Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency
The Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency Ltd. (CMRRA) is a music licensing agency based in Toronto, Canada. Founded in 1975, CMRRA is a is a music licensing collective representing music rightsholders who range in size from large multinational music publishers to individual songwriters. Together, they own or administer the vast majority of songs recorded, sold and broadcast in Canada. On their behalf, CMRRA issues licences to individuals or organizations for the reproduction of songs on various media, a list of which appears below.
Licensees pay royalties to CMRRA which, in turn, CMRRA distributes to its publisher clients. The royalty rates are determined pursuant to negotiated agreements or tariffs certified by the Copyright Board of Canada.
CMRRA offers the following licensing and royalty collection services:
- Mechanical licensing, for the reproduction of songs on CDs, cassettes and similar “sound carrier” products
- Online music licensing, for the reproduction of songs for distribution as permanent downloads (e.g., via iTunes), limited downloads, on-demand streaming and webcasting
- Broadcast mechanical licensing, for the reproduction of songs by radio stations and satellite broadcasters
- Private copying, for the collection of the private copying levy via the Canadian Private Copying Collective (CPCC).
Online licensing and the broadcast mechanical are carried on through CMRRA's joint venture with Montreal-based SODRAC, CMRRA-SODRAC Inc. (CSI)
Representation by CMRRA is open to any person, firm or corporation which owns or administers one or more musical works with respect to Canada.
CMRRA is governed by a Board of Directors elected every two years by the members of the Canadian Music Publishers Association (CMPA).
CMRRA is managed by Caroline Rioux (President) and a management team.