Photo by ASCAP "I Create Music" Expo

SOCAN member discount for “I Create Music” ASCAP Expo 2019

Story by Howard Druckman | Thursday March 14th, 2019

SOCAN members can register for the ASCAP “I Create Music” Expo at the discounted rate of only $349 USD ( a $70 discount) until April 18, simply by selecting “SOCAN” from the “Partner” menu towards the end of the registration process.

Now in its fourteenth year, this music creator conference takes place May 2-4, 2019, at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles. This annual event brings together more than 2,500 people from the world community of songwriters, composers, music publishers, producers, music industry professionals and emerging music creators, for three days of education, innovation and inspiration. The conference includes panels, workshops, performances, exhibitor demos, one-on-one sessions and networking events.

Among the performers to appear at the gathering are Academy Award winner Anthony Rossomando, co-writer of the huge hit song “Shallow,” from the movie A Star Is Born; iconic country singer-songwriter and Grammy winner Lee Ann Womack; and singer-songwriter, producer, and musician Matthew Koma, who collaborated with Zedd on the No. 1 EDM hits “Spectrum” and “Find You,” co-wrote the Grammy-winning, triple-platinum “Clarity.”

For more information, visit the “I Create Music” Expo website; to register, visit the Expo registration page.

SOCAN, 41 other Canadian music organizations commit to fostering safe, respectful workspaces

Story by SOCAN | Saturday March 16th, 2019

SOCAN is proud to join our allies in the Canadian music community in signing the Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct. On March 16, 2019, at the Allies in Action event during JUNO Week, it was announced that 42 music community groups had signed on to the Code, acknowledging their responsibility to build safe, respectful workplaces, committing to improving and implementing policies to keep the music community safe.

As a first step, members of the coalition have formed an Education, Training and Safe Support Committee, which is working to provide each member of the Canadian music community with the appropriate resources and training to identify, confront, and prevent harassment, bullying and violence in any workplace. Unison Benevolent Fund has volunteered to host a suite of educational and training resources through its website, at no cost. These resources will be made available to the music community at a later date.

Today’s announcement was made at Allies in Action, an event focused on initiatives undertaken or underway to create safer spaces as the Canadian music community gathers in London, Ontario for the 2019 JUNO Awards.

For many years, SOCAN has already maintained stringent policies against harassment, discrimination, violence, and bullying, so it was a clear decision for our organization to commit to the Code.

“The Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct is a wonderful initiative that provides a uniform set of standards to ensure the safety and success of our colleagues throughout the Industry,” said Samantha Slattery, Founder, Women in Music Canada

“It’s important that we’ve all signed on to the Code as a community, but now it’s even more important that we look at ways to proactively change the way we do business,” said Margaret McGuffin, Executive Director, Canadian Music Publishers Association.

You can read the full Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct at www.ReadTheCode.ca

Additional organizations that would like to sign on to the Code can register online. Once the form has been completed, new signatories should e-mail a high-resolution company logo to info@readthecode.ca with your organization’s name and “Becoming Code signatory” in the subject line.

Music industry groups that have signed on to the Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct are:

Across the Board 50/50 by 2020

ACTRA RACS (Recording Artists’ Collecting Society)

AFM Local 1000 (American Federation of Musicians)

Calgary Musicians Association

Canadian Conference of Musicians

Canadian Country Music Association

Canadian Federation of Musicians

Canadian Live Music Association

Canadian Music Publishers Association

Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency Ltd. (CMRRA)

Canadian Private Copying Collective

CCMC Music Gallery

CONNECT Music Licensing

Creative BC

Cultural Industries Ontario North (CION)

Edmonton Musicians Association, AFM Local 390

Film & Entertainment Industries, City of Toronto

Folk Music Ontario

Guilde des musiciens et musiciennes du Québec

Gypsy Soul Entertainment

Island Musicians Association (IMA)

Manitoba Music

Music BC Industry Association

Music Canada

Music Industry Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (MusicNL)

Music Prince Edward Island (PEI)

Music·Musique NB

Musicians Association Local 276 CFM (Canadian Federation of Musicians)

Musicians’ Association of Ottawa-Gatineau

Musicians’ Rights Organization Canada (MROC)

Re:Sound

Regina Musicians Association

SaskMusic

Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN)

Songwriters Association of Canada (S.A.C.)

SONIC UNYON

The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

Toronto Musicians’ Association, AFM Local 149

Unison Benevolent Fund

Vancouver Musicians Association, Local 145 of AFM

WCMA (Western Canadian Music Alliance)

Women in Music Canada

JUNO Week 2019 designated Licensed To Play by SOCAN

Story by Howard Druckman | Thursday March 14th, 2019

The 2019 JUNO Awards and JUNO Week have once again been designated Licensed To Play with SOCAN, standing up with host city London, Ontario, for fair and legal music licensing for music creators and publishers.

After confirming that more than 20 live music venues – where more than 100 acts will play in the JUNO Week festival – are licensed with SOCAN, JUNO Week was given a special Licensed To Play designation.

The City of London has already stood up, and continues to do so, for fair remuneration for songwriters, composers, and music publishers: All of its city-owned recreational facilities – including community halls, swimming pools, arenas, and other recreational services – are licensed with SOCAN.

“London has a vibrant and diverse music community that supports national partners and industry. Having JUNO Fest venues Licensed to Play through SOCAN demonstrates the dedication of London’s music scene to fully support live music,” said Cory Crossman, Music Industry Development Officer, Culture Office, City of London.

“The Licensed To Play designation is a badge of honour that shows that the JUNOs, and London, are committed to being an ethical and legal part of the Canadian music ecosystem,” said SOCAN CEO Eric Baptiste. “Music rights and fair licensing are a partnership, and it’s gratifying to see that the JUNOs, the JUNO Week venues, and the City of London share SOCAN’s commitment to do what’s right for those who create and publish music.”

Licensed To Play is a long-term program that encourages businesses to show that music is an instrumental aspect of the customer experience. Collectively, music licensing provides a major part of songwriters’, composers’, and music publishers’ livelihoods through royalties. It’s a vital aspect of Canada’s music ecosystem.

This is the third time that JUNO Week has been declared officially Licensed To Play by SOCAN. Canadian Music Week, the City of Hamilton, the East Coast Music Awards, BreakOut West, and M for Montréal have also received the special designation since the Licensed To Play program launched in 2014.