SOCAN's first female CEO on the changes she's making at the PRO, growing up in a famous musical family, the evolution of song rights, politics of CanCon in streaming, increasing diversity in the business, and a lot more.
On the podcast this week, CM Editor-in-Chief Michael Raine is joined by SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown. As you'll hear, while she represents a couple firsts for Canada’ performing rights organization – including its first female CEO and the first employee to be promoted into the role from within the company – it’s her familial attachment to its members that she emphasizes. Jennifer’s father, grandfather, aunts, and uncles made up the Family Brown band, which was one of most illustrious families in Canadian country music. “I know what it's like to make a living on royalties and how critical that is to making sure that your life's work is being fairly compensated.”
So, in this wide-ranging conversation, Jennifer and Mike discuss her vision for SOCAN and how it differs in some important ways from her successor’s, as well as broader industry topics, like the politics of promoting Canadian content on streaming services and the pandemic’s impact on royalties. Jennifer also talks about SOCAN’s Equity Task Force, signing the Declaration to end anti-Black racism in the Canadian music industry, and its diversity review and recommendations from CPAMO.
Michael Raine is the Editor-in-Chief for Canadian Musician, Professional Sound, and other magazines. He’s a fan of long conversations about music and the music industry.
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