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CMW Returns with Chuck D , Merk Mercuriadis & More
Canadian Music Week saw its in-person return in June at a new conference venue , the Intercontinental Toronto Centre . The 40 th year of Canadian Music Week hosted the Radio Active Conference from June 7-8 , with the International Music Summit from June 8-10 , while showcase concerts were held in venues around downtown Toronto from June 6-11 . Popular prog-rock duo Crown Lands headlined the opening party at The Phoenix on June 7 th .
Among the high-profile speakers were Merck Mercuriadis , the founder
MERK MERCURIADIS & CHUCK D AT CMW and CEO of Hipgnosis Songs , which has made global headlines for spending billions of dollars in recent years by buying up the rights to song catalogs , as well as Chuck D of Public Enemy , who took part in a keynote interview with Mercuriadis . Additional panel discussions on the business of song rights , songwriting , licensing music , music supervision , recording , music publishing , and more took place throughout the conference .
The various award shows that took place as part of CMW included the Live Music Industry Awards on June 10 th , and the Canadian Independent Music Awards , known as “ The Indies ,” on June 11 th , both at the El Mocambo .
PHOTO : GRANT W . MARTIN PHOTOGRAPHY
SOCAN Releases Final 2021 Financial Results ; Reports $ 416M in Collection
SOCAN has announced its final 2021 fiscal results , including $ 416-million in collections for licensed music and $ 353-million paid to the more than 180,000 songwriters , composers , publishers and visual artists the organization represents .
Collections increased by 6 %, despite several revenue streams continuing to be impacted by the pandemic . Cost efficiencies remained crucial , and SOCAN says kept gross expenses below 2019 levels and saw a less than 1 % increase year-over-year .
Highlights of SOCAN ’ s 2021 results : Total collections of $ 416-million ( 6 % increase over 2020 ); domestic collections of $ 310-million ( up 6 % year-over-year ); total collections from internet use of music were $ 135 million ( up 30 %); strong reproduction rights results with internet audio-visual more than doubling , synchronization up 37 %, and international reproduction rights revenue up 32 % over 2020 ; and total international collections increasing 6 % to $ 106 million .
SOCAN CEO JENNIFER BROWN
Internet collection increases have been driven by a rapidly expanding world market for music delivered online . SOCAN stabilization in internet music revenue is starting to occur due to market saturation , while internet audio-visual is still seeing significant increases with the introduction of new services in Canada , most recently Disney +, Amazon TV , and Apple TV .
“ Internet royalties now make up nearly 40 % of the quarterly SOCAN domestic distributions , which is why the Online Streaming Act currently being tabled by the federal government is so important ,” says Jennifer Brown , SOCAN CEO . “ It is imperative that streaming services contribute to the Canadian cultural ecosystem by promoting Canadian songs and ensuring fair compensation for our members ’ work .” Even with overall increases , the average SOCAN writer-member received only $ 67 in royalties from online streaming in 2021 . For an overview of SOCAN ’ s 2021 activities and financials , go to
www . socanannualreport . ca .
ArtsCan Circle Charity Auction Launching in September
Canadian Musician publisher NWC is supporting ArtsCan Circle with a new online charity auction that will launch this fall . It will be open for bidding from Sept . 12-30 , 2022 , and include musical instruments , pro audio gear , event tickets , career advice , lessons , music collectibles , and much more
Proceeds from the action will support ArtsCan Circle (
www . artscancircle . ca ), a non-profit that brings musicians , visual artists , filmmakers , and songwriters to work with First Nations , Innu , Inuit , and Métis youth in communities across the north , from the Yukon to Labrador . ArtsCan provides access to instruments and artistic tools , and helps young people share their stories through creative expression . You can currently sign up as a VIP and receive regular updates and advance entry to the auction . For more information , go to pages . nwcworld . com / artscan .
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