SOCAN Tariff for Exhibitions and Fairs (2025–2027)

Summary#

Copyright Board published SOCAN Tariff 5.A – Exhibitions and Fairs (2025-2027) on December 13, 2025.
It sets the fees event organizers must pay to play music from SOCAN’s repertoire at exhibitions and fairs in Canada during 2025–2027.

What it does#

• Sets a two-part fee system for music played at exhibitions and fairs:
  • For total attendance up to 75,000 (excluding exhibitors and staff), daily flat fees:
    • Up to 25,000 persons: $18.01 per day
    • 25,001 to 50,000 persons: $36.22 per day
    • 50,001 to 75,000 persons: $90.36 per day
  • For total attendance over 75,000, per-person graduated fees:
    • First 100,000 persons: 1.51¢ per person
    • Next 100,000 persons: 0.65¢ per person
    • Next 300,000 persons: 0.50¢ per person
    • All additional persons: 0.37¢ per person
• Attendance counts exclude exhibitors and staff.
• Payment and reporting rules:
  • Yearly scheduled events pay based on the previous year’s actual attendance on or before January 31.
  • Other events must report attendance and pay within 30 days after closing.
• SOCAN may audit an event organizer’s records to verify attendance and payments.
• The tariff does not cover concerts at exhibitions or fairs that charge a separate admission; those fall under Tariff 5.B.
• All fees are before taxes. Late amounts accrue interest at 1% above the Bank Rate, calculated daily and not compounded.

Who's affected#

• Organizers and promoters of exhibitions, fairs, trade shows, and similar public events in Canada that play recorded or live music from SOCAN’s repertoire.
• Smaller community events could fall under the low-tier daily fees; very large events will be charged per person.
• SOCAN (the music licensing organization) and music creators whose works it represents.
• It is unclear from the notice whether any specific narrow categories of events are exempt beyond the concerts-with-separate-admission rule.

Why it matters#

• This determines a predictable billing method for music at fairs and exhibitions for 2025–2027.
• Fees can affect event budgets, ticket pricing, or choices about using recorded music versus other entertainment.
• Organizers need to track attendance carefully and meet reporting deadlines to avoid audits and interest on late payments.
• The tariff helps ensure songwriters and composers represented by SOCAN are paid when their work is used at public events.