Soproq is a not-for-profit collective rights management organization for makers of sound recordings and music videos. The organization collects and distributes royalties from the public performance and reproduction of sound recordings and music videos in its repertoire, as well as the royalties from the private copying regime. It also negotiates with music supply services and grants general licenses for the use of titles in its repertoire.

When you entrust the administration of your repertoire to Soproq, in addition to the distribution of royalties, you can take advantage of several other services and benefits.

There is no membership fee and the administration fee retained by Soproq on the royalties collected is among the most competitive on the market. As a not-for-profit organization, Soproq only retains administration fees to ensure the maintenance of a balanced budget and the financial stability of the organization. The current administration fees can be found here.

Soproq provides members with an online portal, Octave, which allows you to access and manage your repertoire, your payments, and your account information.

Soproq distributes royalties every month and ensures that each broadcast is dully paid for. Soproq facilitates the resolution of conflicts in your repertoire and offers various information sessions for a better understanding of its operations, management tools (Octave portal) and the rights it manages. Soproq also makes the legal deposit of your albums at BAnQ on your behalf.

If you are a Soproq Member as well as a performer, you can entrust us with the management of your rights as a performer (for the United States only) and thus simplify the management of your repertoire. Visit the section “Your Services” of our website.

Some types of royalties can only be collected through a collective management organization, mainly those arising from the equitable remuneration regime, section 19 of the Copyright Act (R.S.C. (1985), c. C-42.

Each of these organization manages different rights.

SOCAN manages the performing rights of musical works for songwriters and publishers and the reproduction rights for these same works with reference to Article 3 of the Copyright Act (R.S.C. ( 1985), c. C-42).

Artisti manages the rights granted to performers (singers and musicians) with reference to article 18 of the same law.

Soproq, for its part, manages the rights of makers of sound recordings and music videos, with reference to article 18 of the Law.

All rights coexist on a sound recording and each type of rights holder must register with the relevant management organization to receive their royalties. If the same beneficiary has more than one function on a recording (for example, songwriter and maker), they must register with each of the collective management organization in relation to the types of rights they hold (Socan and Soproq in the example given).

Copyright is the sole right to produce, reproduce, publish, or perform an original work of a literary, artistic, dramatic, or musical nature. In Canada, the Copyright Act grants to the maker of a sound recording or a music video, the sole right to do the following in relation to the sound recording or music video: to publish it, to reproduce it or to rent it out. These rights may be subsequently transferred to the benefit of the person who becomes the owner of the master recording.

A musical work is a melody, a harmony, or either combination of those two elements, with or without lyrics. A sound recording is the carrier on which the musical work is fixed. As a comparison, the sound recording may be seen as being a container, whereas the musical work is the content.

Historically, Soproq was created primarily to manage the royalties of music videos that were broadcast on television channels like Musique Plus or MuchMusic. Nowadays, Soproq also collects royalties for the use of your music videos by background music services.

The right from the private copying (CP) regime provides a remuneration to makers, among others, for the reproduction of sound recordings for private use on blank audio recording media (CD-R, CD-RW, CD-R audio and CD-RW audio).

For royalties from equitable remuneration and private copying regimes, the royalty rates payable by music services are established by the Copyright Board. The tariffs vary according to the uses and categories of music services (broadcasting, webcasting, background music, etc.). The licensing rates negotiated by Soproq with music services for reproduction rights are generally established by the tariff committee according to the market. In principle, music services have an obligation to provide lists of all sound recordings or music videos broadcast via their respective service and, consequently, royalties are paid to rights owners based on actual usage.

A special protection regime is granted to performers on their performances and to makers on their sound recordings. These are so-called “neighbouring” rights to copyright since they do not relate to a work in the traditional sense of the term (literary, artistic, musical, or dramatic work), but rather to the means used for the communication of this work, so that it is made available to the public (master recording or musical performance).

A maker is the person or company who makes all necessary arrangements for the first fixation of the sounds. Sometimes the term “executive producer” is used. On the other hand, a producer is responsible for supervising all artistic decisions about the recording. Please note that in French, a producer is a “réalisateur”, while a maker is a “producteur”.

