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.
At SOCAN, we ensure music works for the people who create it.
WHO WE ARE
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.
- We are advocates for their rights in Canada and around the world, committed to securing fair compensation and promoting the ethical use of music.
- We are a community that believes in the undeniable truth that music has value, and in the importance of recognizing and celebrating Canadian music creators and publishers.
- At SOCAN, our members are at the heart of everything we do. We’re here to support them and champion the value of their music; music that inspires Canadian pride and helps shape our vibrant creative landscape.
What We Do
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.
Why We Do It
Because Collective Management Works
At its heart, SOCAN exists because songwriters, composers and music publishers are stronger together. Collective management isn’t just a business model, it’s a system built on fairness, equity, and shared success.
When rights are managed collectively, everyone benefits – music creators & publishers, businesses who use music, and the culture at large.
By joining together, SOCAN members gain a single, trusted partner to manage their rights, collect their royalties across every use, and speak with one powerful voice in government policy and music industry negotiations.
We were built by the very people we serve, Canadian songwriters, composers, and music publishers, so every decision we make is rooted in their needs.
Collective management works because it simplifies a complex system, advocates for their rights, reinvests in their community, and makes success possible, from local beginnings to global opportunities.
Collective management prioritizes equity, transparency, and long-term growth – for all members.
How We Do It
When your music is used including on TV, radio, streaming services, performed live or used as background music – or – when it is copied or reproduced on streaming services, as downloads, or on CD and vinyl records, royalties are owed to you.
How it Works
1
Music is created
A song becomes valuable the second it’s created. It takes extraordinary skill, talent, and hard work to write and publish songs.
2
Music is valued
Music creators and their publishers have rights, and SOCAN works to ensure they are fairly compensated whenever their music is used. Remember, you must be a SOCAN member and register your work with SOCAN to get paid.
3
Music is used
The music licenses that SOCAN issues ensure that music creators and their publishers receive what they have rightfully earned for the use of their work.
4
Royalties are paid
The money from music licenses is distributed as royalties to the songwriters, composers and music publishers that have earned them – so they can continue to create the music that benefits us all.
