Rule2026-06055
Adjustment to Sound Recordings by New Subscription Services and Ephemeral Recordings To Facilitate Those Performances License 2026 Royalty Rates
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
March 30, 2026
Effective
March 30, 2026
Issuing agencies
Library of CongressCopyright Royalty Board
Abstract
The Copyright Royalty Judges announce an adjustment (based on CPI-U figures) in the royalty for the digital performances of sound recordings by new subscription services and for the making of ephemeral recordings necessary to facilitate those transmissions.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 60 (Monday, March 30, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 60 (Monday, March 30, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 15543-15544]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-06055]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Copyright Royalty Board
37 CFR Part 383
[Docket No. 23-CRB-0013-NSR (2026-2030)]
Adjustment to Sound Recordings by New Subscription Services and
Ephemeral Recordings To Facilitate Those Performances License 2026
Royalty Rates
AGENCY: Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), Library of Congress.
ACTION: Final rule--technical amendment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Copyright Royalty Judges announce an adjustment (based on
CPI-U figures) in the royalty for the digital performances of sound
recordings by new subscription services and for the making of ephemeral
recordings necessary to facilitate those transmissions.
DATES:
Effective date: March 30, 2026.
Applicability dates: These rates are applicable to the period
January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2030.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anita Brown, (202) 707-7658,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1477667654787b773a737b62"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2b4859496b474448054c445d">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Sections 112(e) and 114(f) of the Copyright
Act, title 17 of the United States Code, create statutory licenses for
certain digital performances of sound recordings and the making of
ephemeral reproductions to facilitate transmission of those sound
recordings. On March 10, 2026, the Copyright Royalty Judges (Judges)
adopted final regulations governing the rates and terms of copyright
royalty payments under those licenses for the license period 2026-2030
for the digital performances of sound recordings by new subscription
services and for the making of ephemeral recordings
[[Page 15544]]
necessary to facilitate those transmissions. See 91 FR 11471.
Pursuant to those regulations, the calculation of the rate for each
year shall be cumulative based on a calculation of the percentage
increase in the CPI-U from the CPI-U published in November 2024 (CPI-
U%) and shall be made according to the following formulas: (A) For
Stand-Alone Contracts, (1 + (Cy-315.664)/315.664) x $0.0234; and (B)
For Bundled Contracts, (1 + (Cy-315.664)/315.664) x $0.0390; and (ii)
For both formulas, Cy is the CPI-U published by the Secretary of Labor
before December 1 of the preceding year. The adjusted rate shall be
rounded to the nearest fourth decimal place. See 37 CFR 385.3.
The CPI-U published by the Secretary of Labor from the most recent
index published before December 1, 2025, is 324.800.\1\ Applying the
formulas above, adjusted rates for 2026 are $0.0241 for standalone
contracts and $0.0401 for bundled contracts.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The CPI-U announced on October 24, 2025, by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics in its Consumer Price Index News Release--Consumer
Price Index, is available at <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/cpi_10242025.htm">https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/cpi_10242025.htm</a>. The Copyright Royalty Judges note that
the October 24, 2025, publication is the most recent CPI-U published
by the Secretary of Labor before December 1 of the preceding year
(i.e., 2026). The Bureau of Labor statistics has explained ``BLS
could not collect October 2025 reference period survey data due to a
lapse in appropriations.'' See <a href="https://www.bls.gov/bls/2025-lapse-revised-release-dates.htm">https://www.bls.gov/bls/2025-lapse-revised-release-dates.htm</a>.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
List of Subjects in 37 CFR Part 383
Copyright, Sound recordings, Webcasters.
Final Regulations
In consideration of the foregoing, the Copyright Royalty Board
amends part 383 of title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations as
follows:
PART 383--RATES AND TERMS FOR SUBSCRIPTION TRANSMISSIONS AND THE
REPRODUCTION OF EPHEMERAL RECORDINGS BY CERTAIN NEW SUBSCRIPTION
SERVICES
0
1. The authority citation for part 383 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 17 U.S.C. 112(e), 114, 801(b)(1).
0
2. Amend Sec. 383.3 by revising paragraphs (a)(1) and (2) to read as
follows:
Sec. 383.3 Royalty fees for public performances of sound recordings
and the making of ephemeral recordings.
(a) * * *
(1) For Stand-Alone Contracts, a monthly payment of $0.0241 per
Subscriber to the Service of such Licensee, which is equivalent to the
2025 royalty rate of $0.0234, as adjusted by the annual royalty fee
adjustment in paragraph (b) of this section.
(2) For Bundled Contracts, a monthly payment of $0.0401 per
Subscriber to the Service of such Licensee, which is equivalent to the
2025 royalty rate of $0.0390, as adjusted by the annual royalty fee
adjustment in paragraph (b) of this section.
* * * * *
Dated: March 25, 2026.
Trevor Jefferson,
Interim Chief Copyright Royalty Judge.
[FR Doc. 2026-06055 Filed 3-27-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1410-72-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on March 30, 2026.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.