As there is no way to know exactly what music is copied in the privacy of Canadian homes, distribution of the private copying levies is based on representative samples of radio airplay and album sales, which are given equal weight in the distribution. Together the radio airplay and album samples provide a proxy for determining the music that Canadians copy for private use.
While songwriters and music publishers are eligible to receive private copying royalties regardless of nationality, only Canadian recording artists and record companies may receive payments under current law. In accordance with the Copyright Board of Canada’s decisions, the levies collected have been allocated as follows:
| 2000 | 2001-2007 | 2008-2009 | 2010-2017 | 2018-2019 | |
| Eligible Authors and Publishers | 75.0 % | 66.0 % | 60.1 % | 58.2 % | 58.2 % |
| Eligible Performers | 13.7 % | 18.9 % | 22.6 % | 23.8 % | 23.8 % |
| Eligible Record Companies | 11.3 % | 15.1 % | 17.3 % | 18.0 % | 18.0 % |
For more detailed information on the distribution process click here: Distribution FAQ
On July 17th 2013, the Copyright Board published “Regulations Establishing the Periods Within Which Eligible Authors, Eligible Performers and Eligible Makers not Represented by Collective Societies Can Claim Private Copying Remuneration“. For more information please click here.