# SoundExchange Lawsuit Against Sonos Paused

> SoundExchange’s $3.4M lawsuit against Sonos paused until appeals court rules on its right to sue over unpaid royalties.
- Title: SoundExchange Lawsuit Against Sonos Paused | Shortify
- Summary: SoundExchange’s $3.4M lawsuit against Sonos paused until appeals court rules on its right to sue over unpaid royalties. SoundExchange’s $3.4 million claim…
- Keywords: soundexchange, sonos, napster, siriusxm, copyright, royalties, statutory license, federal court, music, business, Lawsuit, Against
- Source: Music Business Worldwide — https://musicbusinessworldwide.com/soundexchanges-3-4m-lawsuit-against-sonos-put-on-hold-until-appeals-court-rules-on-its-right-to-sue-over-unpaid-royalties
- Published: 2026-10-21T12:10:05+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: soundexchange, sonos, napster, siriusxm, copyright, royalties, statutory license, federal court, music, business
## SoundExchange sues Sonos for unpaid royalties
SoundExchange sued Sonos and Napster in June 2025 over unpaid royalties for Sonos Radio, a streaming service launched in April 2020.
## Sonos Radio service relies on statutory license
Sonos Radio uses a statutory license in US copyright law to play commercial recordings without label deals, requiring royalty payments to SoundExchange.
## Napster stopped royalty payments in May 2022
Napster, which powered Sonos Radio, stopped royalty reports and payments in May 2022 after being acquired by Hivemind and Algorand.
## SoundExchange claims $3.42 million owed
SoundExchange claims Sonos and Napster owe at least $3,423,844.41 in unpaid royalties, late fees, interest, and audit costs from October 2022 to April 2023.
## SoundExchange sued SiriusXM in August 2023
SoundExchange sued SiriusXM in August 2023 over alleged underpayment of more than $150 million in royalties by booking satellite revenue as streaming income.
## US Court of Appeals rules on SoundExchange’s right to sue
A federal appeals court in New York ruled SoundExchange lacks legal right to sue services that fail to pay royalties, citing The MLC’s authority to bring lawsuits.
## SoundExchange’s lawsuit against Sonos paused
Judge Hernán D. Vera paused SoundExchange’s $3.4 million lawsuit against Sonos until the appeals court rules on its right to sue over unpaid royalties.
## Key takeaway

SoundExchange’s $3.4 million claim against Sonos and Napster is paused pending a federal appeals court decision on whether SoundExchange has legal right to sue services that fail to pay royalties.