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MROC is preparing to wind-down the organization in 2025 and is, therefore, no longer accepting new performer registrations. To register with a Canadian organization for collection of neighbouring rights (also known as equitable remuneration) and private copying royalties, consider the following:
ARTISTI – www.artisti.ca
ACTRA RACS – https://racs.actra.ca/
Re:Sound – www.resound.ca
For further information about the wind-down of MROC see the History below and the FAQ.
Thank you.
WHO WE ARE | HISTORY | STAFF | BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
Who We Are
The Musicians’ Rights Organization Canada (MROC) is a Canadian federally incorporated not-for-profit organization whose primary objective is to collect and distribute royalties to musicians and vocalists. MROC distributes the performer’s share of neighbouring rights and private copying royalties. These royalties primarily flow from the broadcast and public performance of sound recordings and are based on tariffs approved by the Copyright Board of Canada. MROC represents more than 14,000 musicians, from session players to featured artists, recording across the full range of genres.
HISTORY
MROC was founded on September 30, 2009 as a federally incorporated not-for-profit “collective society” which collects remuneration, royalties, license fees, levies and other compensation arising from musicians’ and vocalists’ performances on sound recordings. At that time, MROC took over the role that AFM Canada’s Musicians’ Neighbouring Rights Royalties (MNRR) had played since 1998.
In 1997, the Copyright Act of Canada was amended to allow musicians, vocalists and record companies to collect royalties for their role in the creation of sound recordings.
The new “neighbouring rights” regime expressly recognized the rights of musicians and vocalists in their performances and their right to compensation (called “equitable remuneration”) for the public performance or broadcast of their performances on recordings.
The new regime, resulted in the formation of the Neighbouring Rights Collective of Canada (NRCC), which is now known as Re:Sound. Re:Sound collects remuneration for musicians and vocalists as well as for sound recording makers under tariffs certified by the Copyright Board of Canada. It then forwards to MROC (and the other Canadian performer collectives ARTISTI and ACTRA RACS) its share for distribution to the musicians and vocalists it represents. Further information about these tariffs is available through the Copyright Board’s website: www.cb-cda.gc.ca and Re:Sound’s website: www.resound.ca.
In the years since its inception, MROC has distributed almost $40 million (comprised of both Canadian royalties collected by Re:Sound and international royalties collected through agreements MROC has established with collecting societies in other countries) to the performers it represents.
In 2024, due to broad changes in the industry and overall declining royalties for MROC’s members, the MROC Membership approved a proposal to wind-down the organization. MROC is preparing for that wind-down with distribution of royalties expected to be completed by December 2024.
As of January 1, 2025, MROC will transfer its performer mandates to another Canadian collecting society representing performers, ARTISTI. A performer wishing to move their mandate to a collective other than ARTISTI may do so by notifying MROC by December 31, 2024 of the termination of their MROC mandate effective January 1st. For further information about the wind-down, please see the FAQ.
