Click on any of the tariffs listed below for a more detailed description. Each one links to a PDF of the appropriate edition of the Canada Gazette, which you must scroll through to locate the tariff of interest. Some tariffs date as far back as 1997; SOCAN collects licence fees in accordance with each of these older tariffs until a new one is approved.
If you are unable to read PDF files, you may not currently have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer. You can quickly install it at
For several of the tariffs listed below, you can easily calculate your licence fee. Simply select the interactive "calculator" button to the right of the appropriate tariff.
If you wish to pay a licence fee, you can download an “Application for Licence” form PDF for each tariff by selecting the appropriate Application Form link below. You must be an existing SOCAN licensee in order to complete an "Application for Licence" form on this page. If you're not yet a SOCAN licensee, and you need to pay a licence fee, it's easy to
become a licensee.
Festival Logging Report
If you are unable to read PDF files, you may not currently have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer. You can quickly install it at
For several of the tariffs listed below, you can easily calculate your licence fee. Simply select the interactive "calculator" button to the right of the appropriate tariff.
If you wish to pay a licence fee, you can download an “Application for Licence” form PDF for each tariff by selecting the appropriate Application Form link below. You must be an existing SOCAN licensee in order to complete an "Application for Licence" form on this page. If you're not yet a SOCAN licensee, and you need to pay a licence fee, it's easy to
become a licensee.
Festival Logging Report
SOCAN tariffs approved by The Copyright Board of Canada
| Tariff | Description | Licence Fees | |
| 1A | Commercial Radio |
Monthly fee: 1.5 % of music station’s advertising revenues for stations where SOCAN’s repertoire is
broadcast less than 20 % of broadcast time. For any other music
station, 3.2 % on its first $1.25 million of annual revenues
and 4.4 % on the rest. |
|
| 1B |
Non-commercial Radio Application form |
Annual fee: 1.9% of station's gross
operating costs. |
|
| 2A |
Commercial Television |
Monthly fee: 1.9% of station's gross
income. |
|
| 2B |
Ontario Educational Communications Authority |
Annual fee: $300,080 | |
| 3A | Live
Music Application form |
Annual fee: 3% of compensation for
entertainment (minimum annual fee of $83.65). |
 |
| 3B | Recorded
Music Accompanying Live Entertainment Application form |
Annual fee: 2% of compensation for
entertainment (minimum annual fee of $62.74). |
|
| 3C | Adult
Entertainment Clubs Application form |
Annual fee: 4.4¢ per day in operation
as an adult entertainment club multiplied by capacity |
|
| 4A1 | Popular
Music Concerts (Per Event Licence) Application form |
Fee per concert: a) Where admission is charged: 3% of gross receipts from ticket sales, exclusive of sales and amusement taxes. (minimum $35.00 per concert). b) Where no admission is charged: 3% of fees paid to singers, musicians, dancers, conductors & other performing artists (minimum $35.00 per concert). |
|
| 4A2 | Popular
Music Concerts (Annual Licence) Application form |
Annual fee: a) Where admission is charged: 3% of gross receipts from ticket sales, exclusive of sales and amusement taxes (minimum $60.00 per year). b) Where no admission is charged: 3% of fees paid to singers, musicians, dancers, conductors & other performing artists (minimum $60.00 per year). |
|
| 4B1 | Classical
Music Concerts (per concert or event licence) Application form |
Fee per concert: a) Where admission is charged: 1.56% of gross receipts from ticket sales, exclusive of sales and amusement taxes. (minimum $35.00 per concert) b) Where no admission is charged: 1.56% of fees paid to singers, musicians, dancers, conductors & other performing artists (minimum $35.00 per concert). |
|
| 4B2 | Annual
Licence for Orchestras Application form |
Semi-Annual fee for 2012: from $70.00 to $462.00 per concert, based on annual orchestra budget, for live performances by orchestra (including singers), at concerts or recitals of classical music |
