Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) Distributed $96 Million In Royalties to Publishers and Songwriters In 2024

One of Canada's leading royalty agencies saw a marked increase in 2024 distributions.

The Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) distributed $96 million in royalties to publishers and self-published songwriters last year. That marks a 23% increase from 2023, with streaming leading the way in growth at 38%.

TikTok was one of the biggest areas of growth. Royalties on the social app jumped up by an impressive 126%. That shows TikTok's massive influence on contemporary music discovery and popularity, also reflected in TikTok viral songs hitting the charts, minting the careers of new artists and re-igniting back catalogues of others.

International revenues jumped by 50%, highlighting a strong global music market for Canadian artists.

Digital downloads were up 62% while physical revenues were comparably steady at a 12% increase.

Those numbers cap off a big year for CMRRA, which turns 50 this year. In 2024, the agency renewed licensing deals with the major streaming platforms, added 360 new clients and collaborated with partners like the Junos, Honey Jam and the Canadian Country Music Association.

To celebrate its 50th year, the company is looking back on its achievements and ahead to the future of the music industry. Kicking off a newsletter on CMRRA's history, President Paul Shaver is highlighting major milestones across 50 years.

"We have over 7,000 clients worldwide and a well-earned reputation across the industry for being efficient, technology-forward, client-focused, and trustworthy,” Shaver says in CMRRA's The Pulse. “Many of these clients represent hundreds or thousands of songwriters, further amplifying our global reach and impact.”

Founded in 1975 to centralize music licensing in Canada, in 1997 CMRRA advocacy helped secure a broadcast mechanical tariff requiring commercial radio to pay reproduction royalties that have gone on to generate $150 million for rights-holders. In 2004 CMRRA began negotiating directly with platforms like iTunes to help reproduction royalties move into the digital age.

In 2017, the company was acquired by SoundExchange and has gone on to tackle contemporary licensing and royalty issues. CMRRA and other industry partners such as SOCAN, Music Publishers Canada and CIMA are all working with government to ensure acceptable framework for AI use of copy-righted material to ensure rights owners are compensated for the usage of their IP, one of the biggest hot-button topics in the industry.

Speaking with Billboard Canada earlier this year, Shaver also highlighted a focus on streamlining metadata.

"One of the biggest challenges facing the Canadian music industry right now, particularly in the music publishing space, is managing the sheer amount of data and rights information as music consumption continues to grow globally," he explained.

"It is the industry’s collective responsibility to streamline this process in order to help rights owners more easily track and collect royalties for their songwriters. CMRRA will remain a vital resource in supporting music publishers and self-published songwriters by providing efficient and transparent end-to-end administration."