson de Granby

Six Acts to Discover During MUTEK 2026

Here’s what happened at the VAFF x HOMECOMING x SOCAN Sync Camp

SOCAN Is Exploring New Technology to Protect Music Creators

Seven Reasons You Shouldn’t Have Missed Osheaga

Here are the five finalists for the 2026 SOCAN Polaris Song Prize
FAQ
My relative was a SOCAN member, and I am their executor (or beneficiary). What do I need to do?
Please contact SOCAN to speak with a representative from our Membership department.
Who does SOCAN work with?
SOCAN works with a wide range of partners across the music and media ecosystem.
Songwriters, Composers, Lyricists, Producers and Music Publishers. We ensure that our more than 200,000 direct members – as well as and creators and publishers from around the world – are compensated when their music is reproduced, broadcast, performed in public both in Canada and internationally.
Businesses that use music publicly. Radio and TV broadcasters, streaming services, concert venues, festivals, nightclubs, and restaurants, retail stores, gyms, and hotels, digital platforms, websites, and podcasts for the reproduction or performance. SOCAN licenses these users so they can legally use music and ensure music creators and publishers are compensated.
Over 100 affiliated collective management organizations around the world. These partnerships ensure that SOCAN members are paid when their music is used internationally, and vice versa for foreign creators in Canada.
Government Partners and Canadian music industry associations. We collaborate on policy and copyright advocacy for the benefit of music creators and publishers.
What is SOCAN?
SOCAN is Canada’s largest member-based music rights organization, home to more than 200,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers.
Founded by music creators and owned by music creators, we are driven by their needs. / At SOCAN, we ensure music works for the people who create it.
We collect license fees and distribute them as royalties to songwriters, composers, and music publishers who have earned them when their work is performed publicly, communicated, or reproduced.
A SOCAN license gives businesses and organizations the freedom to use virtually any music, legally, ethically, and easily, while directly supporting the creators behind it.
We educate, celebrate, and recognize the value of music and the people who make it possible. We advocate for their rights, build alliances with industry and government, and help shape policy to protect and promote their work.
SOCAN is the first step toward getting paid for music, and an ongoing force that amplifies the value of songwriters, composers and music publishers in Canada and around the world.
Which SOCAN license do I need to play music in my business?
SOCAN offers music licenses for virtually all types of business music use. Your business may therefore need more than one license depending on the various uses you make of the music (eg one license for background music, one for live music, etc.). Click here to learn more about SOCAN licensing.
