The quarantine has forced festivals and concerts online, but the vast majority of the artists are playing for free. That may start changing, however, as one Canadian organization seeks to pay out musicians for their live shows on Facebook and Instagram
The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) has started up a new program called Encore! Through which, a reported total of $200,000 each quarter will be available to fund musicians for their live streams during this difficult time.
To qualify for $150 payment (with shares of royalties going to all rights holders), performing artists must meet the following requirements:
- At least 10 songs/compositions must be performed live, or a live performance of at least 30 minutes must take place, on Facebook or Instagram, from March 15, 2020, to March 7, 2021 (inclusive)
- At least 100 people must have accessed the online event
- A set list of all music performed has to be sent via SOCAN’s Notification of Live Music Performance (NLMP) form at socan.com, with the ‘venue’ identified as Facebook or Instagram
- Claims must be made within 90 days of the Facebook/Instagram concert occurring
Jennifer Brown, interim CEO of SOCAN provides a statement:
Like so may Canadians, SOCAN member songwriters, composers, and music publishers are facing tough times, with the loss of revenue from touring and in-person concerts. Many of our members have stepped up for fans, staging online concerts to bring the public together and keep their careers moving ahead, so it’s only fair that they get paid for their generous work, with our Encore! program.