Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Your mechanical royalty share
$30.00
Total mechanical royalties owed
$60.00
Royalty per unit
$0.1200
Rate applied (cents/copy)
12.00
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How to use this
- 1Enter units sold (cd, vinyl, download).
- 2Enter song length (min).
- 3Enter statutory flat rate per copy (¢).
- 4Enter per-minute rate (¢).
- 5Enter your writer/publisher share (%).
- 6Read your your mechanical royalty share on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Mechanical royalties pay the songwriter/publisher for reproduction of the composition — separate from the master recording royalty a performer earns. In the US, the statutory mechanical rate for physical and downloads is currently 12 cents per copy or 2.31 cents per minute of playing time (whichever is greater) for songs over 5 minutes, while streaming mechanicals are paid through a complex per-stream formula administered by the MLC. This calculator handles the simpler physical/download case plus a streaming-rate estimate so you can budget what a pressing run or download sale actually owes in mechanicals.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Units sold (CD, vinyl, download): 500
- Song length: 3.5 min
- Statutory flat rate per copy: 12 ¢
- Per-minute rate: 2.31 ¢
- Your writer/publisher share: 50 %
Results
- Your mechanical royalty share: $30.00
- Total mechanical royalties owed: $60.00
- Royalty per unit: $0.12
- Rate applied (cents/copy): 12
What each field means
Inputs
- Units sold (CD, vinyl, download)
- The units sold (cd, vinyl, download) used in the calculation. Starts at 500 so you have a working example on load.
- Song length (min)
- The song length used in the calculation, measured in min. Starts at 3.5 min so you have a working example on load.
- Statutory flat rate per copy (¢)
- The statutory flat rate per copy used in the calculation, measured in ¢. Starts at 12 ¢ so you have a working example on load.
- Per-minute rate (¢)
- The per-minute rate used in the calculation, measured in ¢. Starts at 2.31 ¢ so you have a working example on load.
- Your writer/publisher share (%)
- The your writer/publisher share used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 50 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–100 %.
Results
- Your mechanical royalty share
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total mechanical royalties owed
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Royalty per unit
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Rate applied (cents/copy)
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Who pays mechanical royalties?
The party manufacturing or distributing copies — a record label, a distributor on your behalf, or you yourself if self-releasing — owes mechanicals to whoever owns the composition copyright. If you wrote and recorded the song yourself, you technically owe yourself, but it matters a lot once other writers are involved.
How is streaming different from this calculation?
Streaming mechanicals aren't a fixed per-stream cent amount — they're calculated from a percentage of service revenue divided across all compositions played, administered by the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) in the US. This tool's per-copy math applies cleanly to physical and permanent downloads, not on-demand streams.
Do I need a compulsory license to cover a song?
Yes, if you're recording someone else's composition. Services like Easy Song Licensing or the Harry Fox Agency issue mechanical licenses at the statutory rate so you're covered without individually negotiating with the publisher.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Split Sheet Royalty Calculator
Divide songwriting and production credit into exact percentages.
Vinyl Pressing Unit Economics Calculator
Break down per-record cost, breakeven units, and profit per run.
Spotify & Apple Music Royalty Calculator
Estimate what streams actually pay after your distributor's cut.
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Mechanical Royalty Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/mechanical-royalty-split
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/mechanical-royalty-split" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mechanical Royalty Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Mechanical Royalty Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/mechanical-royalty-split) (2026).