WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) Sept. 22, introduced the bipartisan American Music Fairness Act to ensure artists and music creators receive fair compensation for the use of their songs on AM/FM radio. This legislation will bring corporate radio broadcasters in line with all other music streaming platforms, which already pay artists for their music. Identical legislation (H.R. 4130) has already been introduced and received a hearing in the House, setting Congress up for action this fall.
“From Beale Street to Music Row to the hills of East Tennessee, the Volunteer State’s songwriters have undeniably made their mark. However, while broadcasters demand compensation for the content they create and distribute, they don’t apply this view to the songwriters, artists, and musicians whose music they play on the radio without paying royalties. Tennessee’s creators deserve to be compensated for their work. This legislation will ensure that they receive fair payment and can keep the great hits coming,” said Senator Blackburn.
The United States is the only democratic country in the world in which artists are not compensated for the use of their music on AM/FM radio. By requiring broadcast radio corporations to pay performance royalties to creators for AM/FM radio plays, the American Music Fairness Act would close an antiquated loophole that has allowed corporate broadcasters to forgo compensating artists for the use of their music for decades.
In recognition of the important role of locally owned radio stations in communities across the U.S., the American Music Fairness Act also includes strong protections for small, college, and non-commercial stations.
The Blackburn-Padilla bill is identical to companion legislation (H.R. 4130) introduced in 2021 in the House of Representatives, which received a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee in February and is currently working its way through the committee process.
This legislation will positively impact artists and the music industry at large by:
- Requiring terrestrial radio broadcasters to pay royalties to American music creators when they play their songs.
- Protecting small and local stations who qualify for exemptions — specifically those that fall under $1.5 million in annual revenue and whose parent companies fall under less than $10 million in annual revenue overall — by allowing them to play unlimited music for less than $500 annually.
- Creating a fair global market that ensures foreign countries pay U.S. artists for the use of their songs overseas.
The American Music Fairness Act is endorsed by: the AFL-CIO, 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.
Full text of the bill is available here