Royalty Milestone: SoundExchange Pays Out Over $12 Billion, Fueling Digital Music Growth
WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2025 – In a major milestone for the digital music industry, SoundExchange announced that its cumulative distributions to artists and rights owners have surpassed $12 billion since 2003. Achieved with its 185th payout in February, this feat follows closely on the heels of the organization’s $11 billion milestone reached in 2024.
During Q4 2024, SoundExchange distributed $248.6 million to creators, pushing its annual total to $1.05 billion—up 4.9% compared to the previous year. “Our relentless drive to boost the value of music is clearly evident in this achievement,” said Michael Huppe, President and CEO of SoundExchange. “It is our honor to ensure that those who create music are fairly rewarded for their talent and hard work.”
Tasked with administering non-interactive digital streaming royalties under U.S. law, SoundExchange supports a community of over 700,000 registered creators. The organization is renowned worldwide as the gold standard for collecting and distributing royalties, with more than 90% of funds reaching artists within 45 days of receipt.
Globally, SoundExchange is the largest collective management organization, collaborating with nearly 60 international partners to cover 87% of the neighboring rights market. This extensive network guarantees that over 474,000 creators benefit from performance royalties whenever their music is played internationally.
Beyond its distribution successes, SoundExchange has been a vigorous advocate for artists—securing dramatic increases in royalty rates (711% for satellite royalties, 294% for subscription royalties, and 215% for non-subscription royalties) via the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board over the last twenty years. The organization is also at the forefront of legislative advocacy, championing the bipartisan American Music Fairness Act to ensure fair compensation for performers on U.S. broadcast radio.
