International Royalties
SOCAN around the world.
SOCAN has agreements with other music rights organizations around the world to ensure that our members receive performing and reproduction royalties for the use of their work in other countries.
When your music is played or reproduced abroad, you’re covered with SOCAN!
- 6 CONTINENTS
- More than 210 TERRITORIES
How It Works
Global Agreements Established
SOCAN has reciprocal agreements with more than 100 affiliated music rights organizations around the globe that are busy licensing performances and reproductions of your works in their territories.
If there is no music rights organization in a territory, SOCAN can still collect on your behalf via the inclusion of our repertoire in multi-territory online licensing agreements with the major audio DSPs.
International License Fees Collected
Foreign societies collect licenses in their territories, match the music with rights holders, and send money to identified SOCAN members who have earned royalties. It is important to remember that licenses collected by an international society are subject to the distribution rules in its territory; not all societies pay on the same types of uses or on the same schedule as SOCAN.
Royalties Paid to Members
SOCAN receives this money, processes it and delivers it as royalties to our members. Unlike most societies, SOCAN does not charge an administrative fee on incoming international money. You receive 100% of what we receive.
So, I don’t need to join any other music rights organization to receive performance and reproduction royalties from other countries?
Nope! SOCAN’s reciprocal agreements cover you worldwide. By signing up with SOCAN, you become part of a global network of music rights organizations that ensures music creators and publishers receive royalties for the use of their music globally. It would be extremely difficult and time-consuming for you to license your works globally on your own.
What is a reciprocal agreement?
A reciprocal agreement is a two-way agreement. SOCAN has reciprocal agreements with more than 100 music rights organizations, representing more than 210 territories around the world. These agreements allow foreign societies to administer your repertoire in their territories and subsequently send all royalties earned by you to SOCAN. SOCAN then pays you directly. In return, we do the same for these rights organizations’ members whose music was used in Canada.
How do my songs get registered in foreign territories if I don’t have a sub publisher?
If your repertoire of songs is not sub-published, societies in foreign territories have a few ways of obtaining the details. The most common way is to consult CIS-Net. CIS-Net is a tool that allows societies, like SOCAN, to input the details of the domestic repertoire of songs they represent. In the case of SOCAN, “domestic” refers to any repertoire that is composed, written, or published by a SOCAN member. When SOCAN inputs repertoire on CIS-Net, all other societies are able to view the relevant details of all shareholders (names, IP numbers, share splits, etc.). SOCAN shares the details of all its identified repertoire on CIS-Net. In this context, “identified” refers to repertoire where all the shareholders have been identified and all of the shares allocated. If a society is unable to find your repertoire on CIS-Net, they would use title and performer information to identify an associated society and contact them to request a fiche. The fiche will contain all the details that would be posted on CIS-Net. If SOCAN is contacted and we have no record of the song, we will research the song to identify a rights holder. Where we are able to identify a rights holder, we will contact them to initiate registration of the song in order to claim associated royalties.
How do my songs get registered in foreign territories if I have a sub-publisher?
If your repertoire of songs is sub-published in a foreign territory, it is the responsibility of your sub-publisher to register your songs with the relevant society in that territory. This may happen in a number of ways: CWR (Common Work Registration) files, online registrations, emails, etc.
My songs have been performed internationally – what do I need to do?
First make sure your songs are registered with SOCAN. SOCAN will collect your international royalties through their reciprocal agreements with other territories. You can learn more about international royalties here. If you meet payment thresholds as directed by the music rights organization in each territory, then your international royalties will seamlessly be directed to SOCAN on your behalf. Keep in mind, there are different rules in each territory and not every territory collects royalties for every use.