The right to equitable remuneration (RE) provides a remuneration for the public performance or communication to the public by telecommunication of sound recordings. As such, when your sound recordings are broadcast on the radio, as background music in establishments, during events, etc. royalties are payable by the services that use them

The reproduction (Repro) right allows royalties to be received when Soproq authorizes music services (background music suppliers, radio broadcasters, webcasters, pay audio services, etc.) to reproduce for broadcast purposes the sound recordings or music videos (VD) in its repertoire. Unlike the mechanical rights on musical works paid to a songwriter, a composer, or a music publisher, each time a physical or digital copy is made of one of his songs or composition, this right refers to the incidental reproduction to the public communication of sound recordings or music videos made by a music service.

Soproq works with several Collective Management Organizations for rights owners around the world: PPL (United Kingdom), SIMIM (Belgium), SCPP (France), GVL (Germany), SoundExchange (USA and 41 additional countries in South America, Oceania and Asia). Furthermore, via Re:sound, Soproq benefits indirectly from several reciprocity agreements in various markets where it is not represented.

Each country or territory sets its own tariffs and develops its distribution methodologies. Usually, each use is subject to a royalty and is declared by the music service that uses it. If one of your sound recordings is played abroad and it is subject to royalties, these will reach you through one of the Collecting Management Organizations with which Soproq has an agreement. On a reciprocal basis, Canada being a party to the Rome Convention and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT), sound recordings eligible for equitable remuneration in Canada are eligible for such remuneration in the other signatory countries of these acts. This insofar as a tariff applies for equivalent use.

Please contact Soproq's Member Services at info@soproq.org or (438) 799-0742 option 1. Proof of this agreement will be requested. This can take the form of a contract (license) or any document explaining the assumption of responsibility for your sound recordings by a new rights owner in a given territory. For more details, please refer to the General Rules.

A UPC code (Universal Product Code) is a unique, permanent, and internationally recognized reference number allowing the identification of a specific product available for purchase online or in stores. Consisting of 12 digits, the UPC code is commonly referred to as a "barcode". The EAN code (European Article Numbering) code is a barcode used in Europe and is generally composed of 13 digits.

A product is the result of a fixation of any sound on one or more recording media (carriers). It can be a physical object (CD, LP, 45 rpm Vinyl Disc) as well as an intangible good in digital format. The product exists from the time it is released and can be a single, an EP or an album.

If you plan to deposit or have already deposited your product on one of the online music sales and streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, etc.), your distributor, record label, or aggregator must create a UPC code for your product, since this is a prerequisite on these platforms. This code can be used to complete your declaration to Soproq.

Yes, because they are two separate products, the first one including only one track. The album, of which this single is part, is a collection of several tracks and must have a different UPC code.

The UPC code identifies a physical or digital product that you market, such as an album, EP or single. The ISRC code identifies a sound recording (track), independently of the product it is on (CD, vinyl, digital, etc.).

Learn more about ISRC Code

The UPC code is assigned during the marketing stage of your product, as it is required by retailers, distributors, Collective Management Organizations, and Nielsen Soundscan.

If your physical product is available in a retail outlet (shop, record store, etc.), the UPC code is generally printed in the form of a machine-readable barcode and affixed to the packaging of your physical product. It was provided to you by your record label or distributor. If you don't have a record label or a distributor, and you don't plan to put your product on digital platforms, you will have to contact GS1 Canada to get it.

In the event of death of a Soproq Member, the estate of the deceased Member is substituted during the liquidation period for all rights and obligations of the deceased Member. The estate is represented during the liquidation by its liquidator who must provide Soproq with the death certificate of the Member and establish its legitimacy, either by the production of the will, if applicable, and the notice of appointment of the liquidator (letter of verification, letter of probate, certificate of appointment of the administrator of an estate with or without a will ...). The liquidator must also provide Soproq with the name, address, telephone number and email address of each heir. At the end of the liquidation of the estate, upon confirmation of the publication of the notice of closure of the estate, Soproq may resiliate the contract of the deceased member and the heirs of the deceased member may apply for a new membership. (Ref.: section 10.2 of General Rules)

The estate is represented during the liquidation by its liquidator who must provide Soproq with the death certificate of the Member and establish its legitimacy, either by the production of the will, if applicable, and the notice of appointment as a liquidator (letter of verification, letter of homologation, certificate of appointment of the administrator of an estate with or without a will, etc.). The liquidator must also provide Soproq with the name, address, telephone number and email address of each heir.

