Playdio - Music Licensing

Understanding Music Licensing

Music Licensing is often misunderstood. Playdio is a supporter of the music industry, we’re proud to share some understanding of how this world works.

The use of music is controlled by the rights holders of the music. When someone purchases a CD or a song from iTunes it doesn’t become yours, it becomes yours to use for personal listening only.

There are 2 basic uses of music.

- Personal Use:
- Your iPod and headphones
- Listening in your car
- Listening at home
- Public use:
- Music from a radio station played in your store
- music added to a video
- DJ events, music played on speakers in a public forum like group fitness classes

There are 4 societies that license the use of music in Canada on behalf of the rights holders (usually a record label).

CONNECT Music Licensing
connectmusic.ca
Connect licenses the duplication of music. This includes direct copies and streaming.

Socan Music
socan.ca
Socan represents the composers, authors and music publishers of Canada.

ReSound
resound.ca
Collects royalties on behalf of musicians and record companies.

CSI
cmrra.ca | sodrac.ca
CSI represents the songwriters rights and royalties in music.

We pay your fees on your behalf. We file all reports and remit all payments to the music licensing bodies monthly and quarterly (depending on the society). When you subscribe to Playdio you’ll never have to worry again about ensuring your payments are up to date.

As a background music provider, Playdio adheres to the rules and royalties necessary to use music in business.

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions, regarding playing music in a business.

Do I need to pay royalties if I play music, publicly, from my iPod?

Yes

If I stream my favourite local FM radio station, or online station from my computer, do I need to pay royalties?

Yes, you are required to pay tariffs to Socan and ReSound if you’re streaming any station for public play.

I just play youtube songs and playlists in my store, do I need to pay?

Yes, you’re still required to pay fees.

How much do I pay?

Each licensing society is different in how they calculate tariffs on public music use. Some have flat rates, and some are based on the size of the audience at your store/business.

Why is it cheaper for Playdio’s fees compared to if I pay them myself?

Simply put, the licensing bodies have a striation set up for us to remit tariff payments on your behalf. With that, we can pay for 10,000 accounts at a time, which is less work for the licensing organizations. We work in close relationship with all of these societies, each month.

I bought my songs, why can’t I just use them?

You can use them, but you don’t own those songs for public use, according to the licensing bodies in Canada.

How do I know if my fees are being paid?

If you’re using a music service, it’s worth checking to ensure they’re being paid.

Is music licensing different for music, versus music videos?

Yes. The difference is marginal, but the licensing rates are slightly different for music videos. Playdio carries a different service contract with our licensing bodies for music videos.

If you have any questions regarding our licensing policies please