SOCAN members gathered at the LUMI in Montréal, joined by more online, to attend the second hybrid version of the organization’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), on June 19, 2024, and learn about its major achievements in 2023. The event was also streamed live, in both English and French, for members who couldn’t attend in person.
After Meghan Oak offered a stripped-down, emotional, three-song opening performance, SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown spoke of our 2023 financial record-setting results – including total royalty collections of a record $523 million, an eight percent increase from 2022, and the first time it’s been more than half a billion dollars; a record $119 million of that in international revenue, an increase of nine percent from 2022; and $442 million distributed to music creators and publishers, a 22 percent increase from 2022.
SOCAN Chief Financial Officer Rob Bennett discussed the company’s domestic revenue of $394 million in performing and reproduction rights in 2023, a nine percent increase from 2022. His financial review included reproduction rights collections of $12 million, and reproduction rights royalty distributions increasing to $9.9-million; an increase in concert distributions from $6 million to more than $17 million; and an expense-to-revenue ratio maintained at 12 percent.
“We’re delighted with our record performance in 2023, but we recognize that our record-breaking revenues and distributions don’t fully represent the challenges faced by Canadian music creators and publishers,” said Brown, a recent honouree as one of Billboard Canada’s Top 10 Power Players. “Many of our members have seen declining returns and insufficient promotion in the digital landscape, and there’s the potential impact of generative artificial intelligence replacing the valuable work of music creators. That’s why we’re redoubling our efforts to deliver the technological advancements, government advocacy, and dedicated service that they need to thrive in today’s evolving music ecosystem.”
SOCAN Board of Directors President and Chair Marc Ouellette talked about how, in 2023, we monitored and reviewed our current budget and forecasts; approved the budget and guidelines for our investments; reviewed and updated our distribution rules; held oversight on many member events including our awards ceremonies; and continued to review SOCAN’s governance.
In 2023, SOCAN focused on its ongoing transformation to support its members, which involved re-prioritizing its projects and operational initiatives. These initiatives included establishing a partnership with Spanish Point Technologies, a leading technology solutions provider. This partnership is slated to revolutionize the collection and distribution of royalties in Canada with a unique matching engine.
SOCAN’s advocacy efforts in 2023 identified core AI principles that put human creativity at the forefront. The organization actively promotes these principles within domestic and international regulatory frameworks, advocating for them directly with government.
In addition, we launched important initiatives to offer a tailored experience for existing members and the 5,000 new members added in 2023. This involved expanding the team dedicated to member service in Québec, and developing an ambassador program to support regional and audiovisual member segments, both in Canada and around the world, from within their respective communities.
Our organization committed to transparency and accountability with its members, and a member conflict resolution procedure is now available. Independent ombudsperson Mireille Tabib, was appointed in 2023 appointed to handle certain SOCAN member disputes and complaints, in English and French.
SOCAN Chief Membership Officer Jean-Christian Céré discussed activities ands initiatives in 2023, including enhanced Québec and frontline services; more than 600 one-to-one connections made by members and our representatives; increased communication and feedback between members and the organization; and 40 song camps, with more than 250 members participating.
At the AGM, we congratulated the newly elected 2024 Board of Directors, made up of songwriters, composers, and music publishers. The Directors were elected for different terms, supporting SOCAN’s transition to a staggered election process, in order to maintain continuity while improving the transfer of information and experience.
SOCAN 2024 Board of Directors
Writer Directors:
| Name | Seat | Term |
| Lesley Barber | EAST (AV) | 3 years |
| David Bussières | QUÉBEC | 2 years |
| Darren Fung | WEST (AV) | 1 year |
| Troy Kokol | WEST | 3 years |
| Laurence Lafond-Beaulne | QUÉBEC | 3 years |
| Stan Meissner | EAST | 2 years |
| Glenn Morley | EAST | 1 year |
| Marc Ouellette | QUÉBEC | 1 year |
| Sarah Slean | EAST | 2 years |
Publisher Directors:
| Name | Seat | Term |
| Jennifer Beavis | EAST | 3 years |
| Jean-François Denis | QUÉBEC | 1 year |
| Gary Furniss | EAST | 1 year |
| Mark Jowett | WEST | 2 years |
| Jason Klein | EAST | 3 years |
| Daniel Lafrance | QUÉBEC | 3 years |
| Cheryl Link | EAST | 1 year |
| Jennifer Mitchell | EAST | 2 years |
| Diane Pinet | QUÉBEC | 2 years |
Next year, the organization will move to an annual Board election cycle, where six director positions will be up for election each year.
A lively question-and-answer session followed, and Noé Lira delivered a captivating closing performance. At the post-AGM reception, attending members connected with both SOCAN staff and each other, over drinks and hors d’œuvres. For a more complete accounting of our finances in 2023, and information about the activities of our subsidiary companies SOCAN Foundation and The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, see our online Annual Report.