SOCAN Commercial Radio Tariff (2014–2018)

Summary#

This Canada Gazette notice publishes the Copyright Board’s approved SOCAN Tariff 1.A – Commercial Radio (2014‑2018). It sets the royalty rates and the reporting, record‑keeping and audit rules that commercial over‑the‑air radio stations must follow for music in SOCAN’s repertoire. The notice is dated May 31, 2025.

What it does#

• Applies to over‑the‑air commercial radio broadcasts of musical works in the repertoire of SOCAN for the period 2014–2018.
• Sets royalty rates:
  • 1.5% of annual gross income for a “low‑use” station (broadcasts SOCAN works less than 20% of time during the reference month).
  • Otherwise, 3.2% on the first $1.25 million of gross income in a year, and 4.4% on the remainder.
• Requires monthly payments and reporting:
  • Stations must pay royalties no later than the first day of each month and report gross income for the “reference month” (the second month before the month being paid).
  • Stations must provide sequential daily lists of every musical work and sound recording broadcast for each day of the reference month — full reporting for 365 days a year.
  • Each reported entry should include many metadata fields where available (date/time, track title, album, catalogue/UPC/ISRC numbers, performers, duration, cue sheets for syndicated programming, etc.).
• Record retention and audits:
  • Keep repertoire records for 6 months and financial records for 6 years.
  • SOCAN may audit those records during those periods. If royalties were understated by more than 10%, the station must pay the reasonable audit costs within 30 days.
• Confidentiality and information sharing:
  • Information supplied to SOCAN is treated as confidential but may be shared with other approved collective societies, the Copyright Board, service providers (under confidentiality agreements), for royalty distribution, collection/enforcement, or if required by law.
• Late payment rules:
  • Late amounts bear interest at a rate equal to 1% above the Bank of Canada’s Bank Rate, calculated daily and not compounded.
• The tariff excludes certain uses covered by other SOCAN tariffs (background music suppliers, online services, satellite and pay audio services).

Who's affected#

• Primarily commercial over‑the‑air radio stations in Canada that broadcast music in SOCAN’s repertoire.
• Stations that fall into the “low‑use” category (as defined) get the lower 1.5% rate.
• Stations with more than $1.25 million in annual gross income face higher marginal rates on income above that threshold.
• Indirectly affected: radio stations’ accounting and programming staff who must collect and deliver detailed metadata, outside service providers who handle reporting or audits, and music creators who receive the collected royalties.
• Not covered: background music suppliers, online music/AV services, satellite radio and pay audio services (they are covered by other tariffs).

Why it matters#

• Money: the tariff fixes what radio stations must pay SOCAN each month. That affects operating costs, especially for stations with higher revenues (anything over $1.25 million faces the 4.4% rate on the excess).
• Paperwork: stations face detailed daily reporting and record‑keeping requirements. Smaller stations may find the administrative burden significant.
• Retrospective period: because the tariff covers 2014–2018, it relates to past broadcasting years. That could mean audits or adjustments to past payments; the notice itself doesn’t spell out enforcement steps beyond the audit and adjustment rules in the tariff.
• For creators: the tariff clarifies how royalties are calculated and collected, which affects how much money flows to songwriters, composers and performers through SOCAN.