SOCAN Fee Information

It is the law for all dance professionals to have a SOCAN license. This directive comes from the Copyright Board of Canada. You must have a SOCAN license for all music – not just Canadian music and includes teaching dance classes and having your students perform in public.

Purchasing and downloading a song only entitles you to listen to the song privately. Because you are using it to make a living (teaching) – you are now a business/dance professional and must pay the royalty tariffs.

Each Studio Director makes their own decisions for their business. Most directors want their contractors/employees to be conducting themselves professionally. SOCAN can legally have your teaching/classes audited. The studio director of the studio you work will be required to prove your class attendance. This can potentially cost them many hours of administration and frustration and possibly impact your future relationship. The cost is insignificant compared to the risks.

Licenses are paid annually. You have 2 options – registering independently OR belonging to an association that has negotiated reduced fees, such as BCDEA.

You can register independently through the SOCAN site. (It will default to Entandem – that is the site where all music licenses are registered.) Costs for registering independently are calculated by students per class per week x $2.50.

Example: If you teach on Tuesdays and have 4 classes. Class 1 – 12 students; Class 2 – 9 students; Class 3 – 10 students; Class 4 – 10 students. 12 + 9 + 10 + 10 = 41. Your fee is 41 x $2.50 = $102.50. If you teach on other days in the week – you will need to calculate and pay those days also.

OR – you can belong to an association that has negotiated reduced fees, such as BCDEA. See more information below.

If you belong to an association that has negotiated reduced fees you will pay $78.45 per year for all your classes. This license travels with you to all businesses that you work at.

Rather than going through SOCAN, you can go through an organization such as BCDEA, CDTA or RAD and receive the reduced rate.

Note: The association you choose will have an annual membership fee cost, but this fee starts at only $10 depending on the type of membership and organization.

Like the laws for driving – just because you have a never received a speeding ticket doesn't mean that you won't get stopped in the future. SOCAN has the authority to audit your financial and teaching records. They can go back 5 years!!!

Yes – you can expense the association membership fee and the SOCAN fees.