SiriusXM Royalties 2026: How Artists Get Paid

Last Updated: September 2026

Yes, artists get paid when their song plays on SiriusXM, and the money flows through exactly one door: SoundExchange. SiriusXM pays SoundExchange 15.5% of its gross revenue under the Copyright Royalty Board's SDARS III rate, in force from 2018 through 2027 (CRB). SoundExchange then splits every dollar 50% to the sound recording owner, 45% to the featured artist, and 5% to non-featured session players and vocalists through the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Fund. Songwriters are paid separately through their PRO (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, or GMR) under blanket licenses. There are no mechanical royalties on satellite radio, so the MLC is not involved. If you are not registered with SoundExchange as both a featured artist and a rights owner, your SiriusXM money is sitting unclaimed, and SoundExchange releases unclaimed funds after a three-year window. This guide covers how the SiriusXM royalty pipeline works, why 2026 is the most contested year for satellite royalties since 2018, and how to make sure your plays actually turn into payments.

Do artists get paid when their song plays on SiriusXM?

Yes. Unlike AM/FM radio, which pays only songwriters and publishers in the United States, SiriusXM pays both the sound recording side and the composition side. That is because satellite radio is a digital audio transmission, and the Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act of 1995 created a statutory performance right for recordings on digital non-interactive services. SiriusXM is the largest single "preexisting satellite digital audio radio service" (SDARS) under that law, with roughly 33 million subscribers across its self-pay and paid promotional tiers, according to the company's 2025 reporting.

The recording side is a compulsory license: SiriusXM does not negotiate with your label or distributor, it pays the government-set rate to SoundExchange, and SoundExchange pays you. The composition side is not compulsory. SiriusXM negotiates blanket licenses with each PRO, and those PROs pay their writer and publisher members according to their own distribution rules. Both streams exist for every spin. Most independent artists are only collecting one of them.

How much does SiriusXM pay per play in 2026?

SiriusXM does not pay per play. It pays a percentage of revenue, which is the single most important thing to understand about satellite royalties. Under SDARS III, SiriusXM owes SoundExchange 15.5% of gross revenue for every year from 2018 through 2027 (Copyright Royalty Board, December 2018 determination). SoundExchange then divides that pool by the census play data SiriusXM reports, so your share is proportional to your spins against every other recording SiriusXM played that period.

Because the pool is revenue-based, the effective per-play value swings with SiriusXM's reported revenue and total spin count. SoundExchange's unaudited 2025 distributions were $991.5 million, down 5.9% from 2024, and SoundExchange specifically cited "lower reported SiriusXM revenue" as one of the reasons (SoundExchange, February 2026). That word "reported" matters, and it is the heart of the lawsuit covered below.

For comparison, Pandora, which SiriusXM has owned since 2019, pays under the separate webcasting rate. The CRB's Web VI determination set the commercial non-subscription webcasting rate at $0.0028 per performance for 2026, rising $0.0001 per year to $0.0032 in 2030 (Federal Register, March 2026). A single satellite spin reaches millions of listeners simultaneously, so it is worth far more than a single Pandora stream, but neither is quoted as a fixed per-play amount to artists.

How is the SiriusXM royalty pool actually split?

SoundExchange's statutory split is fixed by law and does not change based on your deal:

The 45% featured-artist share is the reason SoundExchange matters so much for signed artists. Your label cannot intercept it, it is not recoupable against your advance, and it is paid regardless of whether you are unrecouped. For a self-released artist who owns the master, you are entitled to 95% of every SiriusXM dollar generated by your recording, but only if you have registered as both a Featured Artist and a Sound Recording Copyright Owner (SRCO). RoyaltyCoPilot.ai regularly finds independent artists who registered one side years ago and never claimed the other, leaving roughly half their satellite radio income unclaimed.

Why is SoundExchange suing SiriusXM, and what does it mean for you?

SoundExchange sued SiriusXM in the Southern District of New York in 2023, alleging the satellite broadcaster underpaid statutory royalties by roughly $150 million (SoundExchange, June 2023). The core allegation is an accounting maneuver: SiriusXM bundles satellite and streaming access in its subscription packages, then attributes a disproportionate share of that bundled revenue to its webcasting product, which is paid under the cheaper per-performance webcasting rate instead of the 15.5% satellite rate. SoundExchange called it "gaming the system" by artificially inflating the value of the streaming component.

On August 7, 2025, Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald dismissed the case, ruling that Congress never granted SoundExchange the authority to file federal lawsuits on behalf of the rights holders it collects for (Billboard, August 2025). SoundExchange filed a notice of appeal to the Second Circuit on September 5, 2025, and now estimates the cumulative underpayment exceeds $400 million (Music Business Worldwide, September 2025). This is not SiriusXM's first rodeo: in 2018 the company settled two earlier SoundExchange suits covering 2007 through 2017 for a lump sum of $150 million (Recording Academy, June 2018).

