RE:SOUND, SOCAN now working Entandem
Promising to make music licensing easier and more streamlined, RE:SOUND and SOCAN have joined forces to create a single entity, Entandem.
“Co-owned and overseen by RE:SOUND and SOCAN, Entandem brings the music licensing now managed separately by each organization into a single, jointly-operated business,” it was announced. “With Entandem, retailers, restaurants, nightclubs, fitness clubs and myriad other organizations that use music will be able to complete their legally-required licenses in a single transaction.”
Billboard notes that SOCAN and RE:SOUND ran a “successful pilot project” of what is now Entandem in 2017 with 400 organizations testing the new platform before its official announcement.
The online portal is set to launch in July and the presidents of SOCAN and RE:SOUND say the joint venture will make things easier for musicians and, potentially, more profitable.
“For most businesses that use music, a single licensing organization means a simplified experience, by interacting with one organization instead of two, with one payment for both RE:SOUND and SOCAN music licenses, and one point of contact to answer questions and resolve issues,” said Ian MacKay, RE:SOUND’s president.
Much like in the United States, where ASCAP and BMI collect royalties and licensing fees for the use of recorded music in public places and sporting events, Canadian law requires businesses to pay for the music they use in order to ensure musicians are paid for their work.
Entandem “will administer the licensing process as RE:SOUND and SOCAN do today, bringing royalties to Canadian songwriters, composers, publishers, labels and performers,” the groups say. “Music licenses will continue to be based on agreements with users or tariffs approved by the Copyright Board of Canada.
RE:SOUND and SOCAN will remain responsible for paying royalties to musicians for recorded music published on YouTube, social media, radio, television and streaming services, and each organization will issue licenses to so-called background music suppliers.
“RE:SOUND and SOCAN getting together for Entandem means a strengthened ability to reach more businesses that should be paying both music licenses that provide vital support to music creators, especially the emerging and middle-class ones,” said SOCAN CEO Eric Baptiste. “By making the process easier, we expect stronger engagement across the country and, with that, increased realization of earned royalties for Canada’s songwriters, composers, publishers, labels and performers.”
So while this won’t really change anything for music fans, it will ease things bit for both musicians and establishments that play music, which is a win for pretty much everyone.
