Re:Sound Commercial Radio Royalties

Summary#

The Copyright Board published the Re:Sound Commercial Radio Tariff (2009-2025) on May 31, 2025. It sets the fees that commercial radio stations must pay to Re:Sound for playing recorded music on-air and for simulcasting those broadcasts online, and it adds specific reporting, record‑keeping and audit rules.

What it does#

• Sets a special minimum payment of $100 on the first $1.25 million of annual advertising revenue.
• Sets royalty rates for over‑the‑air broadcasts:
  • January 1, 2015 to June 30, 2020: 0.75% of gross income for low‑use stations; 1.44% on the first $1.25 million and 2.1% on the rest for other stations.
  • July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2025: 1.2% for low‑use stations; 2.7% on the first $1.25 million and 3.7% on the rest for other stations.
• Sets similar percentage rates for simulcasting income, with some rates applying back to 2009 or 2014 depending on station type.
• Requires monthly payments and reports of a station’s gross income and simulcasting income no later than the first day of each month (reporting covers the “reference month,” which is the second month before the month being paid).
• Requires detailed music‑use reports: stations must provide full, day‑by‑day lists of every published sound recording they broadcast for the previous month no later than 14 days after that month ends. Reports must include basic identifiers (title, artist, time played, label, durations, ISRC/UPC where available).
• Sets record retention and audit rules:
  • Keep broadcast lists for six months.
  • Keep financial records for six years.
  • Re:Sound may audit records; if royalties are understated by more than 10%, the station must pay the audit costs.
• Specifies confidentiality rules for the information stations provide, and how that information can be shared (for example, with service providers, other collective societies, the Copyright Board, or when required by law).
• Includes transitional and retroactive provisions, including a deadline to pay any amounts due from the rate increases by August 31, 2025, and formulas to calculate past simulcast income when historical records are missing.
• Late payments incur interest calculated daily at 1% above the Bank Rate (as published by the Bank of Canada); interest does not compound.

Who's affected#

• Primarily commercial radio station owners and operators in Canada.
• Stations that simulcast their over‑the‑air programming online (web players, apps) will see rules and fees that cover that activity.
• Smaller or “low‑use” stations (those playing published sound recordings for under 20% of their broadcast time) have lower percentage rates but still must meet the reporting and record rules.
• The tariff does not apply to pay audio services, satellite radio, or most internet streams that are not simulcasts (those activities are excluded).

Why it matters#

• Radio stations may face higher or more clearly defined royalty bills for both on‑air play and online simulcasts.
• Stations must keep more detailed play logs and financial records and meet tighter reporting deadlines. That can increase administrative work and costs, especially for smaller stations.
• Because the tariff covers past years up to 2025, stations may owe retroactive amounts if they haven’t been reporting or paying under the same rules.
• Advertisers or listeners might notice changes only indirectly — for example, if stations adjust advertising rates or programming to cover higher costs.