For an independent artist, the practical implications are two. First, the money at stake is real. If the Second Circuit reverses and SoundExchange eventually recovers underpaid royalties, those funds are distributed to the artists and rights owners whose recordings were played during the underpayment period. You only receive your share if your recordings are registered and your account is active at SoundExchange. Second, the standing question is bigger than SiriusXM. If the district court ruling stands, no one has a clear path to enforce the statutory rate against any digital service, and the only remaining pressure point is the CRB rate-setting process itself.

What is SDARS IV, and will SiriusXM royalties go up in 2028?

SDARS IV is the Copyright Royalty Board proceeding that will set the satellite radio royalty rate for January 1, 2028 through December 31, 2032. The CRB formally opened the case (docket 25-CRB-0014-SR/PSSR) in late 2025, and petitions to participate were due January 30, 2026 (Copyright Royalty Board). The named participants are Sirius XM Radio LLC, the SoundExchange Joint Petitioners, Music Choice, and independent songwriter George Johnson, who files in nearly every CRB proceeding on behalf of individual creators.

Historically these proceedings move the rate meaningfully. SDARS I set the rate at 6% of revenue in 2007, rising to 8% by 2012. SDARS II moved it to 9% in 2013 climbing to 11% by 2017. SDARS III jumped it to 15.5% for 2018 through 2027, a 41% increase over the prior top rate (Billboard, December 2017). SoundExchange has argued for years that satellite radio should pay closer to the roughly 50-plus percent of revenue that interactive streaming services pay in aggregate to rights holders, while SiriusXM argues its rate is already the highest of any statutory service. Expect written direct statements through 2026, hearings in 2027, and a determination in late 2027. Whatever rate emerges, it applies to every recording played on SiriusXM starting in 2028, so the registration work you do now determines whether you collect at the new rate.

Which SiriusXM royalties go to songwriters instead of artists?

The composition side of a SiriusXM spin is paid through performing rights organizations, not SoundExchange. SiriusXM holds blanket licenses with ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR, and each PRO allocates SiriusXM license fees to writers and publishers based on the play data SiriusXM reports. If you wrote the song and performed it, you are owed on both sides: PRO royalties as the writer, SoundExchange royalties as the featured artist and (if self-released) the rights owner.

Three things routinely go wrong on the composition side. First, unregistered works: your PRO cannot pay a spin on a song that is not in its repertory with your IPI number attached. Second, missing publisher share: writers who never set up a publishing entity or administrator only receive the writer half of PRO royalties, and the publisher half sits in the PRO's system until claimed or, eventually, is reallocated. Third, metadata mismatches between the title SiriusXM reports and the title registered at the PRO. A catalog audit through RoyaltyCoPilot.ai cross-references your SoundExchange, PRO, and MLC registrations against your released catalog to surface exactly these gaps.

How do you get your music on SiriusXM in the first place?

SiriusXM programming is curated by channel, and channel program directors make the calls. There is no pay-to-play submission portal that guarantees rotation, and any service promising guaranteed SiriusXM adds should be treated with suspicion. The realistic paths for an independent artist in 2026:

1. Target the right channel, not the network. SiriusXMU, Alt Nation, The Highway, Shade 45, Hip-Hop Nation, The Pulse, Octane, The Loft, Outlaw Country, Bluegrass Junction, and Real Jazz each have distinct programming teams. Research which channel plays artists at your level and in your lane before pitching anything.
2. Pitch through a radio promoter with satellite relationships. Most independent artists who land satellite rotation do so through a genre-specific radio promoter who has existing relationships with channel PDs. Fees range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per campaign, and reputable promoters will tell you up front whether your record is competitive for the channel.
3. Use Pandora AMP and artist tools. Because Pandora is SiriusXM-owned, traction on Pandora (via the free AMP artist platform, Artist Audio Messages, and featured tracks) is visible to SiriusXM programmers and is a legitimate on-ramp for emerging artists.
4. Submit directly where channels accept it. Some SiriusXM channels, notably SiriusXMU and The Highway's "On The Horizon" style features, periodically accept direct submissions or run emerging artist showcases. Check the individual channel's social pages for current calls.
5. Make sure your metadata is clean before any spin lands. A SiriusXM spin on a recording with no ISRC, a mismatched artist name, or a missing SoundExchange registration generates royalties that cannot be matched to you.

SiriusXM vs AM/FM vs Pandora vs Spotify: which pays artists what?

The pattern is clear: satellite and non-interactive webcasting are the only major radio-style formats where the recording side gets paid in the US, and SoundExchange is the only entity that pays it. If you have any radio-format airplay at all and no SoundExchange account, you are leaving money in a system that will eventually release it.

What happens to unclaimed SiriusXM royalties?

SoundExchange holds royalties for unregistered artists and rights owners, but not forever. Under the CRB's regulations, SoundExchange may release unclaimed funds after holding them for three years, and those funds are used to offset SoundExchange's administrative costs, which effectively lowers the fee for everyone who did register. SoundExchange has distributed more than $13 billion cumulatively since 2003 (SoundExchange, 2025), and its public unclaimed royalties search still lists tens of thousands of artist and label names with money waiting.