The rights on a sound recording or a music video are assets that are part of the estate of a member and may be bequeathed by will, just like the ownership of the sound recording or the music video.

Settlement of an estate can take several months or even a few years when the case is particularly complex. When a document is transmitted or a request sent to Soproq, the processing time is generally 24 to 48 business hours.

If you are an heir or the appointed liquidator of an estate, you must first contact Member Services, who will assist you in the procedures to follow.

Member Services: by email at info@soproq.org or by phone at (438) 799-0742 option 1.

From the time of the death of a member, all royalties are payable to the estate of the deceased. As soon as the estate's bank account is opened, the estate liquidator must send the information to Soproq so that the royalties are paid to the estate. Between the time of death and the opening of the estate's bank account, the liquidator can ask Member Services to withhold payments.

Member Services: by email at info@soproq.org or by phone at (438) 799-0742 option 1.

Upon transmission of the notice of closure of the estate to Soproq’s Member Services, the liquidator must also provide Soproq with the name and contact details of each heir. The deceased member's account will then be terminated, and the sound recordings and music videos part of the member's repertoire will be transferred to the heirs once they have completed a new Soproq membership application.

The Octave portal is a tool intended for Soproq members, those who want to become one or their authorized representative. Octave allows you to securely consult your repertoire, make new declarations, view titles in conflict, receive your payment reports, access and manage account information (such as updating contact details and bank information), etc.

Once membership is approved, you can start declaring your repertoire through your Octave online account. Make sure to update your repertoire as soon as your new products are played on the various radio stations and music services to avoid missing out on some royalties.

Once the complete and accurate data relating to a sound recording or a music video have been entered into the database, Soproq monitors for you the users who play your music to claim all the royalties to which you are entitled. On the “My Payments” page, you will start seeing royalties collected on your behalf. Note that the frequency of distributions varies according to the type of right, the source of the royalties and the amount of royalties payable.

Learn more about distributions

Learn more about administration of your rights

This can happen for the following reasons:

• You have not finalized your Soproq membership.
• The account administrator has granted you limited access to portal features.

If you have any questions or need assistance, do not hesitate to contact us by email at info@soproq.org or by phone at (438) 799-0742 option 1. Member Services are open from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Once logged in, please click on the name of the account you wish to consult, then on the button "View my registrant code" located in the "Custom actions" section of the dashboard. Your registrant code is indicated at the bottom of the page.

Consult the FAQ

Learn more about ISRC Code

Apply for a registrant code

Declare your repertoire directly online by logging into your Octave account and clicking on the “Declare a new product” or “Declare a new video” buttons located in the “Custom actions” section of your dashboard. The process will then guide you through the mandatory fields you need to provide regarding the details of your product or music video, to make declaring your repertoire as quick and easy as possible. When reviewing your declaration, errors or omissions in the mandatory fields will be indicated to you before you can submit it.

At any time, you can access the "My declarations" page to complete a saved declaration that has not been submitted. You can also follow up on the declarations that you recently submitted to Soproq on this page.

As for the declaration of a larger volume of audio or video repertoire, this can be easily done using an Excel template available for download on the "My declarations" page under "Declaration using file template". You receive a first email confirmation directly after your upload. If the upload contains critical errors (e.g., missing, or incorrect data in required fields), you will also be notified by email.

When declaring your sound recordings, you will be asked to indicate the percentage of rights that belong to you and with whom you share the remaining of the rights. The other rights owner(s) will receive an email inviting them to do the same and declare their own percentage. Please note that all rights owners must be members of the same Collective Management Organization to receive royalties from the reproduction right.

Under “My repertoire”, you will find all the sound recordings and music videos that you have submitted to the Octave portal, and which have been successfully processed by Soproq.

The submitted repertoire is therefore not immediately visible under "My repertoire" once you have declared it, but only once it has been processed by Octave's systems and after the respective conflict checks have been completed. This is usually done once a day, so you should be able to access your repertoire in the Octave portal no later than 1 to 2 business days after your declaration.

By using the Octave portal, you can modify or transfer the declared rights at any time, whether or not a sound recording or a music is in conflict, by simply completing a request via the "Modification and transfer" option under the "My repertoire" menu.

Once your modification or transfer request has been successfully submitted, a representative from our Member Services will process your request and contact you if necessary within 1 to 2 business days.

