The royalties go to the songwriters. It is a formula:
“Upon selecting the “mechanical license” option, I was asked the following multiple-choice questions (my answers appear in parentheses):
1) How many recordings will you make? [2500 COPIES OR LESS (LICENSE FEE MINIMUM IS 500 UNITS)]
2) Manufactured in what country? (WITHIN U.S.)
3) Distributed in what country? (WITHIN U.S.)
4) Which type of Organization do you represent? (INDIVIDUAL)
Based on the length of each song and the number of units you plan to sell, songfile.com then computes a fee based upon the statutory mechanical royalty rate—the money collected for each sale of your cover version that goes directly to the song’s writer and publisher (often split 50/50). Currently (January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2005), the “statutory mechanical royalty rate” is:
8.50 Cents for songs 5 minutes or less
1.65 Cents per minute or fraction thereof over 5 minutes.”
From HFA selecting the “mechanical license” option, I was asked the following multiple-choice questions (my answers appear in parentheses):
1) How many recordings will you make? [2500 COPIES OR LESS (LICENSE FEE MINIMUM IS 500 UNITS)]
2) Manufactured in what country? (WITHIN U.S.)
3) Distributed in what country? (WITHIN U.S.)
4) Which type of Organization do you represent? (INDIVIDUAL)
Based on the length of each song and the number of units you plan to sell, songfile.com then computes a fee based upon the statutory mechanical royalty rate—the money collected for each sale of your cover version that goes directly to the song’s writer and publisher (often split 50/50). Currently (January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2005), the “statutory mechanical royalty rate” is:
8.50 Cents for songs 5 minutes or less
1.65 Cents per minute or fraction thereof over 5 minutes.