SOCAN Tariff 13.A — Aircraft Music Rates

Summary#

The Copyright Board published SOCAN Tariff 13.A for public conveyances on aircraft, covering the years 2023 to 2025. It sets per-seat royalties for playing recorded music on aircraft: $2.69 per seat for music while on the ground and $6.36 per seat for music as part of in‑flight programming.

What it does#

• Establishes two annual royalty rates per seat for each aircraft:
  • $2.69 per seat when music is played while the aircraft is on the ground.
  • $6.36 per seat when music is part of in‑flight programming. If the higher rate is paid for an aircraft, the lower ground rate does not also apply.
• Defines when an aircraft is considered not “in service”: when it is no longer owned/leased/under contract, or during any period of 15 consecutive days or more that it was not used to carry passengers.
• Requires users to estimate the year’s royalty based on last year’s total seating capacity and pay that estimated amount to SOCAN on or before January 31 of the year.
• Requires a report by January 31 showing each aircraft, seating capacity, any periods of 15 consecutive days not in service, and which tariff item applies.
• Allows adjustments after the report: extra payment if the estimate was too low, or a credit if it was too high.
• Gives SOCAN the right to audit a user’s books on reasonable notice to verify reports and payments.
• Charges interest on late amounts at a rate equal to 1% above the Bank Rate published by the Bank of Canada, calculated daily without compounding.
• States that all amounts are exclusive of any federal, provincial, or other taxes.

Who's affected#

• Commercial carriers that provide public air service, such as airlines and charter companies, and any business that owns or operates aircraft and plays recorded music for passengers.
• Companies that supply in‑flight entertainment or music programming to those carriers.
• It is not explicitly clear from the notice whether very small or private operators are included; the tariff title and wording suggest it targets public conveyance operators.

Why it matters#

• Operators that play recorded music on planes will face a clear per-seat charge—$2.69 or $6.36 per seat—which adds to operating costs.
• Those costs could influence decisions about offering music or in‑flight entertainment, or contribute to ticket pricing.
• The payment, reporting, and audit rules create an administrative requirement that operators must follow and a financial penalty (interest) for late payment.
• Knowing the rates for 2023 to 2025 helps carriers budget and plan for compliance.