Music Licence Salon Canada: SOCAN & Entandem Costs
Canadian salons: Entandem (SOCAN/Re:Sound) letters aren't spam. See how music licensing works, what you pay, and how a catalogue-cleared route changes the admin.
Sonosfera was started by a salon operator who got caught out by PPL/PRS licensing letters and built the music platform they wished existed. The team behind this blog has spent years inside hair and beauty businesses, clinics, and hospitality venues — booking the bills, dealing with the licensing letters, and learning the hard way that most Spotify playlists don't work for a professional environment.
Music Licence Salon Canada: SOCAN & Entandem Costs
Getting a music licence for your salon in Canada means dealing with Entandem, a joint venture of SOCAN and Re:Sound. A small salon pays approximately CAD 250 to 350 a year just for the right to play music. Sonosfera starts at C$27.99/month for eligible Sonosfera catalogue playback.
Here is the blunt reality of playing music in a Canadian business. You cannot just plug in your phone and press play. Doing so opens your business to statutory damages. Below, I will show you exactly how the Canadian system works, what the tariffs actually cost, and the easiest way to stay legal.
Fast facts on Canadian music licensing:
Who needs it: Any salon, clinic, or shop where customers or staff hear recorded music.
The enforcers: Entandem (collecting for SOCAN and Re:Sound).
The legal basis: Section 3(1) of the Canadian Copyright Act.
The alternative: Direct-licensed music services can reduce traditional tariff handling for eligible catalogue playback.
Information notice: This article is general information based on publicly available sources from the Copyright Board of Canada, SOCAN, and Re:Sound (linked throughout). It is not legal advice. If you are unsure about your specific liability, contact the licensing bodies directly.
Accuracy: Last reviewed on 7 April 2026. If you spot an error, use the contact page.
Do I need a music licence for my salon in Canada?
Usually, yes. If customers or staff can hear recorded music in your Canadian salon, you need permission from the copyright holders. Under the Canadian Copyright Act, public performance rights require a licence, which most businesses purchase through Entandem.
This is a federal requirement. Whether your salon is in British Columbia, Ontario, or Quebec, the rules are identical. Copyright is governed by the federal Canadian Copyright Act, meaning provincial borders do not change your obligations.
If you play the radio, stream a playlist, or put on a CD, you are performing music in public. The law states that the creators of that music deserve compensation. Unless you are playing music where the rights have been explicitly waived or cleared directly, you must pay the annual tariff.
What is Entandem, SOCAN, and Re:Sound?
Entandem is a joint licensing body created in 2019 to simplify Canadian music licensing. It collects fees on behalf of two organisations: SOCAN, which represents songwriters and composers, and Re:Sound, which represents recording artists and record labels.
Canada tried to simplify licensing by creating Entandem. It is a step forward, much like how the UK merged PPL and PRS into one invoice. But here is the problem. Canadian salon owners still pay two separate tariffs before they even choose a music service.
The "simpler" system is still two organisations taking two cuts.
SOCAN takes a cut for the person who wrote the lyrics and composed the melody.
Re:Sound takes a cut for the band that actually played the instruments and the label that recorded it.
You receive one invoice from Entandem, but you are paying for both groups.
How much does a music licence cost for a Canadian salon?
A small Canadian salon under 1,500 square feet pays approximately CAD 250 to 350 per year for an Entandem licence. This includes the SOCAN Tariff 15A fee of about CAD 171.90, plus the Re:Sound Tariff 5.B fee of CAD 80 to 150.
The Copyright Board of Canada sets these tariffs, and they scale based on the size of your venue. If your salon is larger than 1,500 square feet, your fees increase.
This CAD 350 is just a legal tax. It does not actually give you the music to play. You still have to source the music legally, which usually means paying for a commercial background music service on top of the Entandem fee.
When you add a commercial streaming service to your Entandem bill, your actual cost to play music legally often exceeds CAD 600 a year. We see the exact same pain point with UK small business licensing costs.
Entandem vs Sonosfera: Cost and legal comparison
The traditional route requires paying CAD 350 a year to Entandem plus a commercial streaming subscription. Sonosfera offers a single C$27.99 monthly subscription for eligible Sonosfera catalogue playback, while outside repertoire remains separate.
