Dionne Warwick, Sam Moore & Industry Leaders Join Legislators Issa and Deutch to In-troduce Bipartisan Bill for Fair Pay to Musicians
A bipartisan effort supported by legendary musicians is underway, led by Ted Deutch (D-FL) and Darrell Issa (R-CA). Deutch and Issa were joined by celebrities including Dionne Warwick, Sam Moore, Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys and others as Deutch and Issa introduced new legislation to Congress on Thursday.
Issa and Deutch introduced The American Music Fairness Act (AMFA) to Congress with a mission to legally compel radio stations to pay performance royalties to all musicians. In the U.S., paying musical artists royalties for their performances is not common practice.
"Every musical artist who first picked up a drumstick, sang in front of a mirror or wrote a lyric from the heart did so because they were inspired to create and share. While that is their gift to us, ultimately, they are the true owners, and we need to protect their rights," said Rep. Issa. "Since the global pandemic shuttered live venues, closed recording studios and music makers have struggled almost as never before, corporate broadcasters have continued to profit from the artists and musicians whose performances make all of it possible. It's time for all of them to receive compensation for their hard work and timeless art. I'm proud to stand with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and introduce the American Music Fairness Act."
The U.S. stands alone in the world as the only country that does not legally protect performers or music copyright owners by compelling radio stations to pay royalties when their music plays on the radio. Numerous radio stations pay songwriters royalties in the U.S., but terrestrial radio does not pay performers or copyright holders.
Historically, similar legislation has not been approved by Congress. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) introduced a bill, Ask Musicians for Music Act, in 2019. This bill would have allowed all music artists and owners of copyrights to work with radio stations to negotiate performance royalties for their permission to have their music played on the radio.
Deutch said it's time to protect America's musicians by making sure they get fair compensation for their work.
At a news conference, Deutch said, "The American Music Fairness Act will protect the artists we know as they make the music we love. For the first time, artists would see a piece of the massive profits made on the backs of their creative work. Congress must end the unfair deal AM/FM radio has forced on musicians."
Zach Bair, CEO of music tech company Vnue, said one of the missions of his company is to provide proprietary tech that will, for the first time, provide real-time stats to musicians and copy-right owners whenever their music is played.
"It is beyond time that musicians are fairly compensated for their work, no matter where it is being consumed, including Radio," said Bair. "Every platform should be treated the same, and that is exactly what I have been evangelizing at VNUE. Royalties are paid to copyright holders for their hard work. Radio isn't different than any other medium. Now, should it be overcharged? No.
That's why we have been working on Soundstr, our music recognition technology that recently tested 100% accuracy for radio playlists. Most radio stations are not tracked, and even when they are, they are not combined into useable data and shared with the copyright holders or rights organizations. With our technology, every single radio station can be monitored on a cost-effective basis, and we can ensure rights holders are paid."
The American Music Fairness Act asks Congress to:
· Require terrestrial radio stations to compensate all artists for their property.
· Create a fair market value for music performance royalties by closing the loophole that allows AM/FM radio stations to play music without compensating artists.
· Exempt radio stations that fall under $1.5 million in annual revenue and whose parent companies fall under less than $10 million in annual revenue overall. For less than $2 per day ($500 annually), small and local stations can play unlimited music.
· Ensure that foreign countries pay U.S. artists when their songs are played overseas.
The new bill comes on the heels of last month's controversial 'Local Radio Freedom Act,' backed by the National Association of Broadcasters. Steve Womack (R-AR) and Kathy Castor (D-FL) introduced this Act to Congress in May. The 'Local Radio Freedom Act' asks Congress to keep radio stations royalty-free and not force royalty or other fees upon radio stations. Though it is a non-binding resolution, Variety reports 138 Representatives and 18 Senators signed the Act.
In the U.S. today, broadcasters comprise one of the most powerful lobbyists in the nation. In 2018, broadcasters spent $20 million in D.C. Their significant spending in Washington reflects their mission to control threats to current laws regarding music licensing, how to protect radio stations from being compelled to pay royalties to performers and copyright owners, and more.
However, another powerful music organization, the Recording Industry Association of America® (RIAA), reported in public disclosure filings their organization spent over $5.6 million in 2018 fighting, in part, to pressure lawmakers to compel AM/FM station owners to pay royalties for music usage.
The American Music Fairness Act is endorsed by: the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), the American Federation of Musicians, The Recording Academy, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), SAG-AFTRA, and SoundExchange.
