Royalties increased for live-streamed concerts

Canadian rights group SOCAN has set money aside to pay royalties on live-streamed performances, which normally do not generate much income

Spotted: As the economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic continues, one group of people who have been hit particularly hard are performing artists. With live venues closed and tours cancelled, performers have been left with few ways to earn money. Now, the Canadian performance rights organisation SOCAN has created a new program to help deliver royalties during the pandemic.

The Encore! initiative sets aside money to pay royalties for concerts broadcast on Facebook and Instagram. SOCAN points out that, normally, live performances on social media do not generate more than a few pounds in royalties – which must be split amongst all of the rights holders, such as performers, songwriters, composers and music publishers. 

Encore improves on this by making online concerts at least 30 minutes in length (or 10 songs long) and viewed by at least 100 people to be eligible for a CAD $150 (€99) payment. Although the payment must still be split amongst rights holders, this is a big improvement. SOCAN has set aside CAD $800,000 (€525,400) to fund the programme until March 2021. 

According to SOCAN interim CEO Jennifer Brown, the organisation is, “not aware of other music rights organizations conducting a similar initiative. The SOCAN Encore! program is a special distribution from our Facebook license.”

At Springwise, we have seen a huge growth in the use of live-streaming, even before the coronavirus pandemic.  We have recently covered innovative ideas in this space such as a live-streamed luxury watch fair and a personal tour of the Faroe Islands.

Explore more: Arts & Entertainment Innovations | COVID-19 Innovations