Collaboration will explore consent, attribution, and reporting infrastructure to help songwriters, composers, and music publishers control how their works are used and compensated.
TORONTO, July 21, 2026 /CNW/ -- 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 from AI outputs for the purpose of appropriately compensating 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 using such 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.
"As AI reshapes the music industry, music creators must have transparency, credit and fair compensation," said Jennifer Brown, CEO at SOCAN. "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."
"Artists and songwriters should always retain control over their work as AI systems evolve," said Sean Power, CEO of Musical AI. "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."
"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," said Honourable Evan Solomon, the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. "This is the kind of responsible Canadian innovation that will create new opportunities while recognizing and protecting the value of human creativity."
About SOCAN
SOCAN is Canada's largest member-owned music rights organization, championing the fundamental value of music and the people who create it. SOCAN collects license fees for the public performance and reproduction of music, matches them to rights holders, and distributes them as royalties to music creators and publishers in Canada and around the world. With more than a century of expertise and innovation, SOCAN stands for respect and fair compensation for creative work – protecting, recognizing, and celebrating its over 200,000 songwriter, composer, and music publisher members. For more information: www.socan.com.
About Musical AI
Musical AI is a Canadian rights technology company providing consent management and attribution infrastructure for generative music. Its platform helps rights holders manage permissions and helps identify how licensed works influence AI generated outputs across composition and sound recording rights, supporting transparent reporting, licensing and compensation.
SOURCE SOCAN
Media contact: Nicole Van Severen, [email protected]
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