NMPA, NSAI, Sony Resolve Issues With Copyright Royalty Board

The National Music Publishers’ Association, the Nashville Songwriters Association International, and Sony Music Entertainment have resolved their dispute over ongoing rates for mechanical royalties payable under Section 115 of the Copyright Act for the period between 2018 and 2022.

The three entities today filed a joint agreement which includes a roll-forward of rates in Subpart A of the 115 regulations, covering physical products, digital downloads, and ringtones. Under the terms of the settlement, SME will withdraw from Subparts B & C, which applies to on-demand streams. Additional terms were not disclosed about the agreement, which is similar in kind to NMPA’s previously announced settlement with Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group.

In a joint statement on the deal, NMPA, NSAI and Sony Music said, “The parties are pleased to have reached a mutually beneficial settlement in this matter. Sony Music and the music publishing community value their relationship, and as the music marketplace continues to evolve it is more important than ever that the music community stands united to demand fair market pay for songwriters and artists from all digital music services. We look forward to working together to pursue that shared objective.”