Streaming services and songwriters file opening bids for US song royalties for 2028-2032

The fight over what an American stream is worth from 2028 has started. Songwriters, publishers and streaming services lodged opening payment proposals with the US Copyright Royalty Board by the Monday, 5 October deadline for parties without a settlement.

The case will set the mechanical royalty for on-demand streaming in the United States for 2028 to 2032. That royalty is the fee owed to songwriters and music publishers when a song is reproduced, including on interactive streams where the listener chooses the track. It covers the period from 1 January 2028 to 31 December 2032.

The board lists Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google and Pandora as participants in the case. Industry group the Digital Media Association, whose members also include Feed.fm, Qobuz, Tidal and YouTube, is speaking for the services in public. Publisher group the National Music Publishers' Association and the Nashville Songwriters Association International are organised jointly as the "Copyright Owners".

Other participants include the three major record companies, acting together as the Joint Record Company Participants, independent-label group the American Association of Independent Music, the Songwriters Guild of America, Word Collections, Eight Mile Style, the Music Artists Coalition and songwriter George Johnson, according to the board's docket Music Business Worldwide.

The services did not name a number in public. In a statement on Tuesday, 6 October, Digital Media Association president and chief executive Graham Davies said the group looked forward to a "timely resolution" of the proceeding.

That statement pointed to National Music Publishers' Association data showing US music publishing revenue rising by more than 30%, from USD $5.6 billion in 2022 to USD $7.3 billion in 2025. No specific rate proposal was mentioned.

A flat-fee plan is already on the public record from the songwriter side. The Songwriters Guild of America, Word Collections, Eight Mile and George Johnson are among those backing USD $0.0030 per interactive stream or limited download in 2028, with an adjustment for inflation in each following year. The Society of Composers & Lyricists and Music Creators North America also support that plan, and songwriter Bernie Taupin filed written testimony for it.

CDs and permanent downloads sit on a separate track. Participants have told the board they have a proposed settlement on Subpart B rates, the section that covers physical phonorecords. A public comment filed by musician Michelle Shocked refers to a proposed rate of 13.7 cents per song.

That compares with the 2026 statutory rate of 13.1 cents per track, or 2.52 cents per minute of playing time, whichever is larger. The board has proposed extending the physical and download rates through 2032.

For listeners, this means no immediate change to subscriptions or payouts. The last proceeding ended in a negotiated settlement in 2022 that fixed streaming rates for 2023 to 2027. This time the opening bids are filed, and the board decides what applies from 2028.