SOCAN members
Unclaimed Publishing Royalties for SOCAN Members
Your SOCAN affiliation handles one royalty pool — performance. But publishing income is spread across five pools, and the others (mechanical, neighbouring rights, foreign black-box, and YouTube Content ID) are easy to overlook. This diagnostic shows you which ones you may be missing, with your PRO pre-selected. We are upfront about which pools you can claim yourself for free.
What SOCAN does and doesn't collect
SOCAN collects performance royalties (and administers certain reproduction rights) for Canadian writers and publishers across streaming, broadcast, and live performance.
SOCAN focuses on Canada and its reciprocal partners; it is not a stand-in for US-specific bodies like The MLC or SoundExchange, nor for direct registration in every foreign territory.
The international gap
Performance income earned outside SOCAN’s direct and reciprocal coverage can sit undistributed abroad. Direct CMO registration via a sub-publisher is how that foreign black-box money is typically chased down.
This is the practical takeaway: keep your free registrations (The MLC, SoundExchange) current, and consider a publishing admin specifically for overseas recovery if you have meaningful international listenership.
Estimates are for informational purposes only and are not financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Actual offers and figures vary by provider, contract terms, and current market conditions.
The 5 pools at a glance
| Royalty pool | Claim it free yourself? |
|---|---|
| US Mechanical (MLC) | Yes — register directly |
| Performance (PRO/CMO) | Yes — register directly |
| Neighbouring Rights | Yes — register directly |
| Foreign Black-Box | No — admin / sub-publisher helps |
| YouTube Content ID | No — admin / sub-publisher helps |
Publishing admins to consider
Listed for information. We mark any unsigned partnerships as informational links, not endorsements.
Global publishing administration with broad society coverage.
Publicly cited at ~15% on performance / ~20% on mechanical, ~$100 setup.
Learn more →Publishing admin with no setup fee.
Publicly cited at ~20% commission, no setup fee.
Publishing administration bundled with distribution.
Self-serve publishing admin from a major independent publisher.
Frequently asked questions
Does SOCAN collect all my publishing royalties?
No. SOCAN focuses on Canada and its reciprocal partners; it is not a stand-in for US-specific bodies like The MLC or SoundExchange, nor for direct registration in every foreign territory. SOCAN is one piece of a five-pool picture (performance, mechanical, neighbouring, foreign black-box, and YouTube Content ID).
As a SOCAN member, are mechanicals and neighbouring rights free to claim?
In the US, yes — mechanicals via The MLC and digital-radio neighbouring rights via SoundExchange can both be registered directly and for free, independent of your PRO. A paid admin is optional for those pools.
Where does a publishing admin actually help a SOCAN member?
Mainly with international recovery. Performance income earned outside SOCAN’s direct and reciprocal coverage can sit undistributed abroad. Direct CMO registration via a sub-publisher is how that foreign black-box money is typically chased down. That overseas, foreign black-box recovery is the area where a sub-publisher or admin earns its commission.
What is YouTube Content ID and do I need it?
Content ID monetizes other people’s uploads that contain your music, but only if your works are registered — usually through a distributor or admin. Unclaimed uploads can earn ad revenue you never receive.
Will this tell me how much money I am owed?
No. This is a qualitative diagnostic, not a dollar promise. It flags which pools you may be missing and whether each is free to claim or needs an admin. We never fabricate recoverable amounts.