SOCAN acquires CMRRA from SoundExchange
SOCAN has agreed to accumulate the Canadian Musical Copy Rights Company (CMRRA) from SoundExchange.
The organizations introduced the settlement on Wednesday (July 29), with the transaction topic to regulatory approval and different customary closing circumstances.
SOCAN and SoundExchange didn’t disclose the monetary phrases and mentioned particulars of the transaction are confidential.
The businesses mentioned the acquisition brings collectively SOCAN‘s performing rights management with CMRRA‘s greater than 50 years in copy rights.
CMRRA licenses copy rights and administers royalties for musical works in Canada, and represents most music publishers working within the nation.
“Buying CMRRA is about strengthening Canada’s music rights panorama and constructing a extra seamless expertise for music publishers and creators.”
Jennifer Brown, SOCAN
“Buying CMRRA is about strengthening Canada’s music rights panorama and constructing a extra seamless expertise for music publishers and creators,” mentioned Jennifer Brown, CEO of SOCAN.
“By bringing collectively CMRRA and SOCAN, we’ve got a chance to harness our respective strengths and help long-term progress.”
“SoundExchange has been a powerful and dependable residence for CMRRA, guaranteeing continuity and care by a interval of great change in our business,” Brown added.
“That basis in copy rights and experience will play a central position in advancing a extra related and efficient music rights administration system in Canada.”
“When SoundExchange acquired CMRRA practically a decade in the past, we noticed a chance to strengthen its basis, spend money on its future, and improve the providers it offers to music publishers and songwriters,” mentioned Michael Huppe, President and CEO of SoundExchange.
“This transaction advantages creators, publishers, and the broader music group whereas permitting SoundExchange to proceed advancing our core mission of delivering worth to artists and rights house owners all over the world.”
Michael Huppe, SoundExchange
“Collectively, SoundExchange and CMRRA have constructed a powerful, progressive, and thriving group.”
“We’re pleased with the progress achieved and consider SOCAN is the suitable group to construct on that success.”
“This transaction advantages creators, publishers, and the broader music group whereas permitting SoundExchange to proceed advancing our core mission of delivering worth to artists and rights house owners all over the world.”
SoundExchange acquired CMRRA in 2017.
The deal took the Washington, D.C.-based group into copy rights, having constructed its enterprise on sound recording royalties.
CMRRA was based in 1975.
It distributed CAD $78 million (USD $57.8 million) in mechanical royalties in 2023, up 8.9% year-on-year.
Paul Shaver, who was named President of CMRRA in 2019, mentioned: “CMRRA has benefited significantly from SoundExchange‘s funding, partnership, and dedication to our mission, and we’re pleased with the progress we’ve got made collectively.”
“As we glance forward, this subsequent chapter with SOCAN represents an thrilling alternative to construct on that basis, drive innovation, deepen our service to music publishers and self-published songwriters, and contribute to a extra built-in and efficient rights administration ecosystem in Canada.”
For 100 years, SOCAN has collected efficiency and copy royalties for music creators in Canada and all over the world, the group says.
It describes itself as Canada‘s largest member-owned music rights group, and represents practically 200,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers.
SoundExchange describes itself as the biggest international neighboring rights group, and says it has distributed greater than $13 billion in digital efficiency royalties to greater than 800,000 music creators.
As the only real group designated by the US authorities to manage the Part 114 sound recording license, SoundExchange collects royalties from platforms together with Pandora, SiriusXM, and iHeartRadio.
Collectively, the 2 organizations have performed important roles within the assortment and distribution of music royalties of their respective markets.
SOCAN distributed CAD $511.9 million (USD $366 million) to members in 2025, together with CAD $11.8 million (USD $8.4 million) from copy rights.
InJuly , SOCAN named Musical AI as an attribution accomplice to credit score and pay creators whose work is utilized by AI.Music Enterprise Worldwide
