Canadian Musician September / October 2019

4. recorded performances. Some of our recent efforts are well represented in the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage Report: Remuneration Models for Artists and Creative Industries in the Con- text of Copyright. ACTRA RACS represents tens of thou- sands of recording artists and has distrib- uted over $100 million. We have a diverse group of members – from international pop stars to new and emerging artists from all genres of music. Registering with ACTRA RACS is not only about getting paid for your plays, it’s also about joining a community of artists working together to ensure that all artists are paid fairly for the use of their work. (L-R): MATT CRAIG, DIANA BARRY, DANIEL FAN & HEATHER BRUNSTAD Musicians’ Rights Organization of Canada (MROC) Answers provided by Diana Barry, Managing Consultant at MROC CM: What fee does MROC charge mem- bers, and/or what percentage of an art- ist’s collected royalties does it keep? Barry: MROC is a registered not-for-profit organization so the fees we deduct are solely to cover our operating costs. There is no fee to register or maintain your membership with us. A 15 per cent administrative fee is applied to domestic royalties while foreign royalties have an administrative fee ranging from zero to 8.5 per cent, depending on the territory. CM: What differentiates MROC from ACTRA RACS, Artisti, and Re:Sound? Barry: ACTRA RACS, Artisti, and MROC all distribute the same royalties, so performers should be sure that they register with just one of these organizations! MROC, unlike RACS and Artisti, is a federally- incorporated not-for-profit organization run independently by a board of directors made up of musicians and industry representatives serving musicians and is not part of or owned by a union (ACTRA in the case of RACS and Union des Artistes in Artisti’s case). That said, we do work closely with the Canadian Federa- tion of Musicians and American Federation of Musicians and through this partnership we can offer our members access to exceptional instrument and equipment insurance. From a musician’s perspective, what most sets MROC apart is our approach. We’re not only committed to a high level of service, but are always looking for ways to simplify the process for musicians to receive their royalties, and are continuously improving the software and sys- tems we use to manage all of our data. Some of the things that we’re most proud of are: • Our online portal, where members can eas- ily see exactly what is registered at any time, as well as update their catalogues and view their payment statements • Our extensive and personalized assistance to individuals at all stages of the process • Our active research and use of data from many sources, including other performers’ rights organizations and our joint inter- national repertoire database to maximize royalties for registered musicians • Our continued dedication to connecting all musicians, whether featured artists or back- ground and session musicians, to the royal- ties due to them in Canada and abroad. We work with Re:Sound to connect musicians to their Canadian and U.S. royalties… They do the work of appearing before the Copyright Board to establish royalty rates (tariffs) and of collecting those royalties, while MROC, Artisti, and ACTRA RACS provide the multitude of services necessary to get royalties into the hands of musicians. While Re:Sound accepts direct registra- tions from performers/musicians, this is not the focus of their activities. As well, Re:Sound does not have the range of international agreements that MROC, Artisti, and ACTRA RACS have in place, which limits the royalties they can pay to musicians. CM: For a young performing artist looking to join one of the PROs, what should they consider in making their decision? Why may or may not MROC be the best option for them? Barry: We like to think that MROC is the best option for musicians for three reasons: 1. We are very accessible. MROC’s online portal allows musicians to easily keep track of their repertoire and statements, which can be especially helpful if you’re a touring musician out on the road. We an- swer your questions promptly – whether by phone, email, or social media. Our processes are designed to make your life as stress-free as possible. 2. We are directly governed by musicians. Moreover, musicians who receive regular royalties from MROC vote for a dedicated director on our nine-person board. Canada has a unique music ecosystem, and musicians’ voices and opinions are important to us. 3. We are just as committed to background musicians as featured artists. (L-R): MICHEL LAMBERT, EVELYNE BOISVERT, JULIEN GAGNON, ANNIE MORIN, ALI MAFI & PAUL TRAUNERO Artisti Answers provided by Ali Mafi, Distribution Coordinator at Artisti CM: What fee does Artisti charge mem- bers, and/or what percentage of an art- ist’s collected royalties does it keep? Mafi: Artisti charges 15 per cent for Canadian royalties for private copying and equitable remuneration, and 20 per cent for reproduc- tion. For international royalties, Artisti charges from zero (France, Belgium, Japan, Germany, etc.), to 2.99 per cent (U.S. SoundExchange royalties), to 7.5 per cent (U.K., Spain, Sweden, Netherlands, etc.). CM: What differentiates Artisti from ACTRA RACS, MROC, and Re:Sound? Mafi: Artisti is the only collective to offer its members the option to manage their exclu- sive reproductions rights and exclusive rights. Artisti is the only collective to have its entire team proficient in both official languages (French and English). Artisti is the only collec- tive that’s not based in Toronto (we’re in Mon- treal). Artisti collects royalties for its members in more than 45 countries around the world. Artisti strives to improve its service offerings, and invests in its systems, both on the internal side and on the client side (members portal). CM: For a young performing artist look- ing to join one of the PROs, what should they consider in making their decision? Why may or may not Artisti be the best option for them? Mafi: At the end of the day, the artist should go to the PRO they are the most comfortable with. It could be location; choose a PRO that’s close to their homes or studios or workplace. It could be language – I could see why a francophone artist would prefer to be served by a francophone staff. It could be personal preference with the representative of one of the organizations. Artisti could be the best option for them for the different types of rights it manages and the service in both languages offered by a bilingual, dynamic, and friendly staff that truly loves music. CANADIAN MUSICIAN 11

Canadian Musician September / October 2019 | Page 11