Fairness for Music Creators

 
What’s unfair about the current definition?

• Canadian performers and record labels don’t get paid performance royalties when their sound recording is used in a television show, movie, video streaming platform or other audio-visual content. More and more, this is how music is being consumed.
• Authors and composers, both in Canada and abroad, have this right, as do performers and record labels in many countries around the world. Canadian performers and record labels are left behind, with many struggling to make a living.

Who gets paid performance royalties when a song is performed on the big and small screen?

 
What’s the solution?

Amend the definition of sound recording to allow performers and record labels to be fairly and equitably compensated when sound recordings are performed in movies, television and other audiovisual content.

Download FFMC Info Card

 
What’s unfair about the exemption?

• Performance royalties for performers and record labels were introduced in 1997. At the time, commercial radio was struggling, and in response a special and transitional $1.25 million exemption was created to provide temporary relief for commercial radio.
• 25 years later this subsidy still exists despite radio industry consolidations and extraordinary profits over this time. This loophole continues to be exploited at the expense of music creators.
• Commercial radio is the sole music user to receive this privileged treatment.
• Performers and record labels are the only rights holders being penalized by this exemption in Canada.

Which countries have a $1.25 million exemption for radio?

Canada is the only country in the entire world with this unfair and inequitable subsidy.

 
What’s the solution?

The unfair $1.25 million exemption must be removed from the Canadian Copyright Act so radio stations can fairly compensate Canadian performers and makers for their work.

Download FFMC Info Card

Re:Sound supports the Canadian Private Copying Collective’s campaign to make the private copying regime technologically neutral. Check out the CPCC’s website.