Concert royalties are easy to overlook until the numbers land. In its May 8, 2026 decision, the Copyright Board kept SOCAN’s central 3% approach for popular music concerts during 2025 to 2027. Paid concerts generally calculate royalties on ticket receipts before taxes, while free concerts use fees paid to performers. There’s a minimum of $49.93 per event or $85.59 under the annual payment option, but neither figure is a universal flat charge. The percentage calculation still matters, as do the reporting deadlines.
The Board didn’t approve one tariff for everything that happens on a stage. Tariff 4.A excludes Internet performances, certain live music in clubs and restaurants, and recorded music used mainly for dancing. A DJ may count as a performer when that person is the featured act promoted for the event. Promoters need to identify which kind of musical use they’re actually paying for.
The decision is also a glimpse of copyright pricing in practice. The Board retained the established formula and adjusted the minimums using updated inflation figures. It wasn’t deciding how SOCAN should distribute the money among creators. Nor was it deciding whether a particular promoter had complied with the tariff. The Copyright Board’s reasons explain its approach, and the approved tariff published in the Canada Gazette sets out the precise coverage and payment terms.