2017 Canadian Enterprise Awards

, SOCAN (the Society of Composers, Authors andMusic Publishers of Canada) is a not-for-profit organization that represents the Canadian performing rights of millions of Canadian and international music creators and publishers. We spoke to COO Jeff King to find out more. Best Music Licensing NPO 2017 SOCAN is proud to play a leading role in supporting the long-term success of its more than 130,000 Canadian members, as well as the Canadian music industry. Through licences, the organisation gives businesses that use music the freedom to use any music they want, legally and ethically. SOCAN licenses more than 125,000 businesses coast to coast and distributes royalties to its members and peer organizations around the world. The firm also distributes royalties to its members for the use of Canadian music around the world in collaboration with its peer societies. In addition, it plays a leadership role in mentoring emerging creators on various aspects of the craft and business of music. Jeff discusses the firm in more detail and outlines how it works to provide the very highest standards of support and service. “SOCAN is Canada’s Performing Right Organization and license the use of the world’s music for public performance in Canada. Our clients range from concert promoters and venues to retail establishments, broadcasters, digital service providers and anyone else who uses music in a public setting. We provide an ethical way for business owners and operators to use music. “Client service is of vital importance to our firm, and we are focused on providing exceptional service that is aimed towards delighting our clients. Ultimately, we achieve this by having highly engaged employees at all levels of the organisation that execute our jobs with passion, dedication and energy. We are committed to finding smart and efficient solutions.” Operating in such a fast paced market, SOCAN has a fascinating insight into the music industry, and Jeff is keen to share this with us as he discusses the latest market trends. “One of the biggest trends in the music industry lately has been the explosion of data. We moved rapidly through the big data stage and are now in the mega data space. This means not only more data than ever before but also more complexity. “Additionally, our industry is undergoing a dramatic shift. A shift that SOCAN is interested in leading. This shift is towards K STB17002 K Company: SOCAN Contact: Jeff King Contact Email: [email protected] Address: 41 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M3B 2S6, USA Phone: 001 416-442-3811 larger global players working on a platform basis with incredible scale. To help us achieve this, in 2016, we acquired two USA based companies, MediaNet and Audiam. The acquisitions have helped to supplement SOCAN’s data and provide new perspectives and rights for us.” Moving forward, Jeff and his team at SOCAN are keen to continue to adapt around these market trends to meet the ever evolving needs of their clients, as Jeff concludes. “Looking to the future, we see the rights management world as changing rapidly over the next 18-24 months. We are working hard on artificial intelligence, blockchain and other leading edge technologies to ensure that we are leaders in this space come 2019, not just in Canada but internationally. “Overall, we see the industry outlook as being very bright. A large part of SOCAN’s strategy is to be ready for the challenges coming and to not only survive in the future, but thrive, and we are excited to implement this going forward.”