Paul Shaver operates at the centre of one of the music industry’s most important — and often least visible — systems: making sure songwriters and publishers actually get paid. As president of the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) and SX Works, Shaver oversees the data, licensing and royalty infrastructure that powers music rights management across Canada and beyond. At a time when streaming, AI and digital platforms are making rights ownership increasingly complex, the organization has become critical to ensuring accurate compensation flows through the ecosystem. Under Shaver’s leadership, CMRRA has increased collections and client distributions by more than 120% since 2020. In 2025, the organization celebrated its 50th anniversary by distributing $94 million in royalties to publishers and self-published songwriters in 2025.