If you are tired of paying for the right to play music, you can opt out of the SOCAN system entirely. Direct-licensed platforms like Sonosfera clear the rights directly with the artists. Because SOCAN and Re:Sound do not control these specific tracks, they cannot charge you for them.
No. Spotify and Apple Music are licensed strictly for personal, non-commercial use. Playing them in a Canadian business breaches their terms of service and still requires you to purchase an Entandem licence for the public performance rights.
This is the most common mistake salon owners make. You assume paying CAD 15 a month for Spotify Premium covers your business. It does not. Spotify's terms explicitly state the service cannot be broadcast in a commercial setting.
Even if you pay Entandem CAD 350 a year, playing Spotify is still a breach of your contract with Spotify. You are paying the government tariff, but breaking the software terms. We covered the exact mechanics of this in our guide on playing Spotify in a Canadian salon.
What happens if you play music without a licence?
Playing music without a licence violates Section 3(1) of the Canadian Copyright Act. SOCAN actively enforces this and can pursue statutory damages ranging from CAD 500 to CAD 20,000 per infringed song for commercial copyright infringement.
Entandem is not a scam, and their letters are not spam. They employ licensing representatives who visit businesses, check websites, and monitor social media to find unlicensed music use.
If you ignore their letters, the process usually escalates. They will estimate your fees, add interest, and pass the debt to collections. In severe cases of willful infringement, they take businesses to federal court. You do not want to test a federal copyright organisation over background music.
Key takeaway: If Entandem contacts you, you must either buy their licence or prove you are using a 100% direct-licensed service that exempts you from their collection mandate.
What should a Canadian salon owner do next?
You have two legal choices. You can pay Entandem CAD 350 a year and buy a commercial streaming service, or you can switch to a direct-licensed platform like Sonosfera that keeps eligible Sonosfera catalogue playback outside SOCAN/Re:Sound repertoire.
The old way of playing music involves measuring your floor space, filling out federal tariff forms, paying a yearly tax, and hoping you calculated it correctly.
The new way is simpler. You subscribe to a service built for businesses.
Sonosfera costs C$27.99 per month. It documents eligible Sonosfera catalogue playback. Outside repertoire remains separate, so keep the scope clear. You just browse our playlists, hit play on your phone or tablet, and get back to your clients.
Stop risking federal fines. Start saving money.Try Sonosfera free for 14 days.Sonosfera catalogue playback covered for eligible paid accounts. Set up in 5 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need a SOCAN licence if I only play the radio?
A: Usually, yes. Playing a traditional radio broadcast in your business still counts as a public performance. While the radio station pays to broadcast the signal, you must pay Entandem for the right to play that signal to your customers and staff.
Q: Is music licensing a provincial or federal law in Canada?
A: It is a federal law. Music licensing is governed by the Canadian Copyright Act. The rules, tariffs, and enforcement are exactly the same whether your business is located in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, or Nova Scotia.
Q: Do I need an Entandem licence for a home-based salon?
A: Yes, if the space is dedicated to commercial use and clients can hear the music. The law cares about the nature of the performance (commercial/public), not the zoning of the building. If clients pay you while music plays, it requires a licence.
Q: What is the difference between SOCAN and Re:Sound?
A: SOCAN collects royalties for the songwriters and composers who wrote the music. Re:Sound collects royalties for the recording artists and record labels who performed and produced the specific track. Entandem was created to collect both fees simultaneously.
Q: Can SOCAN inspectors visit my salon?
A: Yes. Entandem employs licensing representatives who physically visit businesses across Canada to check for unlicensed music. They also monitor business social media accounts, such as Instagram stories, to identify background music playing in commercial spaces.
About the author
Sonosfera is founded by a UK salon owner who spent years navigating complex music licensing laws. We built Sonosfera to give independent businesses a simple, legally compliant way to play background music without dealing with traditional collection societies or unexpected tariff bills. This article is written from an operational perspective and cross-checked against official Canadian sources. It is not legal advice.
