July 2026 · US mechanical royalty rate
YouTube
Mechanical Rate
Headline rate · Regular
$0.0017540
per stream · $100 = 57,012 streams
The per-stream mechanical rate YouTube pays songwriters and publishers, calculated monthly from US service revenue and total plays. Historical data covers 31 monthly periods since May 2021 across 3 service plans.
Other plans
Rate
$100 =
Regular
$0.0007573
132,054 streams
Regular
$0.0007147
139,914 streams
Family (P4)
$0.0007094
140,955 streams
Student
$0.0007078
141,278 streams
Family (P4)
$0.0005548
180,242 streams
Student
$0.0002211
452,223 streams
31-month rate trend
Per-stream rate for each YouTube service plan, month by month. Rates move with the ratio of streaming revenue to plays — a good barometer for the health of songwriter earnings on the platform.
About this data
These rates are the statutory US mechanical royalties payable under Section 115 of the Copyright Act for interactive streaming services. UniteSync tracks the per-period calculations for every major DSP in the United States and updates this page monthly as new usage periods are reported.
The headline number for each service plan is the per-play rate that DSP pays for that tier. Rates differ by plan because the revenue-per-play ratio differs — a family plan spread across four listeners pays less per stream than a premium individual account.
Are you collecting yours?
Mechanical royalties are paid to publishers, not to distributors. If you self-publish and haven't registered your catalog with a mechanical rights administrator, this money is likely sitting unclaimed in a black box.
UniteSync has recovered €1,1M in unclaimed royalties for independent artists — and counting. Our audit is free and takes 24 hours.
Request my free audit →All periods
Complete monthly history for YouTube, most recent first.
Period
Plan
Rate per stream
Jul 2026
Student
$0.0002211297
Jul 2026
Student
$0.0007078252
Jul 2026
Regular
$0.0007572671
Jul 2026
Regular
$0.0007147256
Jul 2026
Regular
$0.0017540185
Jul 2026
Family (P4)
$0.0007094476
Jul 2026
Family (P4)
$0.0005548092
Oct 2023
Student
$0.0004881538
Oct 2023
Student
$0.0002369881
Oct 2023
Regular
$0.0013590306
Oct 2023
Regular
$0.0007030740
Oct 2023
Regular
$0.0005916798
Oct 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0005288469
Oct 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0005158384
Sep 2023
Student
$0.0002218700
Sep 2023
Student
$0.0004927327
Sep 2023
Regular
$0.0006451288
Sep 2023
Regular
$0.0014466846
Sep 2023
Regular
$0.0007436864
Sep 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0005480019
Sep 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0005469394
Aug 2023
Student
$0.0004748840
Aug 2023
Student
$0.0002196051
Aug 2023
Regular
$0.0012866085
Aug 2023
Regular
$0.0006204416
Aug 2023
Regular
$0.0006792367
Aug 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0004819197
Aug 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0005497682
Jul 2023
Student
$0.0002292676
Jul 2023
Student
$0.0004684666
Jul 2023
Regular
$0.0012087078
Jul 2023
Regular
$0.0006051482
Jul 2023
Regular
$0.0006146817
Jul 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0004418609
Jul 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0005531116
Jun 2023
Student
$0.0002652404
Jun 2023
Student
$0.0004975297
Jun 2023
Regular
$0.0006361067
Jun 2023
Regular
$0.0007212588
Jun 2023
Regular
$0.0012091167
Jun 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0004313053
Jun 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0005705726
May 2023
Student
$0.0004714735
May 2023
Student
$0.0002435900
May 2023
Regular
$0.0006526507
May 2023
Regular
$0.0011371392
May 2023
Regular
$0.0006139152
May 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0004081680
