Canada-based rights organizations RE:SOUND and SOCAN have launched a joint venture called Entandem, which brings the music licensing now managed separately by each organization into a single, jointly-operated business.
With Entandem, retailers, restaurants, nightclubs, fitness clubs and myriad other organizations that use music will be able to complete their legally- required licenses in a single transaction.
The new joint venture, which builds upon a successful 2017 pilot project that combined music licensing for both parent organizations via an online portal, will be launched in July 2019.
Until launch, licensing will continue to be administered separately by RE:SOUND and SOCAN, without change.
Entandem will administer the licensing process as RE:SOUND and SOCAN do today, bringing royalties to Canadian songwriters, composers, publishers, labels and performers. Music licenses will continue to be based on agreements with users or tariffs approved by the Copyright Board of Canada.
While Entandem will collect licenses for live performances and the general use of recorded music in public venues, RE:SOUND and SOCAN will continue to administer royalties separately for recorded music, for example on YouTube, social media, radio, television, movies and online streaming services in single-use or as copies.
Background music suppliers will also continue to obtain licenses directly from RE:SOUND and SOCAN.
Entandem will be jointly owned and overseen by RE:SOUND and SOCAN. However, in its day-to-day activities, it will operate separately from the parent organizations, under separate management.
The new organization will operate nationwide in Canada and will have premises in both downtown Toronto and Montréal.
Existing licensing teams from each company will come together in shared locations.
“Entandem is all about simplicity.”
Ian MacKay, RE:SOUND
“Entandem is all about simplicity,” said Ian MacKay, president of RE:SOUND.
“For most businesses that use music, a single licensing organization means a simplified experience, by interacting with one organization instead of two, with one payment for both RE:SOUND and SOCAN music licenses, and one point of contact to answer questions and resolve issues.”
“RE:SOUND and SOCAN getting together for Entandem means a strengthened ability to reach more businesses that should be paying both music licenses that provide vital support to music creators, especially the emerging and middle-class ones.”
Eric Baptiste, SOCAN
SOCAN CEO Eric Baptiste, added: “RE:SOUND and SOCAN getting together for Entandem means a strengthened ability to reach more businesses that should be paying both music licenses that provide vital support to music creators, especially the emerging and middle-class ones.
“By making the process easier, we expect stronger engagement across the country and, with that, increased realization of earned royalties for Canada’s songwriters, composers, publishers, labels and performers.”
“By making music licensing easier and more efficient, it will help put more of the value our music provides into the hands of rights-holders like me. It’s a big step forward for anyone seeking to build a sustainable career in music.”
Jeff Stinco, Simple Plan
Jeff Stinco, member of Simple Plan and owner of Montréal restaurant Mangiafocco said: “It’s about time – literally. We strongly believe that the music we play at the restaurant brings value, otherwise we wouldn’t use it, and it’s only fair that the owners of the music that we license gain fair royalties for their work.
“By making music licensing easier and more efficient, it will help put more of the value our music provides into the hands of rights-holders like me. It’s a big step forward for anyone seeking to build a sustainable career in music.”
The launch of Entandem follows a similar move in the United Kingdom which saw the country’s two music licensing companies PPL and PRS for Music launch a JV called PPL PRS Ltd to offer a single public performance licence.Music Business Worldwide
