How to Submit SOCAN Setlists and Concerts
Submit a SOCAN concert in two parts: first create and register the exact set list, then enter the live-performance details and attach that set list in the member portal. Add the required event proof, submit within the current deadline, save the confirmation, and monitor its status. Registration, acceptance, licence-fee collection, and payment are separate states.
Lead visual
Concert royalties map
Context
Live · Royalties
What this guide is helping you understand.
Decision
Submit SOCAN setlists
The practical choice or setup step to get right.
Next
Action
What to check before you move the release forward.
Live · Royalties
Production file map
Use this for
Lock the manufacturer and package before building the print document.
Watch for
Generic dimensions can move type into a trim, fold, glue area, or an incorrectly sized spine.
Check
Current product template, physical dimensions, bleed, safe zones, color setup, fonts, images, and proof.
Result
A plant-specific package that can be preflighted and approved without treating the streaming square as the print file.
Key takeaways
- Register the songs and set list before attaching it to the concert.
- Use the deadline and proof rules for the exact paid, free, in-person, or online event.
- Match cover songs through repertoire search instead of claiming them as originals.
- Save proof, submission ID, version, status, and follow-up owner.
- Treat Accepted as a workflow state, not a guaranteed amount or payment date.
What must a SOCAN live-performance record contain?
SOCAN submission specification
Ten fields that make the claim reviewable
Member
Member name, account, writer or publisher role, contact, and authority to submit.
Connects the report to the represented rightsholder.
Work
Registered title, writers, publishers, shares, alternate title, and work number where available.
Reduces manual matching and duplicate-work errors.
Set list
Exact songs performed, repertoire matches, covers, public-domain entries, order or duration where useful, and registered status.
Creates the composition record that can be attached to the event.
Event
Performance date and time, artist, billing, paid or free, in-person or online, and concert type.
Routes the event to the applicable rule set.
Place
Venue or platform, address or URL, city, province, country, and searchable venue match.
Distinguishes similar rooms, dates, and online hosts.
Presenter
Promoter, presenter, platform or responsible licensee, contact, and contract identity.
Helps connect the report to licence information.
Economics
Ticket price, cover, paid status, attendance where requested, and event-specific context.
Supports eligibility without inventing a universal payout.
Proof
Ticket, poster, digital asset, program, agreement, URL, screenshot, or other current required evidence.
Substantiates the performance before public links disappear.
Timing
Performance date, applicable submission window, proof-capture date, and internal due date.
Prevents the event from aging out of the correct path.
Control
Draft and final versions, submission ID, Pending or Accepted state, issue, support case, statement match, owner, and next action.
Makes the claim traceable after it leaves the artist's hands.
How should each SOCAN portal state change the next action?
| What it means | Next control | |
|---|---|---|
| Draft set list | Song list exists but is not registered for attachment | Finish repertoire matches, covers, and missing work data |
| Registered set list | Set list can be attached to a live-performance submission | Verify it reflects this concert before reuse |
| Pending concert | Live performance was submitted but not yet accepted | Monitor status and respond to evidence or matching questions |
| Accepted concert | Submission is complete and queued for payment | Reconcile later statements and remember that licence fees still control distribution |
| Unresolved payment | No matching statement result is visible | Check setlist, proof, event eligibility, licence-fee status, and support case |
Do not import the old three-year assumption
SOCAN's current member-facing material gives paid concert submissions one year from the performance date. Foreign societies and other claim types can use different windows, so label every deadline with its source and event type.
keep live statement income separate from streaming estimates
Which SOCAN sources control the submission?
Frequently asked questions
How do I submit a setlist to SOCAN?+
In SOCAN's current member portal, create the set list, match each song to the repertoire or provide the information needed for manual linking, and register it. Then open the live-performance workflow, enter the concert and venue or promoter details, attach the registered set list and required proof, submit, and preserve the resulting status and confirmation.
How long do SOCAN members have to submit a concert?+
SOCAN's current FAQ and Resource Centre say paid in-person concerts and paid online livestream concerts must be submitted within one year of the performance date. Free online livestreams use a different, shorter program with separate proof deadlines. Recheck the current portal and source page for the exact event type before relying on any saved deadline.
What proof does SOCAN need for a paid concert?+
SOCAN currently lists a ticket stub, promotional poster or digital asset, or promoter contract or agreement showing the performance date, performers, and ticket price where applicable, plus the set list. A no-ticket bar, pub, restaurant, or cafe has an additional published cover-charge condition. Use the live form because circumstances and requested documents can differ.
Can I reuse a SOCAN setlist for multiple shows?+
SOCAN's January 2026 guide says a registered set list can be applied to later concert submissions and copied for modification. Reuse the structure, but verify the songs, versions, order or duration, writers, and actual performance for every date. Do not attach a tour template unchanged when the played repertoire differed at that event.
What does Accepted mean in the SOCAN portal?+
SOCAN's guide says Accepted means the live-performance submission is complete and queued for payment. It does not promise a fixed royalty or immediate distribution. SOCAN still needs the relevant licence fee from the venue or promoter, and the event and repertoire must satisfy its distribution rules. Keep checking statements and open a support case with evidence when needed.
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