SoundExchange President and CEO Michael Huppe released this statement on the decision by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to introduce a music licensing reform package, the Music Modernization Act (S. 2823), ahead of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing scheduled for May 15:
“On behalf of the 150,000+ music creators represented by SoundExchange, we are grateful to Senator Hatch for building this consensus legislative package that will benefit the entire music ecosystem. Taken together, the elements of this legislation will strengthen and protect the rights and interests of creators — the artists, songwriters and producers whose music enriches our lives – and it will improve engagement between the creative community and the digital services whose businesses rely on their work. We look forward to working with the sponsors and the entire community of stakeholders that built accord on this package to make it law.
“We encourage our members – thousands of whom have already reached out to lawmakers and expressed their support for reform – to ask their senators to back this comprehensive legislative package that protects our legacy artists, gives music creators the right to fair market value for their work, guarantees efficient payment to producers, and creates efficiencies in the mechanical licensing process for songwriters and publishers.”
CLASSICS ACT:
“The CLASSICS Act guarantees federal copyright protection for artists who recorded music before 1972 and will ensure that legacy artists finally receive compensation for their work.”
AMP Act:
“The AMP Act will benefit producers and sound engineers by formalizing SoundExchange’s long-time practice of honoring letters of direction from artists who opt to share royalties with other creative participants in the recording process.”
Rate Standard Parity:
“The rate standard parity provisions from the Fair Play Fair Pay Act are significant because they will establish a “willing buyer, willing seller” rate standard that will require all digital platforms to pay fair market value for music.”