SOCAN Aircraft Music Tariff 2026–2028

Summary#

This item from the Copyright Board publishes the SOCAN Tariff 13.A – Public Conveyances - Aircraft (2026-2028), which sets how much airlines and other passenger aircraft operators must pay when recorded music is played for passengers during 2026–2028. It fixes per-seat royalties and spells out reporting, metadata and payment rules for those fees.

What it does#

• Sets the per-aircraft royalties for recorded music:
  • $3.05 per seat for music played while the aircraft is on the ground (prorated by days the aircraft is in service).
  • $7.22 per seat for music included as part of in-flight programming (prorated by days in service).
• Prevents double charging: if the $7.22 in-flight rate is paid for an aircraft, the $3.05 ground rate is not payable for that same aircraft.
• Defines an aircraft as not “in service” if it is no longer owned/leased/under contract by the operator, or if it has not carried passengers for 15 consecutive days or more.
• Requires advance payment and reporting:
  • Users must estimate and pay royalties for the year based on prior-year total seating capacity by January 31 each year.
  • Annual adjustment and reconciliation occur when the actual data are submitted.
• Requires detailed quarterly reports (no later than 30 days after each quarter) about audio and audiovisual files played. The reports ask for extensive metadata when available (track titles, authors, ISRC/ISWC identifiers, play counts, album UPCs/GRIDs, episode/series info for audiovisuals, etc.).
• Gives SOCAN the right to audit operators’ books on reasonable notice to check royalty calculations.
• Imposes interest on late payments at a daily rate equal to 1% above the Bank Rate (as published by the Bank of Canada); interest does not compound.
• States that fees shown are exclusive of any federal, provincial or other taxes.

Who's affected#

• Passenger airlines and any other organizations that operate aircraft for public transport and provide recorded music to passengers.
• Companies that manage in-flight entertainment systems and content providers who supply music or audiovisual programming to carriers.
• Creators, performers and music publishers in SOCAN’s repertoire may be affected indirectly because this tariff governs how they are paid when their works are used on aircraft.
• The item is written for users of the tariff; if it’s unclear whether a particular small or private operator falls under the tariff, the text does not state that explicitly.

Why it matters#

• Direct cost: the per-seat fees ($3.05 or $7.22) are a predictable ongoing expense for carriers that provide music to passengers. That can affect pricing, the availability of free in-flight music, or decisions about what entertainment to offer.
• Administrative impact: the tariff demands fairly detailed metadata and quarterly reporting. Airlines and their vendors may need systems or staff to collect and share identifiers like ISRC/ISWC/GRID and play counts.
• Transparency and payments to creators: the reporting and metadata requirements are meant to help ensure accurate payment to songwriters, performers and publishers when their music is used on aircraft.
• Compliance risk: missing payments, late reports or inaccurate records can lead to interest charges and audits by SOCAN.