|
| 4B3 | Annual
Licence for Presenting Organizations Application form |
Annual fee for a series of concerts or recitals of classical
music forming part of an artistic season of a presenting organization: |
|
| 5A | Exhibitions
& Fairs Application form |
Fee based on total attendance: a) Up to 75,000 persons - from $12.81 to $64.31 per day b) Attendance in excess of 75,000 - i) For the first 100,000 persons - 1.07¢ per person ii) For the next 100,000 persons - 0.47¢ per person iii) For the next 300,000 persons - 0.35¢ per person iv) All additional persons 0.26¢ per person |
|
| 5B | Concerts at Exhibitions & Fairs Application form |
Fee per concert: 3% of gross receipts from ticket sales, exclusive of sales and amusement taxes less adult general grounds admission. | |
| 6 | Motion Picture Theatres Application form |
Annual fee: $1.45 per seat; minimum fee of $ 145.00 per year | |
| 7 | Skating Rinks (Roller & Ice Skating) Application form |
Annual fee: a) Where admission is charged: 1.2% of gross receipts from admissions exclusive of sales and amusement taxes (minimum annual fee of $104.31) b) Where no admission is charged: $104.31 |
|
| 8 | Receptions, Conventions,Assemblies and Fashion Shows Application form |
Fee per event, based on room capacity: a) Without Dancing: from $20.56 to $87.40 b) With Dancing: from $41.13 to $174.79 |
|
| 9 |
Sports
Events Application form |
Fee per event: 0.09% of gross receipts from ticket sales (excluding sales and amusement taxes). The fee payable for an event to which the admission is free is $5. | |
| 10A | Strolling
Musicians and Buskers; Recorded Music Application form |
Fee per day: $32.55 for each day on which music is performed (maximum fee of $222.93 in any three-month period).For concerts in public parks, streets or other public places, Tariff No. 4 shall apply. | |
| 10B | Marching Bands; Floats with Music Application form |
Fee per band: $8.78 for each marching band or float with music participating in a parade (minimum fee of $32.55 per day). | |
| 11A | Circuses, Ice Shows, Fireworks Displays, Sound & Light Shows & Similar Events Application form |
Fee per event: 1.6% of gross ticket sales, exclusive of sales and amusement taxes (minimum fee of $61.85). | |
| 11B | Comedy Shows and Magic Shows Application form |
Fee per show: $36.60 where use of music is incidental. Where comedy or magic show is primarily a musical act, Tariff 4.A applies. | |
| 12A | Theme Parks, Ontario Place Corporation and Similar Operations Application form |
Fee per event: $2.41 per 1,000 persons in attendance on days on which music is performed, plus 1.5% of live entertainment costs. | |
| 12B | Paramount Canada's Wonderland Inc. and Similar Operations Application form |
Fee per event: $5.09 per 1,000 persons
in attendance on days on which music is performed, plus 1.5%
of live entertainment costs. |
|
| 13A | Aircraft Application form |
Fee per quarter, based on seating
capacity: a) Music while on ground - ranging from $40.50 to $82.50 per aircraft b) In-flight music - ranging from $162.00 to $330.00 per aircraft |
|
| 13B | Passenger Ships Application form |
Annual fee, based on passenger capacity of ship: $1.05 per person (minimum annual fee of $62.74) | |
| 13C | Railroad Trains, Buses & Other Public Conveyances Excluding Aircraft
and Passenger Ships Application form |
Annual fee, based on passenger capacity of the car, bus, or other public conveyance: $1.05 per person (minimum annual fee of $62.74). | |
| 15A | Background Music Application form |
Annual fee: $1.23 per square metre or 11.46¢ per square foot; half the annual rate for establishments operating less than six months per year. (In all cases, minimum fee of $94.51) | |
| 15B | Telephone Music on Hold Application form |
Fee for one trunk line: $94.51, plus $2.09 for each additional trunk line. | |
