Plan to ante up if you want dancing at your wedding
Posted June 3, 2012 10:27 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It’s wedding season! But if you’re planning a wedding or an event, you need to keep in mind the cost of friends and family getting their groove on.
The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) says you have to pay up if you plan on having music at your wedding as tariffs for music rights have increased.
“It’s the law. The Copyright Act establishes that when you use the music, you need to pay,” explains Gilles McDougall, Secretary General for SOCAN.
Geneve McNally, wedding and event planner with DreamGroup Productions, says they have been dealing with this issue for years.
“If you’re having dancing at a wedding, it’s a slightly higher amount. If you’re just playing music in the background, it’s a lower amount,” notes McNally. “But most venues would charge [the fee] based on what the client has in mind for the event.”
The fee is based on room capacity. If you have dancing, the fee ranges from $41.13 to $174.79. Without dancing, the fee is from $20.56 to $87.40.
If you’re hosting something small, McNally suggests you look into what you owe, though you probably won’t get caught if you don’t.
