Non-Commercial Webcast Royalty $25/year

Summary#

This is the text of Re:Sound Tariff 1.B.2 – Non-Commercial Simulcasts and Webcasts (2013-2019), published by the Copyright Board on December 5, 2020 under the Copyright Act. It sets a flat, annual royalty for non-commercial webcasters and explains how and when those small fees and related reports must be paid.

What it does#

• Sets the royalty for non-interactive and semi-interactive webcasts (other than simulcasts) by a non-commercial webcaster at $25 per year.
• Sets the royalty for simulcasts by a non-commercial webcaster at $25 per year.
• Requires the payment to be accompanied by a short description of the webcasting or simulcast service.
• Requires annual payment and reporting no later than January 1 of each year.
• Requires a webcaster to give identifying information to Re:Sound within 45 days after the end of the first month they carry out a webcast. That includes name, address, URL, first-webcast date and proof they are non-commercial.
• Charges interest on late payments at a rate equal to 1% above the Bank of Canada rate, calculated daily (no compounding).
• For amounts owed on or before December 4, 2020, those royalties became due on March 4, 2021 and must be increased by multiplying factors for each tariff year. Key multiplying factors include:
  • 2013: 1.0875
  • 2014: 1.0750
  • 2015: 1.0625
  • 2016: 1.0535
  • 2017: 1.0460
  • 2018: 1.0365
  • 2019: 1.0200
  • 2020: 1.0000

Who's affected#

• Mainly small, not-for-profit online broadcasters such as campus webcasters and community webcasters, and any other organization that qualifies as a non-commercial webcaster under the tariff.
• The tariff does not apply to over-the-air broadcasts (those are covered by other tariffs) or to interactive webcasts and downloads.
• Re:Sound is the organization that collects these fees for the owners of sound recordings and performers in its repertoire.
• It excludes the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation when that organization’s services are covered by other tariffs.

Why it matters#

• Small non-profit online stations that stream music in Canada need to pay a fixed, low fee ($25 per year) and file basic identifying information and a short service description.
• If a webcaster failed to pay for past years (2013–2019), they face a single payment deadline with modest multiplying factors and possible interest for lateness.
• The rule makes the cost predictable and minimal for community and campus broadcasters, while ensuring performers and recording owners represented by Re:Sound receive some payment when their recordings are streamed.