| 16 | Quarterly fees for 2007, 2008 and 2009: 1) a supplier who communicates a work during a quarter pays 2.25% of revenues from subscribers who received such a communication during the quarter, subject to a minimum fee of $1.50 per relevant premises; 2) a supplier who authorizes a subscriber to perform in public a work during a quarter pays 7.5% of revenues from subscribers so authorized during the quarter, subject to a minimum fee of $5 per relevant premises; 3) Royalties payable by a small cable transmission system are reduced by half. |
||
| 17 | Transmission of Pay, Specialty and Other Television Services by Distribution Undertakings |
Small Cable Transmission Systems and Unscrambled Low Power Television Stations Annual fee: $10 Other Distribution Undertakings Monthly fee: 1.9% of affiliation payments to Canadian pay and Non-Canadian specialty services, plus the gross income of the programming undertaking multiplied by the number of premises or TVROs (Television Receive Only Earth Station) multiplied by 1.9% divided by the total number of premises or TVROs receiving the signal on the last day of the relevant month. |
|
| Retransmission of Distant Television Signals | a) Annual fee: $100 for Small Retransmission
Systems, payable to collective societies b) Annual fee: $100 for Unscrambled LPTV Systems and Unscrambled MDS, payable to collective societies c) Monthly fee: for Other Retransmission Systems, based on the total number of premises/TVROs, payable to collective societies d) Discount for Francophone Markets and Certain Non-Residential Premises applies |
||
| Retransmission of Distant Radio Signals | a) Annual fee: $12.50 for Small
Retransmission Systems, payable to collective societies b) Annual fee: $12.50 for Unscrambled LPTV Systems and Unscrambled MDS, payable to collective societies c) Annual fee: 12 cents for Other Retransmission Systems, based on the total number of premises/TVROs, payable to collective societies d) Discount for Francophone Markets and Certain Non-Residential Premises applies |
||
| 18 | Recorded Music for Dancing Application form |
Annual fee, based on the capacity, days per week and months per year of operation: ranging from $267.33 to $1,069.32 per 100 persons, plus 10% for each additional 20 persons. | |
| 19 | Fitness Activities and Dance Instruction Application form |
Annual fee: Average number of persons per week per room multiplied by $2.14 (minimum fee of $64.00). |
|
| 20 | Karaoke Bars And Similar Establishments Application form |
Annual fee: a) $191.24 for establishments operating with karaoke no more than three days per week. b) $275.56 for establishments operating with karaoke more than 3 days per week. |
|
| 21 | Recreational
Facilities Operated by a Municipality, School, College, University,
Agricultural Society or Similar Community Organizations Application form |
Annual fee: $185.07 for each facility, if the total revenue does not exceed $15,422.88 | |
| 22A | Online Music Services Application form |
a) Permanent Downloads – Quarterly fee: 3.1% of the amount paid by the consumer. Minimum fee: 1.5 cents per file in a bundle that contains 13 files or more; 2.1 cents per file in all other cases. b) Limited Downloads – Monthly fee: 5.7% of the amounts paid by subscriber. Minimum fee: 54.8 cents per month, per subscriber if portable limited downloads are allowed; 35.9 cents per month, per subscriber if not. c) On-demand Streams – Monthly fee: 6.8% of the amounts paid by subscriber. Minimum fee: 43.3 cents per month, per subscriber. NOTE: Rates and amounts reflect the 10% discount approved by the Copyright Board for the years 1996-2006 only. |
|
| 22B |
Internet – Other Uses of Music - Commercial Radio Application form |
Monthly fee: The licence fees are based on two factors: (1) 1.5% per month of the station’s Internet related revenues if the station pays at the low music-use rate pursuant to Tariff 1.A, and 4.2% for any other station; and (2) the ratio of audio page impressions to all page impressions on the station's site. | |
| 22C |
Internet – Other Uses of Music - Non-Commercial Radio Application form |
Annual fee: The licence fees are based on two factors: (1) 1.9% of the station’s gross Internet operating costs, and (2) the ratio of audio page impressions to all page impressions on the station's site if that ratio is provided to SOCAN and 0.5 if not. A station that includes its gross Internet operating costs in calculating the royalties payable pursuant to Tariff 1.B is not required to pay any royalties or to provide any information pursuant to Tariff 22.C. | |
