TransLinked

SkyTrain buskers face billing by TransLink for song royalties

buskeridol:

Musicians and singers who are approved to perform inside the region’s SkyTrain stations were sent a letter in October from the region’s transit authority, informing them they could soon be asked to pay as much as $1,500 annually for a performance licence.

The letter states that Socan — the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada — is demanding royalties for songs being performed in stations.

According to TransLink, those costs could add up to $40,000 a year and will be passed on to the artists.

[…]

A transit busking program in Toronto underwent a similar review with Socan about five years ago, said Danny Nicholson of the Toronto Transit Commission.

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