Royalty stacking

Royalty stacking occurs when multiple rights holders—such as songwriters, publishers, record labels, or licensing organizations—each require a fee or royalty for the same piece of intellectual property. This leads to cumulative costs that can significantly increase the total expense of using the work, potentially making projects less financially viable. Essentially, it’s the accumulation of layered licensing fees from various parties involved, which can complicate and inflate licensing costs in industries like music, film, or publishing.