Copyright Board Targets SiriusXM, Pandora for Royalty Audits
Published Date: 12/23/2025
Notice
Summary
The Copyright Royalty Board is planning to audit 10 media companies, including SiriusXM and Pandora, to check their royalty payments for 2022, 2023, and 2024. These companies must make sure their digital music use fees are accurate and up to date. The audits could affect how much money they owe or get back, so everyone should pay close attention!
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Ten Media Licensees Selected for Audit
On December 12, 2025, SoundExchange filed notices to audit the statements of account submitted by ten licensees — Cox Media Group, Hope Media Group, Pandora Media LLC, Saga Communications Inc., SomaFM.com, LLC, Townsquare Media, Z Ministries, Inc., Mood Media, Music Choice, and SiriusXM — for calendar years 2022, 2023, and 2024. The Copyright Royalty Judges published notice in the Federal Register on December 23, 2025.
Licenses Require Royalty Payment and Compliance
The notice reiterates that licensees operating under sections 112 and/or 114 of title 17 may operate under those statutory licenses only if they pay the royalty fees and comply with the terms set by the Copyright Royalty Judges; the rates and terms are codified in 37 CFR parts 380 and 382–84.
Audits Limited to Once Per Year
Under the rules cited, as the Collective SoundExchange may conduct an audit of a licensee only once a year and the audit may cover any or all of the prior three calendar years to verify royalty payments. That annual limit on audit frequency is an explicit term in 37 CFR provisions referenced in the notice.
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