New program will compensate Canadian musicians for online performances
The ongoing cornavirus pandemic has taken its toll on the music industry. Musicians who once relied heavily on touring and live concerts to make a living have seen their wages drop off drastically.
Now, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) has announced the launch of Encore!, a program that rewards Canadian music artists for online performances.
In a statement, SOCAN's Interim-CEO, Jennifer Brown comments, "many of our members have stepped up for fans, staging online concerts to bring the public together and keep their careers moving ahead, so it is only fair that they get paid for their generous work with our Encore! program."
To be eligible for compensation, musicians need to be a member of SOCAN and applicants must meet the following requirements:
- "At least ten songs/compositions performed live, or a live performance of at least 30 minutes on Facebook or Instagram from March 15, 2020, to March 7, 2021 (inclusive)."
- "At least 100 people must have accessed the online event."
- "A setlist of all music performed has to be sent via SOCAN's Notification of Live Music Performance form at SOCAN.com, with the "venue" identified as Facebook or Instagram."
- "Claims must be made within 90 days of the Facebook/Instagram concert occurring."
Each live session will be eligible for $150 with royalties being paid out to any related rights holders.
For the time being, the program only includes Facebook and Instagram performances but SOCAN is working on adding additional platforms.
Interested artists can consult this FAQ document or visit SOCAN.ca to find out more on how to submit a performance.