Photo by courtesy of / courtoisie de Roxane Bruneau

Top Secrets: Roxane Bruneau’s “À ma manière”

Story by Eric Parazelli | Wednesday May 5th, 2021

In our “Top Secrets” videos, music creators who’ve reached the top of a major music chart, and were celebrated by a SOCAN No. 1 Song Award, discuss the secrets behind the hit songs..

Roxane Bruneau is a mainstay on the Québec charts. But in the case of “À ma manière,” we can qualify the song as a long-lasting success: co-written with Mathieu Brisset, and published by Les Éditions Musique Variole enr., it’s been on the BDS chart for 15 weeks, and spent nine weeks on the ADISQ Correspondants chart.

In this new episode of Top Secrets, she lets us in on the process of writing the song, which wasn’t among her favourites on her Acrophobie album. But her fans’ strong reaction, and the impact of the video, made her realize the evocative power of this hymn to personal fulfillment, no matter how people might see and judge you.

SOCAN set to distribute first MLC royalties

Story by SOCAN | Monday May 10th, 2021

Last February, we shared the news of our relationship with the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), the newly-formed organization collecting digital royalties in the U.S. The MLC is a centralized database making efficient matching and distribution of royalties a reality in that territory.

In April of 2021, SOCAN received our first monthly payment from the MLC. Royalties received reflect performances in the U.S. for the month of January 2021, and will be distributed to SOCAN reproduction right clients on the next scheduled distribution date, June 15, 2021.

Keep in mind SOCAN has long-standing reciprocal agreements with more than 100 sister societies around the world. These agreements ensure that you receive all of the international reproduction and performance royalties that you’ve earned.

SOCAN will continue to receive monthly payments from the MLC for current performances, and are expecting the February 2021 payments in mid-May.

You’ll recall that the MLC also had a mandate to ingest historical data from digital service providers representing previously unmatched and unpaid performances. The MLC continues to work through this process, and plans to begin paying on previously unmatched performances this summer. Until then, payments and associated distributions will include only current performances.

It’s important that all music creators’ works are represented in the MLC database accurately and thoroughly so that they can receive all the money that they’ve earned, or will earn, in the U.S. from reproductions of their music.

Provided you’re a client of SOCAN for reproduction rights and have granted SOCAN the right to collect in the U.S on your behalf, you’re covered.

SOCAN is the only music rights organization in Canada that handles both performing and reproduction rights, and a one-stop, made-in-Canada solution, with a nearly 100-year track record of delivering your royalties on time, every time.

What more can you do as a SOCAN member? 

  1. Make sure you’re a SOCAN Reproduction Rights client. If you’re a publisher or a self-published writer, and you aren’t yet a SOCAN reproduction rights client, contact us at reproduction@socan.com .
  2. Ensure all of your works are registered and up-to-date.
  3. Check that you’ve granted SOCAN a license to collect your reproduction rights in the United States. If you’re not sure, or would like more information, or have any questions ,contact us at reproduction@socan.com.
Photo by courtesy of/courtoisie de Cristobal Tapia De Veer

#ComposersWhoScore: Cristobal Tapia De Veer nominated for a 2021 BAFTA

Story by Eric Parazelli | Friday April 30th, 2021

SOCAN member Cristobal Tapia de Veer, the first screen composer to win the International Award at the 2017 SOCAN Awards has been nominated for a second time at the prestigious BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Gala.

Tapia de Veer is already the recipient of three international honours – the FIPA d’Or and BAFTA for Best Original Score for National Treasure, and Best Original Score at the Gérardmer Film Festival in France for his work on the film The Girl with All the Gifts.

This time, he’s being celebrated internationally for his score to the horror series The Third Day. “Being nominated for a BAFTA Award after winning one not so long ago is like a confirmation that the first time wasn’t just a fluke!,” said Cristobal said when we reached him.

Asked what the biggest challenges were in composing the music for this production, he said, “Recording an orchestra in Prague for the first time was quite a change of scenery, but incredibly rewarding.”

The BAFTAs take place on Sunday, June 6, 2021, and the Television Craft Awards on Monday, May 24, 2021. It is during the May 24 gala that Tapia De Veer will know if he’s won the award for a second time. SOCAN wishes him the best of luck!