entandem

What entandem does

Entandem Inc. is a Canadian not-for-profit joint venture created in 2019 by RE:SOUND and SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) to administer consolidated public performance music licensing for Canadian businesses. The organization serves as the single point of contact through which businesses can obtain both RE:SOUND (sound recording rights) and SOCAN (musical works rights) licenses, eliminating the historical fragmentation where businesses had to engage two separate collective management organizations.

Entandem's core product is a self-serve online portal and suite of license types tailored by business vertical (restaurants and bars, nightclubs, hotels and banquet halls, fitness and dance studios, small business and retail, concerts, municipalities, and school boards) and by music use type (background music, live music, karaoke, recorded music for dancing, DJ performances, comedy and magic shows, fitness and dance instruction, and receptions/conventions). The underlying technology is a web-based customer account management system enabling registration, license application, renewal, and report submission, supplemented by direct sales outreach for enterprise accounts (municipalities, school boards, multi-location businesses) negotiating annual flat-fee agreements.

The business model is licensing-fee-based and rate-regulated: fees are set by the Copyright Board of Canada and vary by business size, type of music use, and space characteristics. Entandem collects these fees and ensures royalty distribution to rightsholders — songwriters, composers, publishers, record labels, and artists — through its parent CMOs. The company serves 60,000+ businesses and organizations across Canada, operating exclusively in a domestic Canadian market with a bilingual EN/FR interface.

Name

entandem

Legal name

Entandem Inc.

Website

https://entandemlicensing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Entandem is a Canadian not-for-profit joint venture of RE:SOUND and SOCAN that administers consolidated public performance music licensing for over 60,000 Canadian businesses, providing a single point of contact for combined sound recording and musical works rights compliance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Licensing Services

NAICS

Music Publishers (51223)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) & Public Performance Licensing (MPAIAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Music Rights Administration & Royalty Processing (Admin, Accounting, Statements) (MPAIAKAD), Performance Rights Administration (PRO Affiliation, Cue Sheet/Setlist Processing) (MPAIABAE), Micro-Licensing & Direct Licensing Platforms (UGC, SMB venues, online uses) (MPAIAKAJ)

Keywords

• Music licensing services
• Public performance licenses
• Copyright royalty administration
• Music rights management
• Sound recording licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Music Licensing Fees: Entandem collects licensing fees on behalf of RE:SOUND and SOCAN from Canadian businesses that use recorded and/or live music. Fees are set by the Copyright Board of Canada and based on business size, type of music use, and space characteristics. Some licenses are administered annually or quarterly, while others are on a per-event basis.
2. Royalty Distribution: Entandem collects fees from licensees and ensures royalties are distributed to music rightsholders including songwriters, composers, publishers, record labels, and artists through RE:SOUND and SOCAN.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Entandem is a Canadian not-for-profit joint venture between RE:SOUND and SOCAN that administers public performance music licenses covering both sound recording and musical works rights through a single point of contact. The organization licenses Canadian businesses, organizations, and events to legally play recorded and live music, collecting fees set by the Copyright Board of Canada and distributing royalties to music creators including songwriters, composers, publishers, record labels, and artists. Services are delivered primarily through an online self-serve customer portal where licensees register, apply for, manage, and renew licenses.

Product overview

Entandem is a not-for-profit Canadian music licensing organization created in 2019 as a joint venture between RE:SOUND and SOCAN. It offers a unified platform and suite of services that streamline public performance music licensing for Canadian businesses. The core offering consists of an online customer portal through which businesses register, apply for, manage, and renew music licenses. Entandem administers both RE:SOUND (sound recording rights covering performers, musicians, and record labels) and SOCAN (musical works rights covering songwriters, composers, and publishers) licenses through a single application process. The product portfolio includes various license types tailored by business sector (restaurants, bars, nightclubs, hotels, banquet halls, fitness studios, dance studios, concert venues, municipalities, school boards, and retail stores) and by music use type (background music, live music, karaoke, recorded music for dancing, comedy/magic shows, fitness and dance instruction, and receptions/conventions). Fees are set by the Copyright Board of Canada and vary based on business size, space, and music use. The company services over 60,000 businesses and organizations across Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Music Licensing Services
• Online Customer Portal
• Background Music License
• Live Music License
• Karaoke License
• Recorded Music for Dancing License
• DJ License Services
• Annual Music Licensing Agreement (School Boards)
• Annual Municipal Music Licensing Agreement
• Receptions, Conventions and Similar License
• Fitness and Dance Instruction License
• Music Licensing Forms and Report Forms

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• RE:SOUNDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019RE:SOUND is a Canadian not-for-profit organization that administers the public performance rights for sound recordings. As a joint venture partner, RE:SOUND and SOCAN created Entandem in 2019 to simplify music licensing for Canadian businesses by providing a single point of contact for both organizations' licenses.
• SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019SOCAN is Canada's leading music rights organization, representing the collective interests of music creators and publishers. As the joint venture partner with RE:SOUND, SOCAN co-founded Entandem to provide simplified music licensing through a single organization.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• SOCAN: Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada — Entandem's parent and Canada's largest PRO for musical works. Operates in the same music-licensing ecosystem but administers the SOCAN-side licenses directly and on a standalone basis, making it a direct functional comparable.
• RE:SOUND: Canadian not-for-profit administering public-performance rights for sound recordings (neighboring rights). Entandem's other parent; comparable in scope of activity (licensing on behalf of rights holders) and in shared governance structure.

Direct peers

• ASCAP: The largest US PRO, performing rights organization that licenses public-performance rights on behalf of songwriters, composers, and publishers. Highly comparable business model (collective licensing of public performance), though operates in the US and as a single PRO rather than a joint venture.
• BMI: US-based PRO licensing public-performance rights for musical works. Closest US functional equivalent to one half of Entandem (the SOCAN-side function); analogous rate-setting oversight and SMB-venue licensing focus.
• SESAC: US PRO performing the same collective public-performance licensing function for its affiliates. Comparable in scope (rights administration, royalty collection, licensing to business users) and customer base (commercial music users).

Regional players

• PRS for Music: UK PRO performing collective licensing of public-performance rights on behalf of songwriters, composers, and publishers. Directly comparable in business model and licensing workflows, but serves the UK rather than Canada.
• GEMA: Germany's PRO administering public-performance, reproduction, and distribution rights for musical works. Comparable collective-licensing model serving one national market; analogous to Entandem's Canada-only scope.
• SACEM: France's PRO for songwriters, composers, and music publishers. Same collective licensing structure, royalty distribution workflow, and tariff-based regulatory oversight as Entandem, though operating in a different jurisdiction.
• APRA AMCOS: Australasian PRO formed via joint venture of APRA and AMCOS — directly analogous governance structure to Entandem's RE:SOUND/SOCAN joint venture. Performs identical collective licensing of public-performance and reproduction rights for music creators.

Emerging players

• Songtrust: Music publishing administrator providing direct licensing, royalty collection, and rights administration services for independent songwriters and publishers. Adjacent competitor that could disintermediate traditional PRO collective licensing by offering direct-to-publisher alternatives.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/entandem

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about entandem