Canada's performing rights society SOCAN has partnered with Musical AI, a Canadian rights technology firm, to build systems that identify when songwriters' and composers' work has been used by artificial intelligence, ensuring those creators are credited and paid. SOCAN will recognise Musical AI as an approved technology partner for attribution services, marking one of the first times a performing rights organisation has formally endorsed an AI attribution company in this way. The move matters because it establishes a practical framework for consent, credit and payment as generative AI music tools become more widespread.

SOCAN, which represents more than 200,000 songwriter, composer and publisher members, says the partnership is built on two principles: that AI should only use creators' work with their consent, and that creators must be credited and paid whenever their work shapes an AI-generated output. Musical AI's technology analyses AI-generated tracks to estimate how much derives from specific recordings and compositions, producing a report akin to a "split sheet" used to divide songwriting credit. The announcement comes amid ongoing legal disputes over AI and copyright, including the RIAA's 2024 lawsuit against Suno and Udio on behalf of Sony, Universal and Warner; Warner and Universal have since settled and struck licensing deals with the AI firms, while Sony's case against both, and Universal's against Suno, remain unresolved.