Canadian collections agency SOCAN announced last week that it set a new record in 2019. The group saw an estimated C$405.5 million in collections during the year, a total that was 8% higher than its previous record of C$375 million in 2018.
SOCAN said that the growth was mostly driven by digital sources, which grew by about C$23 million. Leadership from the organization used the announcement as an opportunity to push for further modernization in Canada’s rules governing digital media licensing.
“Royalties from television, radio, international, and concerts remain strong, but most growth this year came from domestic digital sources, and it’s clear that more must be done to improve the SOCAN writer’s and publisher’s shares from streaming royalties,” SOCAN CEO Eric Baptiste said. “The Canadian government has acknowledged that Canadian content rules and discoverability must be modernized for the digital age. If music creation – the lifeblood of Canada’s music industry – isn’t supported quickly through the development of updated rules, there could be dire economic and cultural consequences.”