SOCAN confirms record-setting royalty collections, distributions

Story by SOCAN | Tuesday June 19th, 2018

SOCAN confirmed today at its annual general meeting in Toronto that a record $352-million[1] in total royalties from the use of music by its songwriter, composer, and music publisher members were collected in fiscal year 2017, continuing a seven-year trend, surpassing the previous record set in 2016 by eight percent.

Highlighted by a 44 percent increase in revenue from Internet sources to just less than $49-million, and a 13 percent surge of $76-million in royalties from countries outside of Canada, a record $295-million was distributed to music creators and publishers.

SOCAN 2017 Financial Highlights:

  • Record total revenue – approximately $352-million in overall revenue in 2017, an 8% year-over-year increase.
  • $49-million from Internet collections – while growing with the popularity of music from digital sources, the reality is that because of the dynamics of digital services and the relatively poor discoverability of Canadian content, the average SOCAN creator-member who earned royalties from digital sources collected only a few pennies more than $37 in 2017.
  • Nearly $300-million sent to members – SOCAN’s administration rate is one of the smallest of the world’s top-10 performing rights organizations.
  • A 48% increase in foreign royalties[2] since 2013 – royalties identified, collected and distributed to SOCAN members from international radio, television, online, on-stage and other public performance uses came to $76-million, an all-time high and SOCAN members’ #1 royalty source.

“We are delighted to deliver to our members a record overall amount of royalties in 2017, but there is still much work to be done to ensure that Canada’s music creators and publishers receive what they rightfully have earned and deserve a larger piece of the pie for their extraordinary work,” said SOCAN CEO Eric Baptiste. “Today, SOCAN is accessing, creating and harnessing technology so that we can even more fully and completely identify, license, track, match and distribute more for our members. SOCAN continues to fight for the rights of our members to receive a fair portion from businesses that use music to help their bottom line.”

An example of SOCAN’s increasing use of technology is the company’s work with the University of Toronto’s Department of Computer Science & Innovation Lab. At the annual general meeting, SOCAN Vice President of Information Technology Janice Scott led a special session with Adjunct Professor of Music Technology & Digital Media Catherine Moore. The technology leaders discussed the two organizations’ exclusive work together, including in artificial intelligence and machine learning, providing a snapshot of technology-driven projects designed to find and match more music performances with even better volume and accuracy.

At the meeting, SOCAN also announced that it surpassed the 150,000-members milestone when songwriter Ariel Gold of Toronto joined Canada’s largest organization in the Canadian music ecosystem. This summer, Ariel is planning to release her next single, “Weather,” from her upcoming album of the same name.

The company also introduced its Board of Directors for the 2018-21 term. The new 18-member SOCAN Board now counts eight women, improving gender balance, reflecting the balance and diversity long enjoyed in the organization’s management team and overall staff.

For full financial statements and an overview of 2017, visit www.socanannualreport.ca.

[1] As always, SOCAN’s revenue information is subject to pending decisions of the Copyright Board and the courts and such potential changes are discussed in SOCAN’s audited financial statements in accordance with applicable accounting standards. 

[2] SOCAN is one of very few music rights organizations worldwide that returns 100% of royalties collected from international sources to its members, with no administration percentage applied.

Photo by Brad Ardley

Record 2017 results highlight SOCAN 2018 Annual General Meeting

Story by Howard Druckman | Wednesday June 20th, 2018

A capacity crowd of more than 200 SOCAN members gathered at the Studio Theatre in Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre to attend the SOCAN Annual General Meeting on June 19, 2018, to learn about SOCAN’s major achievements in 2017 – including a record-breaking $352-million in music creator revenues. With the theme of diversity, the event was also streamed live in both languages on Facebook, to members who couldn’t attend in person.

Savannah Ré

Savannah Ré performs at the SOCAN 2018 AGM.

After a captivating opening performance from emerging R&B singer Savannah Ré, SOCAN Board of Directors President and Chair Stan Meissner reported on various milestones for the organization, including the fact that SOCAN now numbers more than 150,000 members. Stan also discussed the work of SOCAN’s Board of Directors in 2017, introduced the newly-elected Board for 2018-21, and talked about new developments at the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.

SOCAN CEO Eric Baptiste spoke of SOCAN’s 2017 financial record-setting results –including total collections of $352 million; more than $76 million of that in international collections; $295 million distributed to music creators and publishers, including royalties from almost 42 billion online music services performances; and a 44 per cent (!) increase in revenue from internet streaming.

Baptiste also spoke of the diversification of technology in our work, with our wholly-owned subsidiary companies Audiam and MediaNet. He referenced our diversified offerings, based on joint common licensing initiatives with neighbouring rights organization Re:Sound, and with our pending integration of reproduction rights organization SODRAC. And he discussed the diversity of SOCAN’s staff, including gender parity of SOCAN’s management and executive, and the near-parity of our new Board.

Dr. Catherine Moore

Dr. Catherine Moore speaks SOCAN 2018 AGM.

For a more complete accounting of SOCAN’s activities in 2017, see our full Annual Report.

During a lively question-and-answer session, members asked about:

  • Collected but undistributed royalties, which Baptiste said that SOCAN has addressed by running a campaign to receive members’ set lists for unpaid performances, and with technological developments to greatly avoid the problem moving forward;
  • what SOCAN members should address when contacting Members of Parliament, which Baptiste suggested should include requests a) to fix the Copyright Act, and b) that major streaming sites be legally obligated to highlight 20 percent Canadian music in their discovery engines; and
  • how to close the value gap for content, which Baptiste said is being addressed by sharing a unified government-lobbying voice among the many players in Canada’s music ecosystem, and by strongly opposing safe harbour provisions in all territories.

