When sound recordings are played on certain digital services such as satellite, Internet, and cable TV radio, or streamed as background music in some restaurants and stores, the recording artist and rights owner – which may be a label or independent artist who owns his or her own masters – earns royalties. A statutory license makes it easy for webcasters and other digital music providers to pay for the sound recordings they use to operate their business, so they do not need to negotiate a deal with every individual rights owner. Instead, a noninteractive digital music service can elect to use the statutory licenses. Noninteractive services are generally defined as those in which the user experience mimics a radio broadcast.
A statutory license makes it easy for webcasters and other digital music providers to pay for the noninteractive sound recordings they use to operate their businesses that reach listeners in the United States.
Noninteractives are generally defined as those in which the user experience mimics a radio broadcast.
To learn more about how you qualify for a statutory license, click here.
Pick a category of service that applies to you below:
Webcasters which are neither tax-exempt under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code (e.g. churches, schools, etc.) nor owned by a governmental entity are “commercial” webcasters.
Streaming services owned by a governmental entity for public purposes or owned by a tax-exempt service under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code (e.g. churches, schools, etc.).
This category is for noncommercial service which (1) offer nonsubscription transmissions, (2) are primarily operated by students, and (3) owned by accredited educational institutions.
The category for NPR, American Public Media, Public Radio International, Public Radio Exchange, and certain other stations annually named by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (e.g. certain members of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, etc.).
This category is for services which stream into retail business establishments (e.g. bars, restaurants, retail stores, etc.).
This category is fore services which provide audio-only digital music programming via residential televisions using cable or satellite television providers.
This category is for certain services in existence prior to 1998 that would otherwise be eligible to operate as New Subscription Services (CABSAT).
This service is for SiriusXM, as its former companies (Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio) were in existence prior to 1998.
