Private Copying Levy for Blank CDs (2025–2027)

Summary#

This notice publishes the CPCC – Private Copying Tariff (2025-2027) under the Copyright Act. It sets a levy of 29¢ per recordable CD-type blank audio medium for 2025, 2026 and 2027, and names who collects and how the money is split. The item was published on November 8, 2025.

What it does#

• Sets a private-copying levy of 29¢ on each CD-R, CD-RW, CD-R Audio and CD-RW Audio for 2025, 2026, and 2027.
• Exempts blanks that are exported or sold to a society, association or corporation that represents people with a perceptual disability.
• Designates the Canadian Private Copying Collective (CPCC) as the body that collects the levy.
• Directs how collected money is split:
  • 58.2% shared between the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) and the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) for eligible authors;
  • 23.8% to Re:Sound Music Licensing Company for eligible performers;
  • 18.0% to Re:Sound Music Licensing Company for eligible makers.
• Requires manufacturers and importers to report sales and keep records. Records must be kept for six years.
• Allows smaller suppliers (who paid less than $2,000 in the previous semester) to pay every semester instead of more frequently.
• Permits audits; if under‑reporting exceeds 10% for a period, the audited party must pay the reasonable audit costs.
• Charges interest on late payments at 1% above the Bank Rate (calculated daily).

Who's affected#

• Manufacturers and importers of blank audio recording media (for example, companies that make or import CD-Rs).
• Distributors and retailers who buy from those manufacturers/importers may notice changes if the levy is passed down the chain.
• Creators and performers represented by SOCAN, CMRRA, and Re:Sound Music Licensing Company, because they will receive the distributed funds.
• It is unclear from the notice whether very specific niche media beyond the named CD types are covered; the tariff refers to “blank audio recording medium” more broadly and any media prescribed under the Copyright Act.

Why it matters#

• The levy is small per disc (29¢), but it creates a steady revenue stream for songwriters, performers and makers of sound recordings over the three years.
• Businesses that import or manufacture blank CDs must track sales, keep records for six years, and handle reporting and possible audits. That adds administrative work and costs.
• Retail prices could rise if suppliers pass the levy on to consumers. The real impact on shoppers depends on how the cost is absorbed along the supply chain.
• The tariff formalizes who gets the money and how it is split, so it changes how private-copying revenues flow to rights holders.