SOCAN Allied Audiovisual Tariff 2014–2024

Summary#

Copyright Board published SOCAN TARIFF 22.D.3 – ONLINE ALLIED AUDIOVISUAL SERVICES (2014-2024).
It sets the royalty rates, reporting rules and record-keeping requirements that online services tied to conventional TV or distribution undertakings must follow for the years 2014 to 2024.

What it does#

• Sets standard royalty rates of 1.9% for music used in streamed audiovisual content:
  • 1.9% of amounts paid per play, with a minimum of 1.3¢ per program.
  • 1.9% of subscriber payments, with a minimum monthly fee of 7.5¢ per subscriber (no royalty for a single free trial of up to 31 days in any 12‑month period).
  • 1.9% of the service’s Internet-related revenue when that is used as the tax base.
• Offers lower “low music use” rates of 0.8% (with the same minimums) if music makes up less than 20% of airtime or the allied conventional service similarly has low music use.
• For services with no revenue in a year, requires payment of $15.00 for that year.
• Requires monthly reporting of plays, subscriber counts and revenues, with reports due within 30 days after each month.
• Requires payments due no later than 30 days after each month; the no‑revenue fee is due by January 31 after year end.
• Requires services to keep records for 6 years and allows audits no more often than once every 12‑month period; audit costs may be charged to the service if understatements exceed 10%.
• Includes confidentiality rules for information shared with SOCAN and exceptions for legal or distribution needs.

Who's affected#

• Online services that deliver streams of TV or audiovisual content and are run in conjunction with a conventional TV service or a broadcasting distribution undertaking (BDU). These are called "Allied Audiovisual Services" in the tariff.
• Authorized distributors, conventional broadcasters and BDUs that operate or partner with such online services.
• SOCAN (the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) as the collecting organization named in the tariff.
• It is not intended to apply to standalone online music services, user‑generated content platforms, game services, or ordinary broadcast TV uses covered by other SOCAN tariffs.

Why it matters#

• If you run or subscribe to an online service that mirrors or complements a TV channel, this tariff tells you how much the service must pay for music used in its streams and what records it must keep and report.
• The rules determine when a service can pay a reduced rate (low music use) and set clear timelines for monthly reports and payments.
• The administrative rules (reports, audits, retention of records) affect how these services track plays and revenues.