A recent ruling by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) will raise mechanical royalty rates paid to songwriters by nearly 44 percent over the next five years. The rate hike is the largest in CRB’s history and will impact works streamed via on-demand subscription services such as Google, Spotify, Apple, and Amazon.
The decision is a monumental win for songwriters, who have been long underpaid and underrepresented for their creative and tireless contributions. Streaming now dominates music consumption across the country, and we’re glad royalties are being correctly addressed.
In addition to the ruling, changes like the removal of the Total Content Cost (TCC) cap and the new late fee will help ensure that songwriters are paid properly and on time for their valuable products.
The rate increase is still lower than what songwriters could rightly earn in a free market, but this decision is a step forward in the right direction.
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