Spotify, Streaming Songwriter Payments To Rise 44%, CRB Rules

The U.S. Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) has approved major graduated increases in mechanical rates for 2018-2022 that total 43.8%. It is the  biggest single increase in mechanical royalties in CRB history.

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A Copyright Royalty Board decision handed down Friday includes a significant increase in the overall percentage of revenue paid to songwriters from 10.5% to 15.1% over the next five years. The CRB also removed the Total Content Cost (TCC) cap, giving publishers the benefit of a true percentage of what labels negotiate in the free market resulting in significantly higher royalties for songwriters.

The CRB also increased the TCC rate (money paid to labels vs. payments to publishers and songwriters) to 3.82 to 1, resulting in the more balance between record label and publishing rates. In addition, the CRB granted a late fee which encourages the digital music services to pay more quickly.

The CRB decision resolves a trial that took place last year with National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) and the Nashville Songwriters Association (NSAI), representing the interests of music publishers and songwriters against Google, Amazon, Apple, Spotify and Pandora.

The new rates also likely mean higher total payments for Spotfify, Apple Music, Amazon, Deezer and other music streamers, many of whom are already deeply unprofitable. 

"the most favorable balance in the history of the industry"

“We are thrilled the CRB raised rates for songwriters by 43.8% – the biggest rate increase granted in CRB history. Crucially, the decision also allows songwriters to benefit from deals done by record labels in the free market," said NMPA President & CEO David Israelite.  "The ratio of what labels are paid by the services versus what publishers are paid has significantly improved, resulting in the most favorable balance in the history of the industry. While an effective ratio of 3.82 to 1 is still not a fair split that we might achieve in a free market, it is the best songwriters have ever had under the compulsory license. The court also decided in our favor regarding a late free which will force digital music services to pay songwriters faster or be subject to a significant penalty. 

"The bottom line is this is the best mechanical rate scenario for songwriters in U.S. history which is critically important as interactive streaming continues to dominate the market," Israelite concluded.

“Songwriters desperately need and deserve the rate increases resulting from the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) trial," said NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison. "The CRB was a long and difficult process but songwriters and music publishers together presented a powerful case for higher streaming royalty rates."

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