Songwriter rate fight: settlement would reset mechanical royalty to 12 cents, opponents say

Opponents of a proposed U.S. mechanical-rate settlement for 2028–2032 say its wording resets the per-song rate to 12 cents from the current COLA-adjusted 13.1 cents. That 13.1-cent level was reached only after the CRB rejected a prior deal that would have frozen the rate at 9.1 cents for over 16 years. A source in the settling camp calls the rollback reading incorrect. The CRB is taking comments before deciding whether to adopt, modify or reject the deal. The Subpart B rate covers songwriter payment on CDs, vinyl, cassettes and downloads.