Being a SODRAC member, you may now benefit of a compensation for the reproduction of your musical works on YouTube. Indeed, SODRAC signed a three-year framework agreement (beginning on October 1, 2016) with the video-hosting site covering the company’s operations in Canada.
The agreement focuses on reproductions of your musical works in four YouTube contexts or services:
In the main service provided by YouTube, i.e. free hosting of videos (funded by advertising) containing your musical works, whether used in music videos or any other types of videos.
In a future music/video paid streaming service offered by YouTube. Such a subscription-based service does not yet exist in Canada but would be the equivalent of YouTube Red in the US.
For reproductions of your lyrics, i.e. when Internet users share them online with videos or when YouTube publishes song lyrics along with music videos.
For reproductions of works in TV shows or films available for sale or rent on YouTube.
Since this agreement specifically covers reproductions of your works by YouTube, a synchronization licence is still required for their initial integration within music and other videos, or within TV shows and films.
In operational terms, processes in place will enable us to efficiently process YouTube’s periodic reports and then collect and distribute your royalties without delay.
The YouTube agreement comes on top of other agreements already negotiated by SODRAC with companies such as Apple Music, Google Play, Spotify, etc. with a view to ensuring that you receive compensation for online use of your music. SODRAC also continues to blaze a trail in terms of Copyright Board tariff approval, having submitted proposals for online videoclips and feature films (Tariff no. 6 and Tariff no. 7). These proposed tariffs set out royalty rates to be paid by online services for transmitting music incorporated within these types of audiovisual works.