College Webcasters' Digital Music Payments Set for Next Five Years
Published Date: 3/10/2026
Rule
Summary
Starting January 1, 2026, noncommercial educational webcasters will follow new rules for paying to play music online, lasting through 2030. These updated rates and terms come from a deal between music rights groups and college broadcasters, making sure artists get fair pay while schools keep streaming. The changes kick in on March 10, 2026, so webcasters should get ready to follow the new payment rules.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 3 costs, 1 mixed.
Per‑channel Minimum Fee Schedule
If you run a noncommercial educational webcaster, you must pay an annual Minimum Fee for each individual channel or station that makes Educational Transmissions. The Minimum Fee is $800 for 2026, $850 for 2027, $900 for 2028, $950 for 2029, and $1,000 for 2030.
160,000 ATH Cap and Penalties
A webcaster that uses the Minimum Fee option must not make total transmissions over 160,000 Aggregate Tuning Hours (ATH) on any individual channel in a month (based on prior-year and expected usage rules). If a webcaster unexpectedly exceeds 160,000 ATH on a channel in any month, it must notify the Collective within 30 days, pay royalties under subpart B for that month and the remainder of the calendar year, and the Minimum Fee already paid will be credited against amounts owed.
Optional $100 Proxy Fee To Skip Reports
A Noncommercial Educational Webcaster that did not exceed 80,000 Aggregate Tuning Hours (ATH) for any channel in the prior year and does not expect to exceed 80,000 ATH in any month may pay a $100 annual Proxy Fee instead of submitting regular reports of use. The Proxy Fee must be paid by January 31 each year (or within 30 days after the month you begin transmissions if you start after January 31).
Reporting Options, Deadlines, and Account Forms
Webcasters must submit the Minimum Fee (and Proxy Fee if used) with a statement of account by January 31 each year (or within 30 days after the month they begin transmissions if starting after January 31). Eligible webcasters may elect sample‑basis reporting (two weeks per quarter) or must provide quarterly census reports if they exceed thresholds; sample reports are due by January 31 of the following year and census reports are due within 30 days after each quarter. Statements of account must include specified contact and certification information and a signed certification that the licensee qualifies and met ATH limits.
Who Qualifies as an Educational Webcaster
A "Noncommercial Educational Webcaster" must hold the compulsory licenses under 17 U.S.C. 112(e) and 114, comply with applicable provisions, be operated by or affiliated with a domestically accredited primary/secondary or degree‑granting institution and be staffed substantially by enrolled students, and must not be a public broadcasting entity eligible for Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding. These criteria determine whether an operation may use the Educational Webcaster rules and fees.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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Previous: 2026-04627, Determination of Rates and Terms for Digital Performance of Sound Recordings by New Subscription Services and Making of Ephemeral Copies To Facilitate Those Performances (NSS V)
Starting January 1, 2026, new subscription services that play music as part of cable or satellite TV bundles will follow fresh rules on how much they pay for digital music performances and temporary copies. These rules, effective through 2030, set clear rates and terms agreed upon by major music and service players, making sure artists and rights holders get fair pay. If you’re a streaming service or music rights owner, these changes mean smoother, fairer payments for the next five years.
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