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The U.S. Copyright Royalty Board set the 2026 statutory mechanical royalty for nondramatic musical works at 13.1¢ per song or 2.52¢ per minute for physical phonorecords and permanent downloads (effective Jan 1–Dec 31, 2026). This impacts anyone releasing game soundtracks as physical media or permanent downloads in the U.S. (Section 115). The notice also includes a 2.9% COLA for satellite carrier compulsory license rates, which is less directly relevant to game audio.

Read More: https://musictechpolicy.com/2025/12/07/crb-sets-2026-mechanical-rate-at-13-1%C2%A2/