SOCAN passenger-ship music tariff 2026–2028

Summary#

The Copyright Board published SOCAN Tariff 13.B – Public Conveyances - Passenger Ships (2026-2028) on October 11, 2025. It sets the fees that passenger-ship operators must pay to play or stream recorded music from SOCAN’s repertoire during 2026 to 2028: $1.46 per person per year, with a minimum of $87.37 per ship per year.

What it does#

• Sets a per-passenger royalty of $1.46 per person per year, calculated from the ship’s authorized passenger capacity.
• Requires a minimum annual royalty of $87.37 per ship.
• Reduces the yearly charge for ships that do not operate year-round: for ships operating less than 12 months, the fee is reduced by one twelfth for each full month not in operation.
• Requires the operator to report the authorized passenger capacity and pay the fee to SOCAN on or before January 31 of each year covered by the tariff.
• Gives SOCAN the right to audit an operator’s books and records, with reasonable notice and during normal business hours, to check reported figures.
• Charges interest on late payments at a daily rate equal to 1% above the Bank of Canada’s published Bank Rate (effective on the last day of the previous month); interest does not compound.
• States that royalties are exclusive of any federal, provincial, or other government taxes or levies.

Who's affected#

• Operators of passenger ships that play or communicate recorded music publicly — for example, cruise lines and ferry operators.
• Seasonal or short-season ship operators (they may get the pro-rated reduction).
• Songwriters, composers and performers represented by SOCAN, because this tariff governs how those works are licensed on ships.
• The source is specific to music in SOCAN’s repertoire; it’s unclear from this notice whether other licensing bodies or types of onboard music services are affected.

Why it matters#

• Operators will pay a predictable fee tied to passenger capacity, which could affect onboard entertainment budgets or, possibly, ticket prices.
• Seasonal operators get a formal pro-rated reduction, which matters for smaller or regional services that don’t run year-round.
• The reporting, audit, and interest rules create administrative compliance requirements for operators.
• For passengers, the change may be invisible, but it can influence what music is played onboard or how much operators invest in entertainment.