In the United States, the Copyright Royalty Board issues compulsory Mechanical Royalty rates, known as “statutory rates.” For physical sales/downloads, this rate is 9.1 cents for songs that are under five minutes. For pieces over five minutes in playing time, the rate is 1.75 cents per minute. The rate for ringtones is 24 cents per ringtone.

Music Piracy and the New Musician
This article discusses music piracy and the hazards that it represent to all musicians. It discuses the nature of this piracy and its estimated costs and outlines the importance of protecting ones intellectual property.