Q: Are there functions SOCAN doesn’t perform that I should know about?
A: SOCAN cannot act as an agent for our members in pursuing copyright claims or act on their behalf in lawsuits with publishers or with distributors. Nor can SOCAN affect your deals with publishers, promoters, or movie production companies. We don’t publish music and we don't register your copyright.

Q: Does SOCAN work for profit or not-for-profit?
A: SOCAN retains no earnings. All royalties it collects – less its operating costs – are passed on to its members and affiliated societies.

Q: How many people work for SOCAN?
Across Canada, about 300 people work for SOCAN.

Q: How many Canadians have joined SOCAN?
There are more than 80,000 members of SOCAN.

Q. Is SOCAN a government agency?
A: No, but we are recognized by the Canadian government as the copyright collective for performing rights of musical works. SOCAN is a membership organization made up of creators and publishers of musical works. The rights assigned to SOCAN by its members are provided for in the Federal Copyright Act.

Q. Where does SOCAN get its funding?
A: SOCAN is funded through the licence fees we collect. A portion of the licence fees collected are used for operating costs, but more than 80 percent of the money is distributed to members and affiliated societies.