ROYALTY RATES SET

With all the appeals finally adjudicated, the Copyright Royalty Board has determined royalty rates for “phonorecords” streaming between 2018 and 2022.

The CRB is sticking with an escalating rate structure for streaming services that rises from 11.2% in 2018 to 15.1% in 2022. A windfall of $250m-$400m could be headed to publishers and songwriters for mechanical royalties underpaid in the U.S. from 2017 to 2022.

Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube et al. have six months to review and adjust past payments.

The CRB stuck with 9.1 cents per song for physical product and downloads and 24 cents per ring tone for Phonorecords III. In Phonorecords IV (2023-2027), the per-song royalty rate will be 12 cents per track or 2.31 cents per minute of playing time.

To go deep into the decisions, check out the Federal Register.