(a) Distribution of royalties. (1) The Collective must promptly distribute royalties received from Commercial Broadcasters to Copyright Owners and Performers that are entitled thereto, or to their designated agents. The Collective shall only be responsible for making distributions to those who provide the Collective with information as is necessary to identify and pay the correct recipient. The Collective must distribute royalties on a basis that values all Performances by a Commercial Broadcaster equally based upon the information provided under the Reports of Use requirements for Commercial Broadcasters pursuant to § 370.4 of this chapter and this subpart. In any case in which a Commercial Broadcaster has not provided a compliant Report of Use, whether for the current license period or otherwise, and the board of directors of the Collective determines that further efforts to seek the missing Report of Use from the Commercial Broadcaster would not be warranted, the Collective may distribute the royalties associated with the Commercial Broadcaster's missing Report of Use on the basis of Reports of Use for the corresponding calendar year filed by other Licensees.

(2) The Collective must use its best efforts to identify and locate Copyright Owners and featured artists in order to distribute royalties payable to them under 17 U.S.C. 112(e) and 114. Such efforts must include, but not be limited to, searches in Copyright Office public records and published directories of sound recording Copyright Owners.

(b) Unclaimed funds. If the Collective is unable to identify or locate a Copyright Owner or Performer who is entitled to receive a royalty distribution under this part, the Collective must retain the required payment in a segregated trust account for a period of three years from the date of the first distribution of royalties from the relevant payment by a Commercial Broadcaster. No claim to distribution shall be valid after the expiration of the three-year period. After expiration of this period, the Collective may apply the unclaimed funds to offset any costs deductible under 17 U.S.C. 114(g)(3).

(c) Retention of records. Commercial Broadcasters shall keep and securely store complete and accurate books and records relating to payments of royalties under this subpart for a period of not less than the prior three calendar years, including all supporting documentation necessary to permit verification of the accuracy of their payments pursuant to § 380.46. On and after January 1, 2027, a Commercial Broadcaster using a third-party vendor for transmission of Performances licensed as Nonsubscription Digital Audio Transmissions pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 114 or reporting due pursuant to this subpart must comply with this requirement by either obtaining necessary data from its vendor on an ongoing basis or contractually requiring delivery of necessary data by its vendor in the event of verification pursuant to § 380.46. The Collective shall keep books and records relating to distributions of royalties for a period of not less than the prior three calendar years.

(d) Designation of the Collective. (1) The Judges designate SoundExchange, Inc., as the Collective to receive Statements of Account and royalty payments from Commercial Broadcasters and to distribute royalty payments to each Copyright Owner and Performer (or their respective designated agents) entitled to receive royalties under 17 U.S.C. 112(e) or 114(g).

(2) If SoundExchange, Inc. should dissolve or cease to be governed by a board consisting of equal numbers of representatives of Copyright Owners and Performers, then it shall be replaced for the applicable royalty period by a successor Collective according to the following procedure:

(i) The nine Copyright Owner representatives and the nine Performer representatives on the SoundExchange board as of the last day preceding SoundExchange's cessation or dissolution shall vote by a majority to recommend that the Copyright Royalty Judges designate a successor and must file a petition with the Copyright Royalty Judges requesting that the Judges designate the named successor and setting forth the reasons therefor.

(ii) Within 30 days of receiving the petition, the Copyright Royalty Judges must issue an order designating the recommended Collective, unless the Judges find good cause not to make and publish the designation in the Federal Register.