CMRRA
Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency
Canada's mechanical rights agency — collecting royalties for every reproduction of a musical work across streaming, physical, and digital download.
About CMRRA
The Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) represents over 40,000 music publishers and licenses the mechanical reproduction of musical works in Canada. Founded in 1975, it's the largest Canadian mechanical rights agency by repertoire.
CMRRA issues mechanical licenses on behalf of publishers and collects royalties from streaming services, physical releases, downloads, and synchronization partners operating in Canada.
Since 2016, CMRRA has been part of the SOCAN family following a strategic acquisition. Together they provide full-spectrum publishing royalty collection for the Canadian market — SOCAN for performance, CMRRA for mechanical.
What CMRRA collects
Streaming mechanicals
Mechanical component of Canadian streaming royalties from Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, YouTube, and other DSPs.
Physical reproductions
Mechanical royalties for CDs, vinyl, and cassettes sold or manufactured in Canada.
Permanent downloads
Mechanicals for permanent digital downloads sold through Canadian retailers.
How CMRRA works
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01
Mechanical licensing
CMRRA issues mechanical licenses for reproductions of musical compositions by Canadian record labels, distributors, and digital services.
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02
Streaming collection
CMRRA collects the mechanical component of Canadian streaming royalties from Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, YouTube, and other DSPs operating in Canada.
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03
Physical & download royalties
CMRRA licenses and collects mechanical royalties for physical products (CDs, vinyl) and permanent downloads sold in Canada.
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04
SOCAN partnership
Since 2016 CMRRA has operated under SOCAN, enabling unified Canadian publishing royalty administration across performance and mechanical rights.
Why CMRRA matters for songwriters
- Canadian mechanical collection: CMRRA is the primary mechanical rights agency for the Canadian market.
- Separate from performance: CMRRA handles mechanical royalties; SOCAN handles performance. Both are needed for full Canadian publishing collection.
- Direct affiliation is publisher-based: Individual songwriters typically register through a publisher or publishing administrator.
- SOCAN partnership: Operating under SOCAN since 2016 — a JukeHouse-level admin relationship with SOCAN covers both.
Frequently asked questions about CMRRA
Do I need CMRRA if I'm already with SOCAN?
Yes — SOCAN handles performance royalties, CMRRA handles mechanical royalties. They're separate collection functions. Canadian publishing administration requires both for complete coverage.
How do I register with CMRRA?
Music publishers affiliate directly with CMRRA. Individual songwriters typically work through a publisher or publishing administrator that has a direct CMRRA relationship — this is the fastest path to Canadian mechanical royalties.
Does CMRRA cover streaming?
Yes. CMRRA collects the mechanical component of streaming royalties in Canada from major digital service providers. The performance component is collected separately by SOCAN.
What's the difference between CMRRA and the MLC?
The MLC collects US streaming mechanicals exclusively; CMRRA covers Canada across streaming, physical, and download formats. They're equivalents in different territories — international songwriters need both (plus equivalents elsewhere) for full global mechanical collection.
Collect your Canadian mechanical royalties.
JukeHouse registers your songs with CMRRA and SOCAN — covering the full spectrum of Canadian publishing royalties.