May 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0005541297
Apr 2023
Student
$0.0004794729
Apr 2023
Student
$0.0002430170
Apr 2023
Regular
$0.0005994202
Apr 2023
Regular
$0.0011911819
Apr 2023
Regular
$0.0006236342
Apr 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0003924008
Apr 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0005398995
Mar 2023
Student
$0.0004745088
Mar 2023
Student
$0.0002097807
Mar 2023
Regular
$0.0007429273
Mar 2023
Regular
$0.0005879117
Mar 2023
Regular
$0.0010714641
Mar 2023
Regular
$0.0005899517
Mar 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0005091768
Mar 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0003444599
Feb 2023
Student
$0.0002281538
Feb 2023
Student
$0.0005102596
Feb 2023
Regular
$0.0007733345
Feb 2023
Regular
$0.0006115832
Feb 2023
Regular
$0.0005562681
Feb 2023
Regular
$0.0011316410
Feb 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0003974905
Feb 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0005452181
Jan 2023
Student
$0.0004902985
Jan 2023
Student
$0.0002649964
Jan 2023
Regular
$0.0011432103
Jan 2023
Regular
$0.0004481088
Jan 2023
Regular
$0.0006995467
Jan 2023
Regular
$0.0005058071
Jan 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0004041770
Jan 2023
Family (P4)
$0.0005188528
Dec 2022
Regular
$0.0007362820
Dec 2022
Regular
$0.0007750344
Nov 2022
Regular
$0.0008096443
Nov 2022
Regular
$0.0008019353
Oct 2022
Regular
$0.0007951530
Oct 2022
Regular
$0.0007843441
Sep 2022
Regular
$0.0007905779
Sep 2022
Regular
$0.0007881795
Aug 2022
Regular
$0.0007482516
Aug 2022
Regular
$0.0006978662
Jul 2022
Regular
$0.0007696473
Jul 2022
Regular
$0.0006942815
Jun 2022
Regular
$0.0007697475
Jun 2022
Regular
$0.0008693966
May 2022
Regular
$0.0008176954
May 2022
Regular
$0.0007813262
Apr 2022
Regular
$0.0007389367
Apr 2022
Regular
$0.0008133308
Mar 2022
Regular
$0.0007830601
Mar 2022
Regular
$0.0007972974
Feb 2022
Regular
$0.0007160070
Feb 2022
Regular
$0.0008613249
Jan 2022
Regular
$0.0005820856
Jan 2022
Regular
$0.0008069674
Dec 2021
Regular
$0.0009385114
Dec 2021
Regular
$0.0007752517
Nov 2021
Regular
$0.0008095134
Nov 2021
Regular
$0.0009118500
Oct 2021
Regular
$0.0008013795
Oct 2021
Regular
$0.0007656675
Sep 2021
Regular
$0.0008416593
Sep 2021
Regular
$0.0008219627
Aug 2021
Regular
$0.0008029253
Aug 2021
Regular
$0.0006918431
Jul 2021
Regular
$0.0006274876
Jul 2021
Regular
$0.0008178645
Jun 2021
Regular
$0.0008176355
Jun 2021
Regular
$0.0007035928
May 2021
Regular
$0.0007699734
May 2021
Regular
$0.0005771370
Frequently asked questions
How much does YouTube pay per stream in mechanical royalties?
YouTube paid $0.0002211 per stream (Student) in July 2026. That's roughly 452,223 streams to earn $100 in mechanical royalties.
Are YouTube mechanical royalties the same as recording royalties?
No. Mechanical royalties are paid to songwriters and publishers for the composition. Recording (master) royalties are paid to labels and performers for the sound recording. This page only shows mechanicals — the money that flows to the songwriter side of the credits.
Why does the rate change every month?
The US statutory mechanical royalty is calculated as a share of each streaming service's US revenue divided by total plays for that month. When revenue grows faster than streams, the per-stream rate ticks up; when streams outpace revenue, it drops.
How do I know if I've been paid these royalties?
Mechanical royalties are paid to publishers and their administrators, not to distributors. If you self-publish and don't have a mechanical rights administrator, this money is likely sitting unclaimed. Request a free audit to check.
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