MECHANICAL ROYALTY

mechanical royalty.Copyright. The payment to which a songwriter is entitled each time a mechanical-right holder reproduces a song on a phonorecord. • Mechanical-royalty rates are statutory, and payable per song or per minute (whichever is higher). If an artist is willing to pay the statutory rate, the songwriter’s permission is not needed before a recording is made. If they choose to, artists and songwriters can negotiate lower royalty rates. 37 CFR § 255. — Also termed statutory rate.

[Blacks Law 8th]