SOCAN Allied Audiovisual Tariff 2014–2024

Summary#

This item is an erratum (correction) published by the Copyright Board that replaces a previously published supplement about the music royalty tariff for online services. It republishes the rules for the SOCAN Online Allied Audiovisual Services Tariff (2014-2024), which sets how much some online video services owe for music in audiovisual works. The erratum was published on June 21, 2025 and corrects a supplement originally published on September 21, 2024.

What it does#

• Restates the scope and short title: the document is the SOCAN Online Allied Audiovisual Services Tariff (2014-2024) covering the years 2014 to 2024.
• Defines who counts as an “Allied Audiovisual Service” and related terms used in the tariff (for example, BDU, “Stream”, “Subscriber”, “Rate Base”).
• Sets standard royalty rates for services that make audiovisual works available:
  • 1.9% of applicable revenues, with minimums of 1.3¢ per program or 7.5¢ per subscriber per month.
• Provides a lower “low music use” rate if music makes up less than 20% of transmission time:
  • 0.8% of applicable revenues, with the same minimums (1.3¢ per program; 7.5¢ per subscriber per month).
• Provides an “other” rate for services with no revenue: $15.00 per Year.
• Requires monthly reporting of plays, subscriber numbers, revenue and other usage data, and the provision of additional metadata when available.
• Sets payment timing and interest on late payments (monthly royalties due within 30 days after month end; annual $15.00 due by January 31 for zero‑revenue services).
• Requires services to keep records for six years and allows limited audits (generally no more often than once every 12 months).
• Includes confidentiality rules about how information provided to SOCAN may be used or shared.

Who's affected#

• Online services that stream audiovisual works and are operated in conjunction with a traditional TV service or distributor — i.e., an Allied Audiovisual Service as defined in the tariff.
• Related traditional services such as BDUs and “Conventional Services” when they are allied with an online offering.
• The music rights organization SOCAN and the music creators and publishers that receive distributed royalties.
• If a service cannot be clearly identified from the tariff text, it is unclear whether very small or unusual platforms fall inside or outside the definition; the tariff itself contains specific tests and record-keeping rules to decide that.

Why it matters#

• If you run, operate, or distribute an online video service that is tied to a conventional TV or distributor, this tariff tells you how much you may owe for the music in those videos and what data you must report.
• The tariff covers the retrospective period 2014 to 2024, so it can affect past accounting and payments for that period.
• Monthly reporting, six-year record-keeping, and possible audits create an ongoing administrative and compliance burden for services that fall under the tariff.
• For viewers and subscribers, the costs set here could influence subscription fees or the way services package content, although the tariff itself does not say how businesses must pass costs on to consumers.