SOCAN Reports Record 2025 Revenue, Warns of Gen AI Threats

SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown. Photo Credit: SOCAN

Canada’s SOCAN has announced record 2025 revenue – and warned of “growing pressures” on creatives “amid accelerating digital change” in the AI era.

The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) just recently shed light on its 2025 financials and elaborated on its AI regulatory efforts. On the financials front, the PRO pointed to all-time-high collections of CA$587.1 million (currently $424.5 million) for 2025, up 4.7% year over year and closer to 41% from 2021.

Behind the sum, digital revenue (from audio as well as video) turned in 11.5% YoY growth to hit $168.3 million/CA$232.8 million. Meanwhile, performance revenue from concerts logged a 10.6% YoY improvement to crack $33 million (CA$46 million), according to the report.

(Evidently, general licensing from physical establishments posted even better growth than that; taken together, “[r]evenue from general licensing and concerts rose 16.1%” YoY during 2025, per SOCAN.)

But SOCAN’s international showing was comparatively modest; though up 34% from 2021, the category’s $102.5 million/CA$141.7 million in 2025 revenue rose about 2.7% from 2024.

Similarly, actual rightsholder royalty distributions declined slightly to $370 million/CA$512 million during 2025, when a reproduction slip arrived alongside a performance bump. (Nevertheless, last year’s figure represents a nearly 50% boost from 2021.)

Elsewhere in its over 30-page 2025 report, ahead of a scheduled April 29th annual meeting, SOCAN explored the recent launch of its tech upgrade (including a fresh member portal), its role in facilitating “more than 700 introductions between members and key industry players” on the year, and other topics.

Back to artificial intelligence, however, the PRO described generative AI as “a defining issue for our sector” and reiterated its 2025 advocacy, from “direct conversations with policymakers” to “a five-week member letter writing campaign” opposing training exceptions.

Among the conversations: a discussion between Prime Minister Mark Carney, SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown, and CISAC’s Björn Ulvaeus about “how AI is reshaping Canada’s cultural landscape and the music sector.”

Admittedly, there might be a stylistic contrast between SOCAN’s laid-back 2025 report and the corresponding release, with the former recapping the mentioned advocacy undertakings and the latter urging an aggressive government response to gen AI.

In any event, Brown in a press-release statement reiterated the “urgent need for modern protections rooted in consent, credit and compensation.”

“SOCAN’s financial results show increased revenues but we all need to acknowledge that Canadian songwriters and composers are living a different reality,” said Brown.

“There is an urgent need for modern protections rooted in consent, credit and compensation, to provide songwriters and composers with a reliable foundation from which to support their families and continue making music,” the SOCAN head concluded.