What Are SOCAN and Re:Sound Fees on a Canadian Wedding Venue Invoice?

You review the venue invoice and notice two unfamiliar items:

·        SOCAN fee;

·        Re:Sound fee.

They may appear beside the room rental, food, bar service or dance-floor charge. Because many couples have already paid a DJ or band, the extra music fees can look like duplication.

They are different charges.

SOCAN and Re:Sound administer different public-performance rights connected to music used in Canada. Entandem provides a combined licensing contact for many venues and businesses on behalf of both organizations.

What does SOCAN cover?

SOCAN represents songwriters, composers and music publishers.

When a protected musical work is performed publicly, the creators and publishers behind the composition may be entitled to compensation. This can apply whether a song is played by a DJ, performed by a live band or used as background music.

The SOCAN fee is not payment for the speaker system or entertainer. It relates to permission to perform the underlying musical work publicly.

What does Re:Sound cover?

Re:Sound represents performers and record companies for public-performance rights in recorded music.

When a commercially released recording is played at a reception, rights connected to the performers and sound recording may be engaged.

A live band performing without recorded music may still involve SOCAN rights, while Re:Sound generally relates to recorded music. Many weddings use both live and recorded music, so the applicable licences depend on the event format.

What is Entandem?

Entandem was created by SOCAN and Re:Sound to simplify common music licensing for Canadian businesses.

Hotels, banquet halls, restaurants and other venues can obtain several licences through one point of contact rather than dealing separately with both organizations.

Entandem states that each reception, conference, function or convention at a hotel or facility that uses music needs the appropriate licence.

Why does paying the DJ not cover this?

The DJ’s invoice pays for services such as:

·        planning;

·        equipment;

·        setup and teardown;

·        announcements;

·        music selection and mixing;

·        lighting; and

·        performance time.

It does not necessarily grant the venue or event organizer the required public-performance rights.

Similarly, buying a song or paying for a personal Spotify, Apple Music or other streaming subscription gives personal access. It does not normally include the right to use the music publicly in a commercial or event setting.

Why are there two fees?

The organizations compensate different groups of rights holders.

A simplified explanation is:

·        SOCAN: songwriters, composers and music publishers connected to the musical work.

·        Re:Sound: performers and record companies connected to the sound recording.

A recorded song can involve both sets of rights. That is why two lines may appear even though guests hear one piece of music.

Who is responsible for paying?

The legal licensing arrangement and the allocation of costs under the wedding contract are separate questions.

A venue may:

·        hold an annual licence and include its cost in pricing;

·        report and pay for individual events;

·        charge an event-specific amount to the couple;

·        include the fee in a package; or

·        list the charges separately.

Your contract determines whether the venue may pass the cost to you. Ask before signing rather than waiting for the final invoice.

How are the fees calculated?

The applicable tariff or licence can consider:

·        whether the event includes dancing;

·        the capacity of the room;

·        the type of music use;

·        recorded or live music;

·        the number of events; and

·        whether the venue uses an annual or event-specific licence.

Do not rely on an old fee chart found online. Proposed tariffs, certified tariffs and negotiated licensing arrangements are not the same, and amounts can change.

Ask the venue to identify:

1. the licence or tariff category;

2. the room capacity used;

3. whether the calculation assumes dancing;

4. whether the charge covers SOCAN, Re:Sound or both;

5. whether tax is added;

6. whether the venue holds an annual licence; and

7. whether the amount is already included elsewhere in the package.

Does a ceremony with only a few songs need a licence?

It depends on how and where the music is used and on the venue’s licensing arrangement.

Do not assume that a short playlist, instrumental music or small guest count is automatically exempt. Ask the venue or Entandem which licence applies.

Does “no dancing” eliminate the fee?

Not necessarily.

A reception without dancing may still use protected music publicly. The applicable category or amount may differ from an event with dancing, but the absence of a dance floor does not automatically remove all music-licensing requirements.

Make sure the venue does not calculate the invoice as “with dancing” when the contract and event plan clearly state otherwise.

What if the venue already has an annual licence?

An annual licence may cover some uses, but the details matter. It does not automatically prove every reception fee is included, and it does not automatically justify an additional event charge.

Ask the venue:

·        what the annual licence covers;

·        whether receptions are reported separately;

·        whether the invoice line is a pass-through licence cost or an administrative fee; and

·        which contract clause permits the charge.

A legitimate charge should be explainable.

What if you use royalty-free music?

“Royalty-free” does not always mean free from every licensing condition. It usually means the music is offered under a specific licence, and permitted uses depend on its terms.

If you plan to use only music licensed specifically for public event use, provide the documentation to the venue and ask Entandem whether another tariff or reporting obligation still applies. A playlist labelled “copyright-free” is not sufficient proof by itself.

Questions to ask before signing

·        Are SOCAN and Re:Sound fees included in the package?

·        Will they appear as separate charges?

·        Is the amount based on room capacity or final attendance?

·        Does the amount change when there is no dancing?

·        Does the venue hold an annual Entandem licence?

·        Is there an administrative markup?

·        Does the DJ or band need to provide documentation?

·        What happens if no recorded music is used?

Sample message to the venue

Final takeaway

SOCAN and Re:Sound charges are not random wedding surcharges. They relate to the legal public performance of protected music and compensate different rights holders.

Couples should still ask the venue to explain the calculation, confirm that dancing and room capacity were recorded correctly and verify that the same cost has not been included elsewhere in the package.

Use MapleVow to organize your wedding budget, vendors and reception details.

References and official sources