Client work
Gowling WLG advises SOCAN on acquisition of CMRRA
On September 1, 2026, SOCAN completed its previously announced acquisition of the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) from SoundExchange.
SOCAN is Canada’s largest member-owned music rights organization, representing nearly 200,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers. CMRRA represents the vast majority of music publishers doing business in Canada and has more than 50 years of experience licensing reproduction rights and administering royalties for musical works.
The acquisition brings together SOCAN’s longstanding leadership in performing rights administration and advocacy with CMRRA’s specialized expertise in reproduction rights. The combination is intended to provide a more streamlined rights management experience in Canada while maintaining the reproduction rights services relied upon by SOCAN members and CMRRA clients.
Gowling WLG advised SOCAN on the transaction with a team led by Matthew Estabrooks and including Lorne Segal, Ishan Zahoor and Connor McGarry.
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