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FYI

CMRRA Statement on SODRAC, SOCAN Merger

No one wants to say so but there is a turf war over the collection of music rights payments in Canada. SOCAN has traditionally been known as a performing rights agency but it is expanding its reach to include mechanical rights that until this week had been the almost exclusive domain of the CMRRA.

CMRRA Statement on SODRAC, SOCAN Merger

By FYI Staff

Until this week the benchmark agency of record for mechanical rights collections and payments was the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA), but Tuesday performing rights organization SOCAN announced it has acquired Montreal-based mechanical rights agency SODRAC. The following is a statement about the merger issued by the CMRRA.


SOCAN has announced today its acquisition of Montréal-based mechanical licensing collective SODRAC. After several previous attempts to merge these organizations, this comes as no surprise. SOCAN and SODRAC are looking to adapt to today’s rapidly evolving music industry and it’s understandable that, as two Canadian-based author societies, they have finally come together.

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CMRRA itself responded to this changing landscape by forming its own strategic partnership with SoundExchange just over a year ago. Under the ownership of the newly created SXWorks, CMRRA benefits from the direction of an independent publisher committee that oversees key decisions on the management of publisher rights regarding advocacy, tariffs, and licensing. This offers CMRRA’s music publisher affiliates a robust governance structure that was not achievable under the previously proposed alliance between CMRRA, SOCAN and SODRAC.

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CMRRA represents the vast majority of music publishers that do business in Canada, including self-published authors as well as some of the largest Quebec-based music publishers who bring to CMRRA an extensive francophone and international repertoire. CMRRA continues to license and administer an increasing share of the music market, with a repertoire that has largely captured the listening time of Canadians, resulting in royalty collections representing nearly all of streaming services’ mechanical royalty payments to date.

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Cowboys Fringants
Cowboys Fringants
Cowboys Fringants
Chart Beat

Les Cowboys Fringants Debut ‘Merci ben!’ on the Billboard Canada AC Airplay Chart

The track from the Quebec band enters at No. 30 over a year after its release, picking up steam on the radio airwaves. Ariane Moffatt's “Jouer” also reaches a new peak, marking the second consecutive week with two charting French songs.

French-language music makes its mark on the Canadian charts this week.

Les Cowboys Fringants have made their latest Billboard debut with their song “Merci ben!” which arrives at No. 30 on the Canada AC chart for May 10. The country-folk track finds the band thanking its fans while reminiscing on its beginnings and milestones, from playing small bars to sold-out arenas. The track’s title is Quebec jargon for “Thank you very much!”

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