SOCAN is Canada's performing rights organisation, collecting royalties for songwriters and publishers when music is performed or broadcast in Canada. UK artists registered with PRS for Music can collect Canadian royalties through the PRS-SOCAN reciprocal agreement — but mechanical royalties require additional steps.
What SOCAN is
SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) is Canada's national performing rights organisation. It is responsible for licensing the public performance and communication of musical works across Canada — radio broadcasts, television, live performances, streaming services, and other public uses. SOCAN distributes the royalties it collects to songwriters and publishers whose works generated those performances. Founded in 1990 as the result of a merger between CAPAC and PROCAN, SOCAN today represents hundreds of thousands of members and affiliates worldwide, including through reciprocal agreements with international PROs including PRS for Music.
How UK artists collect Canadian royalties through PRS
If you are a PRS member and your music is performed or broadcast in Canada, SOCAN collects those royalties and passes the UK artists' share to PRS under the reciprocal agreement. PRS then distributes the funds to your PRS account. You do not need to join SOCAN separately. The key requirements are that your works are correctly registered with PRS — including any co-writers and their shares, the publisher details, and correct ISWC codes — and that SOCAN's matching systems can identify your works from the broadcast data it receives. Works that are not correctly registered at PRS, or that lack IPI numbers and ISWC codes, are more likely to be unmatched in the international reciprocal distribution process, resulting in royalties that are held as unmatched funds rather than paid to you.
Canadian mechanical royalties — CMRRA and Sodrac
Canada separates performing rights (handled by SOCAN) from mechanical rights (handled by separate organisations). CMRRA (Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency) licenses mechanical reproduction rights in Canada for most music used on digital platforms and physical releases. Sodrac handles mechanical licensing in Quebec and for audiovisual reproduction. For UK songwriters, mechanical royalties from Canadian DSPs (Canadian Spotify, Apple Music Canada, etc.) should flow through PRS/MCPS's international mechanical licensing arrangements. However, the routing of Canadian mechanicals to UK publishers can be complex and is not always as straightforward as the performance royalty reciprocal. A publishing administrator can investigate whether Canadian mechanical royalties are reaching your account correctly and pursue any shortfall.
Re:Sound — Canadian neighbouring rights
Re:Sound is Canada's neighbouring rights collecting society, equivalent to PPL in the UK. It collects royalties for performers and record labels when commercial recordings are broadcast or played publicly in Canada. PPL has a reciprocal agreement with Re:Sound, meaning UK PPL-registered performers and labels can collect Canadian neighbouring rights income through PPL without joining Re:Sound directly. Ensure your PPL registration includes all recordings with correct performer credits and ISRC codes so that Re:Sound can identify and match your recordings in Canadian broadcast data.
Canada as a royalty territory — why it matters
Canada is a significant English-speaking music market with a strong broadcasting sector that generates meaningful royalties. The CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) radio network plays a wide range of music including international repertoire. Canadian Content (CanCon) rules require Canadian broadcasters to play a minimum proportion of Canadian music, which concentrates Canadian royalties on domestic repertoire — but international music still generates income from the remainder of airplay. UK artists who tour Canada or whose music has been playlist-placed on Canadian radio or streaming platforms should expect to see Canadian royalties appearing in their PRS account, typically with an 18 to 24 month lag from the date of broadcast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to join SOCAN if I am a UK artist?
No. PRS for Music's reciprocal agreement with SOCAN covers Canadian performance royalties for UK PRS members. Your Canadian royalties are collected by SOCAN and passed to PRS for distribution to you. You do not need a separate SOCAN membership.
How do I know if I am receiving Canadian royalties through PRS?
Log in to your PRS member portal and look at your royalty statements broken down by territory. Canadian royalties will appear as SOCAN distributions. If you have had Canadian airplay and no SOCAN distributions have appeared in your statements, this may indicate a registration issue with your works.
What is the lag time for Canadian royalties through PRS?
International royalties through reciprocal agreements typically take 12 to 24 months to arrive in your PRS account from the date of the original broadcast or performance. Canadian royalties are typically in the 18 to 24 month range.
What is Canadian Content (CanCon) and does it affect foreign artists?
CanCon regulations require Canadian broadcasters to dedicate a minimum percentage of airtime to Canadian music. This concentrates a portion of Canadian royalties on domestic repertoire. International artists still generate Canadian royalties from the unregulated airtime, but CanCon means that without specific Canadian radio traction, Canadian royalties may be modest compared to the UK market.
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