If you play music in a venue or parade or festival? Get ready for an invoice from the Canadian Government.

… the Copyright Board of Canada recently approved new fees to play recorded music at large gatherings, including weddings.

The fees – which also apply to events and venues such as parades, festivals, and karaoke bars – are being charged in an effort to protect and compensate performers and record labels for their work.

What’s more important to note

The new fees are retro-active to 2008, meaning people may receive a bill for an event they’ve thrown in the past.

Here’s an example if you run a night club ( assuming you’re only open 4 days a week ):

$55.52 x 4 x 52 = $11,548.16 / yr
Now – remember to times that by 4 years = $46,192.64

If you’re open more than that, I hope you’ve got roughly $70,000 in your account.

Just a few tips I pulled out:

• Be yourself – personable, connected & diverse
• Your audience trusts you so trust them too
• Know what you can do, and always do it! Never be late to your own air time.

Ultimately Put Yourself Out There. And by “yourself” – I mean you.

Not a character or tammer version or a rock star version or your father or your favorite personality. Don’t emulate Gary or Emeril or Ellen or Horatio Caine.

If you try to be someone you’re not – people will smell the inauthenticity of it all.