Webcaster Minimum Fee Payments for 2017 Due by January 31, 2017

Commercial and noncommercial entities streaming sound recordings over the Internet under statutory licensing are reminded that the annual minimum webcasting fee for 2017 is due to be paid to SoundExchange no later than January 31, 2017. The minimum annual fee payment is $500 per channel or station, up to a maximum of $50,000 in the case of commercial broadcasters. The minimum annual fee payment is nonrefundable and credited against any additional royalty fees payable by the webcaster in 2017.

Each minimum fee payment must be accompanied by a service-specific Statement of Account form prepared by SoundExchange, copies of which are available here (for commercial webcasters) and here (for noncommercial webcasters) by clicking on the 2017 “Minimum Fee SOA” link for the appropriate service type. Failure to submit the annual minimum fee by the January 31 deadline could subject a webcaster to late payment penalties. The obligation to submit the annual minimum fee payment is in addition to the ongoing requirement to file with SoundExchange monthly Statements of Account and Reports of Use. New stations or channels that begin streaming after January 31, 2017 are required to submit a minimum fee payment with the current monthly Statement of Account within 45 days of the end of the month in which streaming began.

SoundExchange now offers an online portal for the submission of fee payments, Statements of Account, and Reports of Use called “SoundExchange Licensee Direct” that can be found here. If you have not yet registered for the online portal and would like to do so, you can contact SoundExchange at 202-559-0555 or by email at licenseerelations@soundexchange.com.

If you have any questions regarding your webcaster obligations or the completion of the proper SoundExchange filings, or would like to discuss any aspect relating to streaming music on the Internet, please contact any attorney in our office.