Please note that once the transfer of rights is complete, the sound recording or music video is deleted from your repertoire and will no longer be displayed or paid to you.

If payments have been made to you, a payment notice will be sent to you by email.

Once logged into your Octave account, you have an overview of your payments for the current year on the dashboard. To consult the summary of the last distribution, click on the button "See this distribution" or on "Last distribution" in the menu "My payments". To access the distribution history, click on the "See all distributions" button or on "Distribution history" in the "My payments" menu.

At any time, you can print the summary or download the report as an Excel file that details your royalties by sound recording and music video.

Before getting access to the Octave portal, you must first become a Soproq Member as rights owner on sound recordings or music videos. Regardless of your status or legal form, citizenship, or place of residence.

The Octave portal allows you to register online to become a Soproq Member. Click here to start the membership process, it's free! You will be guided through the various steps of the process, to make joining as quick and easy as possible.

The membership process begins with a few simple questions to help us identify the type of membership you need. For example, if you are applying for membership on behalf of an individual or a company for which you do not have signing authority, you will be invited to contact our Member Services by email at info@soproq.org or by phone at (438) 799-0742 option 1.

If you already have an account and want to add another account, you can do so by clicking on your account name or the button labeled "Account" located at the top left of the dashboard, then selecting " Create a new account "from the drop-down menu.

If you are under 18 or are the heir of a deceased rights owner, please contact Member Services so that we can advise you on what action to take.

Go to Octave

To log into your Octave account, enter your email address and password on the portal home page.

Don't worry if you've forgotten your password, it's easy to reset it:

1. Click on "I forgot my password" on the login page of the Octave portal.
2. Enter the email address you registered with and click "Reset".
3. An email will be sent to you with a link valid for 48 hours to create a new password. Your new password must be at least 8 characters long and must include at least 1 uppercase letter, 1 lowercase letter and 1 number.

On the "Contacts and Access" page accessible from the "Account" menu, you can invite new contacts, modify, or remove access to features. You can thus control directly online and without delay the access to portal features granted to each of the contacts associated with your Octave account, such as submitting declarations or view details of distributions.

BANK INFORMATION

You can update your bank information via your secure Octave account. Once logged in, please click on the name of the account you wish to update, then on the account name on the left of the dashboard, and finally on "Bank Info" from the drop-down menu. Once you have validated your bank details and saved them, your bank information will be updated on your account.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

You can also update your personal information via your secure Octave account.

For a postal address - Once logged in, please click on the name of the account you want to update, then on the account name on the left side of the dashboard, and finally on "Account settings" from the drop-down menu. In the "Modify my address" section, please click on the "Modify" button. Once you enter your new address and save it, your account information will be updated.

Please note that an address must be indicated for mailing purposes, otherwise Soproq will not be able to send you payments by check and tax statements. To do so, please go to the "Documents Delivery" section on the "Contacts and Access" page.

For other information (phones, language preference, password, etc.) - Once logged in, please click on your name located at the top right of the screen, then on "My Profile" located in the drop-down menu. Once you have validated your personal information and saved it, your profile will be updated on your account.

On the "My declarations" page, you can see an overview of all your declarations and their status at any time.

Once a declaration has been successfully submitted to Soproq, you cannot correct or delete it. However, you have two options:

• In the “My repertoire” menu, select “Modification and transfer” and complete your modification request. A representative from our Member Services will process your request and contact you within 1 to 2 business days.
• Submit a new declaration and be sure to contact Member Services by email at info@soproq.org to inform them that you are resubmitting a declaration specifying the product or the music video.

If you select “Sound Recordings”, “Music Videos” or “Products” from the “My Repertoire” menu, you will be directed to an overview of your repertoire that you have submitted and that have been processed by the Octave system with the relevant data regarding the rights you have declared.

In addition to the overview of your submitted and processed repertoire, Octave offers you the possibility of finding a title with different filter and search options, of consulting detailed information on a title, of declaring or deleting suggested titles, of responding to questions from Soproq, see the number of identified and unresolved conflicts with other rights owners, and resolve yourself any conflicts over declared rights.

Yes, you can export your full repertoire as an Excel file by selecting "Export Repertoire" under the "My repertoire" menu. You will then be able to start the export process using the "Export" button.

When your file is ready, an email will be sent to you with a download link valid for 72 hours. Please note that this step may take some time, from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the size of your repertoire.