Well, I just sent in my SOCAN license renewal for 2024. The money involved is minimal, considering that under it I can play pretty much any copyrighted music that I wish on my Internet stream.
I'll just have to wait and see if they approve it - I was a bit surprised that they did the last time around. After I had explained what it is we do (they had no idea), and the history (we had had a SOCAN license in the past), the agent I was dealing with decided that licensing the station as non commercial was the best way to handle things. She had to get approval from the higher ups, but managed to do so.
If I don't get it, I'll go back to broadcasting and streaming public domain material only. I'd want to continue producing Teenage Dreams, but would have to figure out an alternative method of getting it 'out there', although I would still make it available to other stations via FTP. Mix Cloud would be an option.
I do hope it comes through, though. It just makes life so much simpler. Otherwise, I might have to restrict the Internet stream to Canada with geo blocking. Although the research is time consuming, there is far more music in the public domain here, particularly vintage jazz from the electric period of 1925 onwards.
If you are renewing what you had before I can't see them refusing.
I think I got lucky the first time around and snagged an agent that was sympathetic. This time, I have to renew by just sending in a form to the generic licensing division. I hope you're right, but we'll see.
As I stated, I do have a fallback plan to play public domain material, including vintage jazz (mostly from the electric era), acoustic era popular music (1923 and earlier), OTR and book readings. If I exclude the vintage jazz, I could stream to both the U.S. and Canada. If I include it, I would only be able to stream to Canada, as there are no musical performances for that time period (1924 onwards) in the public domain in the U.S. Music compositions up to and including 1928 are currently in the public domain.
Good to hear...
I have not heard back from SOCAN re my license renewal, and they're extremely difficult to get hold of by phone.
In the absence of any confirmation of the license renewal, I'm starting to plan to go back to an all public domain format. Hopefully, this will all be for naught.
But I want to be prepared for the worst case scenario.
I thought you got accepted?
Nope. Applied to be renewed, and have heard nothing but dead silence.
Stay tuned for further updates.
My experiences with SOCAN have demonstrated that it isn't what you know that matters, it's who you know.
I managed to get hold of the account manager that dealt with Artisan Radio last year, and was instrumental in getting a license for the station. Within 24 hours, the renewal was approved, paid for and now I'm 'official' once again for this year.
I'm still planning on implementing a few of the changes I envisioned if I had not gotten the license renewed, but shows such as Teenage Dreams, Beautiful Sounds, the Oompah Hour and others will continue to be streamed, as well as played over-the-air.
As for next year, who knows what will happen? One year at a time.