An important deadline is approaching for most radio broadcasters that stream sound recordings.
This annual required fee — known as a minimum fee and related statement of account — must be filed with SoundExchange by Jan. 31, 2022. Stations can pay the fee through the Licensee Direct online filing portal, according to a blog post by the firm Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth that calls attention to the deadline.
Most radio broadcasters must file a report of use informing SoundExchange of the recordings that a station uses. Each report must include sound recording usage information pertaining to two seven-day periods in that quarter with reports due no later than 45 days after the end of the relevant month or quarter.
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If a station owes more than the $1,000 minimum fee for the year, a station must file census reports on a monthly basis. If a station owes less than that minimum, they can file sample reports on a quarterly basis.
The fee for the 2021–2025 license term for commercial and noncommercial webcasters is $1,000. That was increased for the current license term by $500, as determined by the Copyright Royalty Board. In addition, the per performance fee charged in excess of that minimum fee is $0.0022 for 2022 for non-subscription services and $0.0028 for subscription services.
The rates and rules are different for noncommercial educational stations and public broadcasters affiliated with NPR, as the blog post lays out.
