The CMRRA Model and What Blues Songwriters Miss in Mechanical Royalties

The $94 Million Question Blues Writers Are Missing

In April 2026, the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) marked its 50th anniversary with a notable announcement: the organization distributed $94 million in mechanical royalties to publishers and self-published songwriters in 2025, according to Billboard Canada. That figure represented a 19% increase from 2023's total of $78 million, and broadcast mechanical distributions, royalties paid when a composition is reproduced for radio or TV, rose a striking 119% year over year.

The headline number is impressive. But buried inside it is a more uncomfortable story: a significant portion of the songwriters most entitled to those payments, blues writers, roots composers, independent artists operating in the genre's oral and regional tradition, are among the least likely to ever see a cent.

This is not a new problem. It is, however, one that is becoming more expensive to ignore.

What Mechanical Royalties Actually Are

Before getting into the blues-specific gap, it helps to clarify what mechanical royalties cover. A mechanical royalty is triggered whenever a copyrighted musical composition is reproduced, whether through a physical pressing, a digital download, or a stream on a service like Spotify or Apple Music. It is distinct from a performance royalty (which is collected by organizations like SOCAN, ASCAP, or BMI when music is publicly played or broadcast).

In Canada, the CMRRA is the primary body responsible for licensing and collecting mechanical royalties on behalf of music publishers and self-published songwriters. Founded in 1975, the agency has steadily expanded its reach: in 2021, it began collecting digital mechanical royalties from both the U.S.-based Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) and IMPEL, a global digital licensing body, according to Billboard Canada's coverage of the international expansion. For a songwriter operating outside a major label publishing deal, becoming a direct CMRRA client, at no upfront cost, is now one of the most straightforward ways to access both Canadian and international streaming revenue.

The problem is that many blues songwriters have not done it.

Why Blues Writers Fall Through the Cracks

The blues tradition carries a complex relationship with formal documentation. Historically, the genre's most foundational figures, from the Delta originators to Chicago electric pioneers, operated in an era when institutional royalty collection barely existed. Songs passed between performers. Credits shifted. Authorship was contested, ignored, or simply unrecorded.

That legacy has practical modern consequences. Blues songwriters, particularly those working in regional scenes, independent studios, or in the tradition of elder mentors, frequently underestimate their eligibility for mechanical royalty collection. Common barriers include:

1. Assuming you need a publishing deal. Many songwriters believe mechanical royalties are only accessible through a major publishing agreement. This is false. The CMRRA explicitly allows self-published songwriters to register directly as clients, with no upfront fee, the agency takes an administration percentage only after royalties are earned.

2. Incomplete metadata and song registration. Digital streaming platforms rely on metadata to match plays to rights holders. If a song is not registered with the correct International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) or does not have a properly filed publishing registration, the royalties may accumulate in unmatched pools, or simply not be distributed to the correct party.

3. Not registering international streams. Blues audiences are genuinely global. The Smithsonian has documented blues music's deep roots as a foundational American art form whose influence extends across Europe, Japan, and beyond (Smithsonian, African American Music). Yet many independent blues artists have not taken the steps to ensure their compositions are registered to collect from international digital platforms. The CMRRA's IMPEL partnership now covers streaming revenue from regions including major European markets and audio-visual uses on platforms like Facebook and YouTube.

4. Broadcast mechanical overlooked. The 119% year-over-year increase in broadcast mechanical distributions in 2025 is striking, and suggests that radio and TV reproduction royalties are flowing more robustly than many writers realize. Blues tracks placed in film, television, or broadcast radio are potentially generating mechanical income that goes uncollected if the songwriter is unregistered.

The North American Collection Landscape

For blues songwriters operating in the U.S., the mechanical licensing environment shifted significantly with the Music Modernization Act of 2018, which established the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) as the blanket licensing body for digital streaming in the United States. The MLC and the CMRRA now operate with a formal international collections relationship, meaning that a songwriter registered with one body may be able to access streams and royalties flowing from the other's territory.

This matters for blues artists because it closes a gap that used to require separate registrations and administrative work on both sides of the border. The CMRRA's 2024 distribution total of $96 million, a 23% increase from 2023, with streaming growth of 38%, reflects how rapidly the digital mechanical royalty pool is expanding (Billboard Canada, 2024 CMRRA Report).

