Q. Can I play music in my classroom?

The short answer is yes, with exceptions.

The Copyright Act allows an academic institution to play music or other sound recordings in class for educational purposes. However, if the performance will be offsite, outside of school hours, or will include members of the public, a transactional licence is required from the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN). 

What about posting it online?

If you want to post the music on BlackBoard it's a different story. It can take a great deal of time to get the required permissions and there will most likely be a fee to do so.

To get permissions you would have to start with the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency, as well as Re:Sound, a music licensing agency. Contact information is available on their websites.

Are there other options?

If you just want background music, you can try to find some royalty-free music which usually doesn't require licensing. Visit the Sandbox Free Audio and Images guide to find some options.

Copyright questions? Send them to us via theservicehub@senecapolytechnic.ca.