Janice Scott, Vice President, Information Technology, conducted a brief interview with Catherine Moore, professor of Music Technology & Digital Media at the University of Toronto.  Moore discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) is able to find patterns in the acceleration of music trends, comments, and other data on social media, to determine the best Canadian singer-songwriters to recruit as new SOCAN members. She also talked about how AI can strip out the vocals from various streaming versions of a song, and then separate the lyrics from the vocals, and match them to a lyric database, to better find and monetize all cover versions of a given song, even those sung in other languages.

A packed reception for members followed at the Harbourfront Lakeside Terrace, with DJ Gimmemar playing our members’ songs, and the evening wrapped up around 9:30 p.m.

SOCAN 2018 AGM

At the reception following the SOCAN 2018 AGM.

 

Photo by Grant W. Martin Photography

SOCAN Awards 2018 honour, celebrate Canada’s music creators, publishers

Story by Howard Druckman | Monday June 18th, 2018

See the Winners List

The songwriters, composers and music publishers who create and promote some of the most successful songs in the world gathered in Toronto tonight with industry representatives from throughout Canada’s music ecosystem for the 29th annual SOCAN Awards. The gala ceremony honoured Canada’s music creators and publishers across an array of genres, including Rap, Pop, R&B, Rock, Film & Television, Dance, Folk/Roots, Jazz, Country, Classical and more.

This year, the iconic Burton Cummings and the legendary Sarah McLachlan were each honoured,  Cummings with the SOCAN Lifetime Achievement Award, for more than 50 years of songwriting success and excellence, and McLachlan with the SOCAN Global Inspiration Award for her unparalleled accomplishments as a singer-songwriter, philanthropist, and advocate for women.

Shawn Mendes, SOCAN Awards 2018

Shawn Mendes accepts his Songwriter of the Year honours at the 2018 SOCAN Awards.

McLachlan played a moving, solo-piano rendition of “Angel,” while Cummings, who was introduced by renowned producer Daniel Lanois, delivered an inspired two-song performance for a thrilling close to the show.

The SOCAN Awards featured many other memorable performances, from host Brett Kissel, Dear Rouge, Rose Cousins (who won the Folk/Roots Music Award), The Launch winner Logan Staats, Toronto rapper Sean Leon and the SOCAN orchestra led by screen composer, Steph Copeland .

Also receiving SOCAN Achievement Awards were global pop phenomenon Shawn Mendes, and Rihanna, Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar co-writer Frank Dukes, both of whom earned SOCAN Songwriter of the Year Awards. Rockers Our Lady Peace were on hand to receive the National Achievement Award, as were Screen Composer of the Year Keith Power, and Neville Quinlan and Cheryl Link of peermusic Canada, the Publisher of the Year. Though unable to attend, the sensational Alessia Cara earned the International Achievement Award, a Dance Music Award and International Song Award for “Stay,” her hit with Zedd.

 

Rose Cousins, SOCAN Awards 2018

Folk/Roots Award winner Rose Cousins perfoms “Grace” at the 2018 SOCAN Awards.

Fast-rising singer-songwriter Daniel Caesar was presented with the SOCAN Breakout Award, and also earned an R&B Music Award for “Get You.” Jazz composer Christine Jensen won the Hagood Hardy Award, Jocelyn Morlock earned the Jan V. Matejcek New Classical Music Award, and The City of Hamilton took home the Licensed To Play Award for the municipality’s unwavering commitment to fair music licensing.

SOCAN Awards for most performed songs, including broadcast and streaming, were presented to Shawn Hook, who won a Pop Music Award for “Reminding Me” (featuring Vanessa Hudgens), and Virginia to Vegas, who won for both “Lights Out” and “Selfish.” The Glorious Sons accepted a Rock Music Award for the hit “Kill the Lights,” while Travis Wood and Gavin Slate were on hand to accept a Country Music Award for “Chills,” performed by the James Barker Band.

Many of SOCAN’s #ComposersWhoScore won for their film and television projects, including the brothers Mychael Danna and Jeff Danna, who won both an International Film Music Award and an Achievement in Feature Film Music Award for their work on the animated movie Storks. Greg Fisher and Derek Treffry earned both the Domestic Non-Fiction TV Music Award and the International TV Series Music Award for their work on Border Security: Canada’s Front Line.

Brett Kissel, SOCAN Awards 2018

SOCAN Awards 2018 host Brett Kissel opens the show with a performance of “Anthem.”

“Canadian music creators and publishers continue to attain remarkable success, both at home and throughout the world,” said SOCAN CEO Eric Baptiste. “We’re pleased and proud to recognize the great achievements of our songwriters, composers, and music publishers, and we warmly congratulate all of tonight’s SOCAN Award recipients for their exceptional accomplishments.”

Sponsors of the 2018 SOCAN Awards are Gowling WLG, Crowe Soberman, Yamaha Canada Music, Recording Artists’ Collecting Society (ACTRA RACS), Hargraft, Long & McQuade, Music Canada, Ontario Media Development Corporation and Actra Fraternal Benefit Society (AFBS). Official charity partners are the Unison Benevolent Fund and the SOCAN Foundation. At the event, Unison was presented with all of the profits from the sale of SOCAN-branded merchandise over the last year.

The annual Gala de la SOCAN in Montréal, which celebrates and honours the work of SOCAN’s Francophone members, will take place in October of this year.

 

 

Sean Leon, SOCAN Awards 2018

Sean Leon performs at the 2018 SOCAN Awards.