Blues catalog music is particularly well-positioned to benefit from streaming growth. Older recordings and compositions continue to find new audiences through algorithm-driven discovery, playlist placement, and sync licensing. Every stream of a registered composition generates a mechanical royalty. If the songwriter is not registered, that royalty goes elsewhere or sits unclaimed.

The Registration Process: What Blues Songwriters Need to Do

The barrier to entry for CMRRA registration is intentionally low. The agency operates on a simple principle: if you have no publishing deal, you can join as a self-published songwriter and collect your own mechanical royalties. There is no upfront fee. The administration charge applies only to earned distributions.

The practical steps involve:

• Register your compositions with the CMRRA (and, for U.S. streaming, with the MLC) including complete metadata: song title, ISRC, co-writer splits, and publishing ownership details.
• Ensure your distributor files proper data with streaming platforms. Most major independent distribution services (DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby) offer options to handle ISRC registration, but the publishing side requires a separate registration step.
• Verify international territory coverage by confirming which territories your music is registered in through CMRRA's international collections program.
• Register any previously released catalog, mechanical royalties can sometimes be claimed retroactively when registration has been completed.

For artists working with a production company or label, it is worth confirming explicitly who holds the publishing rights and who has filed the necessary registrations. Production agreements sometimes transfer publishing ownership as a default term, which may mean the producing party, rather than the songwriter, is currently collecting any available mechanical income.

What Producers and Rights Administrators Watch For

For production teams working with blues artists, including small labels and independent producers, the mechanical royalty gap is both a practical concern and a competitive advantage. Artists who come through a production relationship with properly organized publishing rights and filed registrations are in a significantly better position when streaming royalties accumulate.

At Mollohan Production Inc. (MPI), which has worked with blues-adjacent and roots artists since 2020, ensuring mechanical rights are properly filed across North American markets is part of the standard artist development process. Blues music, with its often-deep catalog and broad international audience, deserves the same administrative rigor that major-label pop or country writers receive as a matter of course.

The goal is not complexity for its own sake. It is making sure that every stream of a legitimately registered composition generates the income the songwriter is owed.

Blues Music Has a Royalty Problem, And a Fixable One

The CMRRA's $94 million 2025 distribution reflects a healthy and growing mechanical royalty ecosystem in Canada and, by extension, across digital markets worldwide. Blues songwriters are not excluded from this system by design. They are excluded by under-registration, incomplete metadata, and a cultural assumption, inherited from the genre's difficult history with the music industry, that formal collection systems are not built for them.

That assumption is increasingly incorrect. The infrastructure exists. The registration is free. The streaming catalogs are generating royalties right now. The question is whether individual songwriters and their representatives take the steps to ensure those royalties flow where they belong.

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FAQ

What is the CMRRA and who can register? The Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) is the primary mechanical rights licensing body in Canada. Any songwriter, with or without a publishing deal, can register directly as a client. There is no upfront fee; the CMRRA takes an administration percentage only from earned distributions.

Do blues songwriters in the U.S. need to register with the CMRRA? U.S.-based songwriters primarily register with the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) for domestic digital streaming royalties. However, if your music generates streams in Canada or other international territories covered by CMRRA's IMPEL partnership, you may also need a direct registration or a reciprocal representation agreement to collect those royalties.

What's the difference between mechanical and performance royalties? Mechanical royalties are paid when a composition is reproduced, through a physical pressing, download, or stream. Performance royalties are paid when music is publicly performed or broadcast. Both revenue streams require separate registrations with different organizations.

Why are blues songwriters particularly at risk of missing mechanical royalties? The blues tradition has a complicated historical relationship with formal copyright documentation. Regional and independent blues artists often under-register their works, use incomplete metadata, or simply assume they need a major publishing deal to collect royalties, all of which result in uncollected income.

Can I claim historical streaming royalties after registering? In some cases, retroactive royalty claims are possible, particularly for unmatched royalties held in collective pools. The process depends on the organization and the specific territory. Registering as soon as possible, even for previously released catalog, is strongly recommended.

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