The music in a bar or dance hall is part of the atmosphere, but for businesses where people dance to recorded songs, there’s a separate copyright royalty to account for. On March 27, 2026, the Copyright Board approved SOCAN Tariff 18 for the years 2023 to 2025, after considering objections from Restaurants Canada and the Hotel Association of Canada. The Board kept the last approved tariff as its starting point and adjusted the charges for inflation rather than accepting a broad change in the way these venues are charged.
For premises holding up to 100 patrons, the approved annual fee is $356.76 when a venue opens for 6 months or less and operates 1 to 3 days per week. At the other end of that category, a venue open more than 6 months and 4 to 7 days per week faces $1,427.00. Larger capacities bring incremental increases. These are the tariff's specified historic rates, not a universal price for playing music today, and they don't cover concerts or other uses governed by separate tariffs.
The Copyright Board's reasons explain the decision. The approved tariff published in the Canada Gazette on March 28, 2026 sets out the rates and payment terms.