The Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency Ltd. (CMRRA) is a music licensing agency which represents the vast majority of music publishers and music copyright owners doing business in Canada. On their behalf, CMRRA issues licences for the reproduction of musical works to individuals or organizations that make use of their songs by reproducing those songs on various media or for different purposes. A list of such uses appears below.
Licensees pay royalties to CMRRA which we, in turn, distribute to our publisher clients. The royalty rates are determined pursuant to negotiated agreements or tariffs certified by the Copyright Board of Canada.
CMRRA is compensated on the basis of commission charged against the royalty revenues we collect and distribute. Many of CMRRA’s services are non-exclusive, which means that our clients can carry out some of these licensing activities on their own if they so choose. We strive to offer value to our clients by providing high quality services at a price that is lower than the cost of performing this work independently, and to ensure a long-term positive relationship.
CMRRA presently offers the following licensing and royalty collection services:
- Mechanical licensing – for the reproduction of songs on CDs, vinyl, and similar physical products
- Online music licensing – for the reproduction of songs for distribution as permanent downloads (e.g., via iTunes), limited downloads, on-demand streaming, and webcasting
- Broadcast mechanical licensing – for the reproduction of songs by radio stations and satellite broadcasters
- Private copying – for the collection of the private copying levy via the Canadian Private Copying Collective (CPCC)
- Audiovisual post-synchronization licensing – for the reproduction of songs already embedded in existing audiovisual content (e.g., music videos)
- International Collections
CMRRA distributes royalties quarterly on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15; however, the sources of revenue that are included in each distribution can vary. Mechanical, online and private copying royalties are distributed quarterly, provided there is activity to report totalling $15 or greater (gross Canadian). Broadcast mechanical royalties are distributed once or twice a year. Royalties from pay-as-you-press manufacturers are distributed on a weekly basis. Out-of-cycle royalties may also be distributed from time to time under special circumstances.