| 22D |
Internet – Other Uses of Music - Commercial Television, Non-Broadcast Television, Pay Audio Services, Satellite Radio Application form |
Annual fee: The licence fees are based on (1) the applicable rate pursuant to the applicable tariff (2.A, 17, Pay Audio or Satellite Radio), (2) Internet-related revenues, (3) the ratio of audio page impressions to all Page impressions, (4) whether it is a Canadian or non-Canadian service, and (5) if it is a non-Canadian service, the ratio of non-Canadian page impressions to all page impressions. | |
| 22E |
Internet – Other Uses of Music - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Ontario Educational Communications Authority, Société de télédiffusion du Québec Application form |
Annual fee: The licence fees are based on (1) 10% of the total amount payable by the corporation pursuant to Tariffs 1.C (Radio - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), 2.B (Ontario Educational Communications Authority), 2.C (Société de télédiffusion du Québec) or 2.D (Television – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), and (2) the ratio of audio page impressions to all page impressions if that ratio is provided to SOCAN and 0.15 if not. | |
| 22F |
Internet – Other Uses of Music - Audio Websites Application form |
Annual or quarterly fee: The licence fees are based on (1) the percentage of SOCAN repertoire use on your site, (2) Internet related revenues, (3) the ratio of audio page impressions to all page impressions, (4) whether it is Canadian or non-Canadian site, and (5) the ratio of non-Canadian page impressions to all page impressions. | |
| 22G |
Internet – Other Uses of Music - Game Sites Application form |
Annual or quarterly fee: The licence fees are based on (1) Internet-related revenues, (2) the ratio of audio page impressions to all page impressions, (3) whether it is a Canadian site or non-Canadian site, and (4) the ratio of non Canadian page impressions to all page impressions. | |
| 23 | Hotel and Motel In-Room Services Application form |
Quarterly fees:
b) 0.3125% of the fees paid by guests to view mature audience films containing any work in respect of which a SOCAN licence is required; and c) 5.5% of the revenues of the provider of any musical service. |
|
| 24 | In 2003 to 2005, 6 per cent of the price paid by the subscriber for the ringtone, net of any network usage fees, subject to a minimum royalty of 6¢ each time a ringtone is supplied in 2004 or 2005. In 2003, notwithstanding the previous paragraph, the royalty payable for any quarter shall not exceed $7,500 per licensee. | ||
| Pay
Audio Services |
The royalties payable by distribution
undertakings for the communication to the public by telecommunication
of musical works of SOCAN's repertoire in connection with the
transmission of a pay audio signal other than retransmitted
signals are as follows:Monthly fee: 12.35% of the affiliation
payments payable by a distribution undertaking for the transmission
for private or domestic use of a pay audio signal.Annual Fee:
6.175% of the affiliation payments payable, where the distribution
undertaking is: a) a small cable transmission system b) an unscrambled Low Power Television Station or Very Low Power Television Station c) a system which performs a function comparable to that of a cable transmission system, which uses Hertzian waves to transmit the signals and which otherwise meets the definition of "small transmission system". |
||
| 25 |
Satellite Radio Services Application form |
Monthly fee: The licence fees for the years 2005 to 2009 are 4.26% based on the service revenue for the reference month, subject to a minimum fee of 43 cents per subscriber. Any amount that is otherwise payable pursuant to this tariff on or before July 1, 2009, is due no later than July 31, 2009, and is increased by using the multiplying factor (based on the Bank Rate) with respect to each period. | |
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