Commercial Radio Reproduction Tariff 2020–2023

Summary#

This notice publishes the Commercial Radio Reproduction Tariff (2020-2023) set by the Copyright Board. It lays out how much commercial radio stations in Canada must pay each month to reproduce music, sound recordings and performers’ performances on-air and when they simulcast.

What it does#

• Sets how royalties are calculated: payments are a percentage of a station’s gross income, applied in three bands — on the first $625,000, on the next $625,000, and on the rest.
• Distinguishes between “low-use” stations and regular stations. Low-use stations pay lower percentage rates.
• Gives different rates for French-language stations versus other stations.
• Examples of rate ranges (percentages are the share of gross income):
  • For a non-French regular-use station, CMRRA rates run from 0.1989% (first band) up to 0.8095% (rest).
  • For the same category, SOCAN rates run from 0.0041% to 0.0165%.
  • Connect/SOPROQ: 0.201% to 0.822%.
  • Artisti: 0.005% to 0.017%.
  • Low-use and French-language station rates are lower; the tariff lists the specific percentages for each band and society.
• Requires monthly actions by stations: pay royalties, report gross income for the “reference month,” and provide detailed lists of every musical work and sound recording broadcast (full daily music reporting, for 365 days per year).
• Requires stations to keep recordings and logs: keep recordings of last 90 days (for low-use definition) and preserve detailed broadcast metadata for six months and financial records for six years.
• Allows the collective societies (for example, CMRRA, SOCAN, Connect, SOPROQ, Artisti) to audit station records; if the audit finds royalties understated by more than 10 per cent, the station pays the audit costs.
• Sets confidentiality rules for the data stations provide, and lists payment and delivery methods (including electronic transfer and email reporting).
• Includes a Schedule A list of French-language stations that the tariff treats as “French-language stations.”

Who's affected#

• Primarily commercial radio stations in Canada that broadcast over the air and that simulcast their over‑the‑air signal online.
• The tariff specifically names and treats a set of stations as French-language stations (see Schedule A in the tariff).
• The collective licensing organizations that collect and distribute these royalties — CMRRA, SOCAN, Connect, SOPROQ, and Artisti — will administer and enforce the rules.
• It is unclear from the notice whether non-commercial, campus, or internet-only stations are covered; the tariff focuses on commercial over‑the‑air broadcasters and simulcasts.

Why it matters#

• Radio stations will have a clear, monthly royalty bill tied to their reported gross income. That affects station finances and could influence programming, advertising pricing, or station operations.
• Stations must keep detailed broadcast logs and records for audits, which could increase administrative work and require better tracking systems.
• Musicians, recording owners and performers represented by the named societies could receive clearer, regular royalty payments under these rules.
• For listeners and advertisers, the practical effect could be indirect: changes in station costs and reporting requirements may affect what stations air and how they price advertising.