Canadian businesses that play background music pay SOCAN for the musical works and Re:Sound for the recordings. Since 2 July 2019 both licenses can be bought with one payment through Entandem.
| Who | What for | |
|---|---|---|
| SOCAN | Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada | Performing rights in musical works |
| Re:Sound | Re:Sound Music Licensing Company | Remuneration for performers and makers of sound recordings |
| Entandem | Entandem (SOCAN and Re:Sound) | Joint portal issuing both licences with one payment |
A café, shop, bar or hotel that plays background music normally needs two licences: SOCAN Tariff 15.A for the musical works, and Re:Sound Tariff 3.B for published sound recordings and performers' performances. Both are tariffs certified by the Copyright Board.
Entandem, a joint venture of SOCAN and Re:Sound since 2 July 2019, is the single portal for venues and issues both licences with one payment. SOCAN 15.A applies where no background music supplier licence already covers the use.
SOCAN Tariff 15.A is based on the square footage of the area where music is played. Re:Sound Tariff 3.B is based on square footage or capacity, depending on the type of business.
No current fee example was confirmed in this research. Re:Sound Tariff 3.B was certified for 2016 to 2020; the current certified period was not verified. Use the Entandem portal for a quote.
Consumer plans of Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube are licensed for personal, noncommercial use under their own terms, so a private account is not a license to play music to customers.
Background music suppliers license directly with SOCAN and Re:Sound, so a service built for business may cover the venue. A personal streaming account does not.
On the recordings side, section 19 of the Copyright Act gives performers and makers a right to equitable remuneration for public performance of published sound recordings, and section 19(2) requires the royalties to be paid to the collective society authorized to collect them, which is Re:Sound. This is effectively mandatory collective collection. Whether a venue still owes the Re:Sound tariff when the maker and performer have waived payment is unclear, because the statute routes payment to the society.
Eligibility depends on the nationality of the maker or performer, or the place where the recording was made (section 20: Canada, Rome Convention and WPPT countries, with some limitations), so some foreign recordings generate no section 19 remuneration.
On the authors' side, SOCAN collects under certified tariffs for its repertoire, and no blanket legal presumption covering all works was confirmed. A venue using compositions outside SOCAN should keep written licences and track lists.
Penalty amounts for venues were not officially documented in this research; infringement and unpaid tariffs can be recovered in court.
Dr.DIO Studio makes its own electronic and ambient music, no Dr.DIO track is registered with any collecting society, and the Business plan ($14.99 a month per venue, 14 days free) gives the venue a direct public playback license and a certificate for Dr.DIO music.
Because Dr.DIO compositions are not in SOCAN's repertoire, the SOCAN side should not apply to them, but Canadian law routes recordings remuneration only through Re:Sound, and whether Re:Sound's tariff still applies to Dr.DIO recordings is unclear. Ask Entandem or Re:Sound in writing before you rely on paying nothing for recordings.
Any other music in the venue, such as radio, TV, live music or other playlists, still needs the usual licences.
This page explains the general rules as published by the societies and laws listed above, checked in October 2026. It is not legal advice; fees and rules change, so confirm with the society before you decide.
Yes, if you play protected music to customers. Usually you need SOCAN Tariff 15.A for the songs and Re:Sound Tariff 3.B for the recordings, both available through Entandem.
The fee depends on the square footage where music is played, and for Re:Sound sometimes on capacity. No current official example was confirmed for this guide; Entandem calculates it for you.
It is the certified tariff for background music in establishments, covering the musical works where no background music supplier licence applies.
Not with a personal account, which is for personal, noncommercial use. A business music service that licenses with SOCAN and Re:Sound may cover you.
Yes, normally both: SOCAN for the composers and publishers, Re:Sound for the performers and makers of the recordings.
It covers published sound recordings and performers' performances used as background music in establishments such as shops, bars, restaurants and music on hold.
