Glossary
Mechanical Royalty
A mechanical royalty is a payment made to a songwriter or publisher each time a song is reproduced — whether physically on CDs and vinyl, or digitally through streaming and download.
Definition
Mechanical royalties have existed since the early 20th century, when player piano rolls were the primary reproduction medium. Today, they apply to both physical reproduction (CDs, vinyl) and digital reproduction (streaming plays, download purchases).
In the US, the mechanical royalty rate for streaming is set by the Copyright Royalty Board and paid by streaming services to music publishers and songwriters. The rate is calculated per play and varies by service type. In most countries, mechanical royalties are collected by national mechanical rights organizations (e.g., MCPS in the UK, SDRM in France).
Why it matters
Mechanical royalties are separate from performance royalties. If you write your own music, you are owed both. Many independent artists who write their own songs unknowingly leave mechanical royalties uncollected because they have not registered with a mechanical licensing organization or publishing administrator.
How Lynkify uses this
Lynkify does not administer mechanical royalties. However, ensuring your music metadata and songwriter credits are correct — including in the smart link page details — supports accurate royalty attribution through your distributor and publishing administrator.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I collect mechanical royalties as an independent artist?
- In the US, register with a publishing administrator like Songtrust, SongTrust, or DistroKid's Sync + Publishing add-on. They register your songs with mechanical licensing bodies globally and collect on your behalf. Some distributors also collect mechanical royalties directly.