SOCAN Telephone Music-on-Hold Tariff

Summary#

This notice from the Copyright Board, published November 8, 2025, sets the royalty rates that SOCAN can charge for playing music to callers on hold in the years 2012 to 2019. It gives the per‑trunk line fees, rules about payment timing and audits, and the interest rule for late payments.

What it does#

• Sets the royalty for telephone “music on hold” for the years 2012 to 2019 at $94.51 for one trunk line plus $2.09 for each additional trunk line.
• Defines a “trunk line” as the phone line connecting a business’s phone switch to the public telephone system over which hold music is played.
• Says payments must be made no later than January 31 of each tariff year and that payments should be accompanied by a report showing the number of trunk lines.
• Gives SOCAN the right to audit an establishment’s books and records, with reasonable notice during normal business hours, to check reported trunk lines and payments.
• Says establishments already paying under Tariff 16 for background music do not have to pay Tariff 15 for the same service.
• States all amounts are before taxes and that late payments earn interest at 1% above the Bank of Canada Rate (calculated daily, non‑compounding).

Who's affected#

• Businesses and organisations that play recorded music to callers while they are on hold and that are not covered by Tariff 16. This can include small shops, professional offices, service providers, and similar establishments.
• It is not clear from the notice how the Copyright Board or SOCAN will handle collection or enforcement for these past years if fees were not already paid.

Why it matters#

• These are retrospective fees for 2012 to 2019. Some businesses could owe money for past years if they used on‑hold music and did not already pay.
• The amounts are small per trunk line, but audits and interest on late payments could raise the bill.
• If you already pay for background music under Tariff 16, this tariff does not apply — that avoids double charging for the same use.