The three-year clock is why timing matters. A SiriusXM spin in 2023 that you never claimed can be released in 2026. Registering today does not automatically recover everything from the past, but SoundExchange does pay backlogged royalties for the periods still within the window once your registration and repertoire claims are processed. RoyaltyCoPilot.ai's free catalog audit flags recordings with airplay history and no matching SoundExchange claim so you can prioritize the ones closest to the release deadline.

Step-by-step: how to make sure you get paid for SiriusXM plays

1. Register with SoundExchange as a Featured Artist. This captures the 45% share. Use the exact artist name that appears on your releases.
2. Register as a Sound Recording Copyright Owner if you own your masters. This captures the 50% share. Self-released artists need both accounts, and many only have one.
3. Claim your repertoire. Search SoundExchange's database for your recordings by ISRC and claim them. Unclaimed recordings in your name are the most common leak.
4. Confirm your PRO registrations. Every song you wrote needs to be registered with your PRO with correct splits and your IPI number. If you have no publisher entity, set one up or use an administrator so the publisher share is claimable.
5. Check the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Fund if you played on other people's records. The 5% non-featured share is paid there, and you must register separately.
6. Audit annually. Metadata drifts, distributors change, and new releases fall through. An annual cross-check of SoundExchange, PRO, and MLC registrations against your full catalog catches the gaps before the three-year release clock runs out. RoyaltyCoPilot.ai automates that cross-check for independent artists and small publishers.

What changed in 2026 for SiriusXM royalties?

Three developments make 2026 a pivot year for satellite radio money. The SDARS IV rate proceeding formally opened, with the January 30, 2026 petition deadline locking in SiriusXM, SoundExchange, Music Choice, and George Johnson as the parties who will fight over the 2028 through 2032 rate. The SoundExchange v. SiriusXM appeal is pending at the Second Circuit, and its outcome will decide whether the collective has any power to enforce the statutory rate in court. And SoundExchange's 2025 distributions fell 5.9% to $991.5 million, with the organization publicly attributing part of the decline to how SiriusXM reports its revenue. Every one of those stories lands on the same place for an indie artist: the money is contested at the top, and only registered, claimed recordings receive whatever is ultimately paid.

Frequently asked questions about SiriusXM royalties

Does SiriusXM pay royalties to independent artists?

Yes. SiriusXM pays 15.5% of gross revenue to SoundExchange, which distributes it to every registered featured artist and rights owner whose recordings were played, regardless of label status. Independent artists who own their masters are entitled to 95% of the royalty generated by their recording.

How much does one SiriusXM spin pay?

There is no fixed per-spin rate. SiriusXM pays a percentage of revenue into a pool, and SoundExchange divides the pool by total reported plays each period. The effective value per spin changes with SiriusXM's revenue and total spin volume, and it is typically much higher than a single Pandora or Spotify stream because one spin reaches millions of subscribers at once.

Do I need to be registered with SoundExchange to get SiriusXM royalties?

Yes. SoundExchange is the only entity authorized to distribute satellite radio recording royalties in the US. Without a registered Featured Artist account and, if you own your masters, a Sound Recording Copyright Owner account, your royalties are held as unclaimed and may be released after three years.

Does the MLC collect SiriusXM royalties?

No. The MLC collects mechanical royalties, which apply to reproductions like interactive streams and downloads. SiriusXM is a non-interactive service, so no mechanical royalty is owed. Songwriters are paid for SiriusXM plays through their PRO instead.

What is the SoundExchange lawsuit against SiriusXM about?

SoundExchange alleges SiriusXM underpaid royalties by attributing bundled subscription revenue to its lower-rate webcasting product rather than its satellite service. A federal judge dismissed the case in August 2025 on the grounds that SoundExchange lacks authority to sue; SoundExchange appealed to the Second Circuit in September 2025 and estimates the underpayment now exceeds $400 million.

Will SiriusXM royalty rates go up in 2028?

That is what the SDARS IV proceeding will decide. Rates rose from 6% in 2007 to 15.5% in 2018, and SoundExchange is expected to argue for another increase. A determination is expected in late 2027 and will apply from January 1, 2028 through December 31, 2032.

Are Pandora royalties paid the same way as SiriusXM royalties?

No. Pandora's free tier is paid under the webcasting rate, $0.0028 per performance in 2026, while SiriusXM's satellite service pays 15.5% of revenue. Both flow through SoundExchange, but under different rate schedules. Pandora Premium (interactive) is paid through label and distributor deals like Spotify.

How can I see if SiriusXM has played my music?

SoundExchange statements list plays by service, so once you are registered you can see SiriusXM spins in your royalty detail. Before registering, you can search SoundExchange's public unclaimed royalties list for your artist name. Some radio monitoring services also track satellite airplay.

Do session musicians get paid for SiriusXM plays?

Yes. 5% of every SiriusXM royalty dollar goes to non-featured performers through the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund. Session players and background vocalists must register with the Fund separately from SoundExchange to receive it.

---

Satellite radio is one of the few places in the US music economy where a "radio" spin pays the artist, not just the songwriter. The rate is set by the government, the money flows through one collective, and the only thing between you and your share is whether your name and your recordings are registered. Run a free catalog audit at RoyaltyCoPilot.ai to see which of your recordings have airplay-eligible royalties waiting and which registrations are missing.