This panel provides CCMA members with a rare opportunity to hear directly from all Toronto-based royalty collection organizations simultaneously. Representatives from SOCAN/SOCAN RR, CMRRA, ACTRA/RACS, MROC and Connect Music Licensing will be on hand to speak to their specific roles on behalf of rights holders. If you’re a songwriter, music publisher, feature/non-feature performer on a recording, master recording owner, or any combination of the aforementioned, we’ll get your questions answered, fill in the gaps, and provide you with the confidence required to be in command of royalties administration.
Royalties Round Up: The Big Picture Seminar
Vel Omazic has been CMI’s executive director since co-founding the not-for-profit organization in 2011. CMI provides customized professional development, live performance opportunities, and ongoing mentorship to emerging artists, managers, and industry professionals across all genres of music. Vel has worked in the Canadian music industry for three decades, having served as Vice-President, National Promotion and Media Relations for Sony Music Canada for 10 of those years. He got his start in the National Promotion/Publicity department at PolyGram Records. Prior to launching CMI, Vel was VP Marketing & Communications at Green Living Enterprises, an environmental consulting, marketing and events agency. Vel is also on the Advisory Board for Gatecrash Music’s AMPLIFY Incubator in Mumbai, India, which is modelled after CMI.
Andrea England is fully immersed in both the creative and business sides of the music industry. She is an award-winning singer-songwriter, the founder, curator, and host of Toronto’s hottest songwriter series, Four Chords & the Truth, has released two critically-acclaimed albums - Lemonade and Hope & Other Sins, the latter of which was produced by Grammy-winning producer, Colin Linden - and has landed cuts and cowrites with a wide variety of artists, from Canadian Country Music Award winners, Meghan Patrick and Don Amero, to international Popstar/Pussycat Doll, Nicole Scherzinger (for which Andrea received a UK Gold Record).
A member of the Board of Directors of the Songwriters Association of Canada, Andrea is also a Lyrics professor in Seneca College’s Independent Songwriting and Performance program and the Associate Director of Publisher Engagement and Strategy at the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency, a SoundExchange company, where she brings a unique and holistic perspective - as a creator, educator, and music business analyst - to support CMRRA’s publisher and self-published songwriter clients.
A true East-coaster, Andrea was born in Nova Scotia and gained degrees from St. Francis Xavier and Dalhousie Universities before continuing her studies at University of Toronto. Believing in power of education and giving back, Andrea sits on the Dalhousie Arts Centre Campaign Cabinet, is a staunch supporter and charity partner (via Four Chords & the Truth) of the Unison Benevolent Fund, is a voting member of both the American and Canadian Academies of Recording Arts & Sciences, CCMA, ECMA, WIF and WIM, has led songwriting workshops for the Honey Jam, GuitarWorkshopPlus, the Singing Competition, Elaine Overholt’s Big Voice Studios, and the Canadian Musician’s Cooperative, and is an active juror for the category of Songwriter of the Year in numerous regional and national organizations.
Andrea’s first holiday single, “Jolly Melancholy Christmas,” co-written by Andrea and long-time friends/collaborators, Liz Rodrigues and James Bryan (who also produced), is due out on November 11th. A new EP, Evidence of Love, is currently in pre-production with producer Hill Kourkoutis and slated for release in May 2023.
Andrea earnestly describes her life as “all music – all the time.”
A member of the Board of Directors of the Songwriters Association of Canada, Andrea is also a Lyrics professor in Seneca College’s Independent Songwriting and Performance program and the Associate Director of Publisher Engagement and Strategy at the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency, a SoundExchange company, where she brings a unique and holistic perspective - as a creator, educator, and music business analyst - to support CMRRA’s publisher and self-published songwriter clients.
A true East-coaster, Andrea was born in Nova Scotia and gained degrees from St. Francis Xavier and Dalhousie Universities before continuing her studies at University of Toronto. Believing in power of education and giving back, Andrea sits on the Dalhousie Arts Centre Campaign Cabinet, is a staunch supporter and charity partner (via Four Chords & the Truth) of the Unison Benevolent Fund, is a voting member of both the American and Canadian Academies of Recording Arts & Sciences, CCMA, ECMA, WIF and WIM, has led songwriting workshops for the Honey Jam, GuitarWorkshopPlus, the Singing Competition, Elaine Overholt’s Big Voice Studios, and the Canadian Musician’s Cooperative, and is an active juror for the category of Songwriter of the Year in numerous regional and national organizations.
Andrea’s first holiday single, “Jolly Melancholy Christmas,” co-written by Andrea and long-time friends/collaborators, Liz Rodrigues and James Bryan (who also produced), is due out on November 11th. A new EP, Evidence of Love, is currently in pre-production with producer Hill Kourkoutis and slated for release in May 2023.
Andrea earnestly describes her life as “all music – all the time.”
LordQuest is a Grammy nominated record producer and songwriter from Toronto, Canada. He most recently co-produced 2Chainz “Vlad TV” and has worked with the likes of Kelly Rowland “The Kelly Rowland Edition EP”, Jordin Sparks “Unknown” & “Red Sangria”, Juice Wrld “Run”, Schoolboy Q”Blind Threats”, SiR “Thats Why I Love You” (feat Sabrina Claudio) and Arin Ray “F*ck Ya’ll & Zzz”. His discography inclusive of Isaiah Rashad, Bosco, G-Unit, Alex Aiono, Jozzy, Joyner Lucas, Dom Kennedy, etc is ever growing. He was most recently a part of the Warner Music Canada A&R team overseeing their hiphop and RnB Talent. It’s safe to say Quest has no intention of slowing down.
For the past 10 years, Andrew has worked to ensure performers access their neighbouring rights royalties and understand what rights and royalties are available to them in Canada and around the world. His brings past music industry experience working with unions, in music supervision, event planning and performance to his current role at ACTRA RACS. He also very much appreciates tips on great new music to listen to!
With over twenty years of experience championing the creative industries & intellectual property owners, Sundeep Chauhan is President, CONNECT Music Licensing - representing the major record companies, many independent labels, artists and producers who own or control the copyright in the vast majority of sound recordings and music videos.
Previously as Vice President & Senior Counsel - Global Content Protection with the Motion Picture Association (MPA) - the leading advocate of the film, television, and streaming industry around the world, Sundeep was responsible for overseeing MPA's Canadian content protection efforts by initiating multi-jurisdictional enforcement & litigation strategies resulting in the shutdown of some of the world's most notorious pirate sites & services. Sundeep has been designated by the Law Society of Ontario as a Certified Specialists (Intellectual Property: Copyright).
Prior to MPA, Sundeep practiced with an intellectual property firm where he offered transactional advice & litigation counsel on matters relating to Intellectual Property (Copyright & Trademarks), Goverment Relations, Corporate Commercial & Administrative Law. His prior professional roles also include Vice-President & General Counsel to a music licensing company & Policy Analyst with the Canadian Government regarding Copyright.
