SOCAN Announces Collaboration with Musical AI

SOCAN, representing songwriters, composers and music publishers in Canada and around the world, and Musical AI, a Canadian rights management technology company offering consent management and attribution infrastructure for generative AI outputs, today announced a collaboration focused on protecting music creators as artificial intelligence reshapes how music is used, created, and monetized.

SOCAN will work with Musical AI to explore appropriate uses and guidelines for attribution technologies in Canada, including ways Musical AI can support SOCAN’s efforts to provide attribution for AI outputs to appropriately compensate songwriters, composers, and music publishers. As part of the collaboration, SOCAN will recognize Musical AI as an approved technology partner for attribution services and related initiatives, with the goal of leveraging these capabilities to support music creators and rights holders in the future.

The collaboration is founded on two principles: First, all music creators should decide how their work participates in AI. All AI use should occur on an opt-in basis. Second, music creators must receive credit and compensation when their work influences an AI-generated output. Musical AI’s attribution technology analyzes AI-generated outputs and separately assesses influence connected to sound recordings and musical compositions, creating reporting that can support accountability, licensing and compensation.

The collaboration also reflects a broader Canadian priority: to exercise stewardship over Canadian music, cultural identity and creative economic infrastructure in a shifting technological environment. This partnership presents a coordinated effort and standard for protecting human creativity.

As part of this initiative, SOCAN and Musical AI will continue to explore other product offerings, such as Musical AI’s consent management tools that help make music creators’ choices to opt in to AI uses clear, structured, and scalable.

Jennifer Brown, CEO at SOCAN, states:

“As AI reshapes the music industry, music architects must have transparency, credit and fair compensation. SOCAN’s role is to protect the rights and livelihoods of songwriters, composers and music publishers. This collaboration with Musical AI establishes a foundation for attribution and compensation to ensure that music creators are paid when their music is used by AI.”

Sean Power, CEO of Musical AI, adds:

“Artists and songwriters should always retain control over their work as AI systems evolve. The first step is consent. The next step is attribution that can show how music contributes to an output and how value should flow to artists and songwriters. Working with SOCAN helps place music creators at the center of a rights-respecting model for AI and music.”

Honourable Evan Solomon, the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, comments:

“At its core, this partnership is about supporting Canadian songwriters and composers whose work strengthens our culture and economy. It is encouraging to see Musical AI and SOCAN working together to address an important challenge in the AI era: helping ensure that creators and their work can be properly identified and attributed. This is the kind of responsible Canadian innovation that will create new opportunities while recognizing and protecting the value of human creativity.”