THE MUSIC MODERNIZATION ACT IS SENATE-BOUND

After successfully passing the House Committee on 4/27 with a unanimous vote, the Music Modernization Act was introduced on Thursday by Senator Orin Hatch (R-UT) and 17 other senators, just ahead of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing scheduled for 5/15.

The bill has garnered widespread bi-partisan support throughout its journey, and has been championed by musicians and artists as well as the associations that support them like the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), SoundExchange, RIAA, the Recording Academy, American Association of Independent Publishers (AIMP), American Federation of Musicians (AFM) and more or less everyone you know.

Pending continued support in the Senate and a stroke of the presidential pen, the MMA's AMP Act promises to benefit songwriters and producers by formalizing SoundExchange's current practices regarding the distribution of royalties. and the Rate Standard Parity Act will require services to pay fair market value for music. MMA will also close a glaring loophole with the Classics Act, to ensure the same compensation applies to pre-1972 recordings as to current ones.

Understandably, certain high-profile industry folks were quick to weigh in.

“After a unanimous vote to pass the MMA in the House, we are thrilled to see such ardent, bipartisan support for music creators in the Senate. This legislation is critical to ensuring songwriters have a pathway to fair compensation so they can sustain their livelihoods and create the next great songs," said ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews. "We applaud the leadership of fellow songwriter Senator Hatch, along with Senators Alexander and Whitehouse, for spearheading this effort in the Senate and to Chairman Grassley and all other co-sponsors for being champions of American songwriters. We look forward to the Senate’s vote and eventual passage of the MMA.”

"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" —Michael Huppe, SoundExchange

“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," according to SoundExchange President and CEO Michael Huppe.

“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," Huppe added.

"As the organization that represents music's creators, the Recording Academy is grateful for the introduction of this comprehensive package. The Academy's songwriter, performer, producer, and engineer members in every state will advocate for passage of the Music Modernization Act and they thank Sens. Hatch, Grassley, Whitehouse, and all the original cosponsors for their support of music makers," said the Recording Academy's Chief Industry, Government & Member Relations Officer Daryl P. Friedman.

While Senator Hatch and his posse of fellow supporters are confident in the bill's momentum, we'll have to wait and see if the rest of the Senate–and the Executive Branch–feel the same. Stay tuned!