ADVOCACY FOR CREATORS
MUSIC CREATORS DESERVE TO BE PAID FOR THEIR WORK.
This core principle is reflected not only in the SoundExchange’s products and services that make it easier for creators to get paid, but also in its advocacy work before Congress, the White House, the European Union, and the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board; in court; and everywhere else the future of music is debated.
More than 700,000 music creators rely on SoundExchange to be their respected voice among the lawmakers, policymakers, and judges that shape and govern the business of music.
U.S. Terrestrial Radio Performance Rights
Fairness starts with respect. Music artists deserve the respect of being paid fully and fairly wherever their music is played. SoundExchange is a driving force within the musicFIRST Coalition, which is leading advocacy efforts before Congress in favor of closing a longstanding loophole in the law: the failure of broadcast corporations to pay royalties to recording artists when their music is played on AM/FM radio. This loophole has denied hundreds of thousands of working-class Americans the respect of being paid for their work since the beginning of radio. While digital service providers pay sound recording performance royalties, broadcast corporations continue to fight efforts to do so despite making billions of advertising dollars from the music they play on the radio.
The SoundExchange team works closely with congressional allies who are fighting for passage of the American Music Fairness Act (AMFA), common-sense legislation that addresses critical fair pay for recording artists, as well as protections for smaller-scale and independent local broadcasters.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF AMFA LEGISLATION
- Treating competing music platforms the same. AM/FM stations are the only media outlets that do not compensate recording artists for their music. Terrestrial radio stations would have to compensate artists for their music, just like streaming services, satellite radio, and other platforms that profit off of copyrighted content.
- Looking out for small, local broadcasters. Stations that fall under $1.5 million in annual revenue and whose parent companies make less than $10 million in annual revenue overall would be asked to pay less than $2 per day ($500 annually) for the right to play unlimited music. Qualified public, college, and other noncommercial stations would pay $10 a year.
- Protecting songwriters and publishers. The bill ensures that there will be no harmful impact on the public performance rights and royalties payable to songwriters, musical work copyright owners, and publishers.
AMFA IN THE NEWS
- AMFA Reintroduced in 2025: Democratic, GOP lawmakers push pay-for-‘play’ bill that would make radio stations compensate artists for airing their songs
- Boyz II Men deliver letter signed by more than 300 recording artists to Congress
- NBC’s Today Exclusive Interview: Radio stations may soon have to pay artists for playing their music
- Rolling Stone: Boyz II Men Urge Congress to Make Radio Stations Pay Artists for Playing Their Music
- USA Today: Boyz II Men take Capitol Hill: R&B group leads effort to improve pay for artists
- The Grio: Boyz II Men, backed by hundreds of artists, delivers letter to lawmakers pushing for passage of American Music Fairness Act
- SoundExchange President & CEO Michael Huppe’s DC Journal Op-Ed: Radio Doesn’t Pay Artists?
- Congressional testimony: Country music superstar Randy Travis (assisted by Mary Travis) and SoundExchange President & CEO Michael Huppe testify before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet.
- House Judiciary Committee: Read about and watch the hearing.
- ABC News: Randy Travis, wife Mary talk country singer’s AI music comeback, American Music Fairness Act
- Rolling Stone: Randy Travis Appears Before Congress in Support of American Music Fairness Act
- The Tennessean: Country singer Randy Travis, wife testify before Congress on AI, fair pay for musicians
- No AM Bill Without AMFA: Law Requiring AM Radio in Every Vehicle Gets Tossed From Federal Funding Bill
- David Byrne’s USA Today Op-Ed: Why radio should pay singers like Beyoncé and Willie Nelson
- Master P’s Rolling Stone Op-Ed: Music Is the Lifeblood of New Orleans. Let’s Pay the People Who Make It Possible
- SoundExchange President & CEO Michael Huppe’s Music Business Worldwide Op-Ed: Why fighting to get artists paid for radio plays is so critical
- A2IM president Richard James Burgess’ Billboard Op-Ed: iHeartRadio Is On the Wrong Side of History When It Comes to Royalties
learn more about the movement to pass the American Music Fairness Act and bring justice to creators.
Tell your elected officials that you stand with music creators.
For a deeper dive into the issue of terrestrial radio performance rights.
SOUNDEXCHANGE PAC:
A Voice for Music Creators
To amplify the voice of music artists, SoundExchange created Music Speaks: The SX PAC, a political action committee that advocates for a healthier and fairer industry. Music Speaks is made up of voluntary contributions from registered members and employees, which are used to support candidates for federal office.
Under applicable law, the amounts that may be contributed to and by Music Speaks are limited, and the company is vigilant in efforts to ensure that contributions are strictly voluntary. If you are a SoundExchange member, visit your SXDirect account to see whether you’re eligible to participate in Music Speaks.
NATIONAL TREATMENT
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST U.S. ARTISTS WHEN THEIR MUSIC IS PLAYED ABROAD
Music fairness knows no borders, and that is why SoundExchange is spearheading a global initiative to end pay discrimination faced by American music artists abroad. Instead of paying all music artists according to one set of laws, individual countries discriminate against foreign nationals by withholding royalty payments to artists whose countries of origin have different royalty and copyright laws. Countries like France collect American royalties from radio plays and use those royalties for its own cultural fund.
This unfair treatment exists because these nations do not follow the principle of National Treatment, a legal principal in international trade that dictates a country apply the same laws to foreigners as to their own citizens. These discriminatory actions hit U.S. citizens especially hard, depriving them of roughly $300 million in royalties annually.
learn more about the effort to end this discrimination
take a deeper dive into the issue of national treatment.
RATE SETTINGS & LEGAL ACTIONS
SoundExchange represents the recording industry before the Copyright Royalty Board in royalty rate proceedings. SoundExchange also advocates for music artists in court if we discover that digital service providers did not pay their fair share of royalties for the use of sound recordings. Through our enforcement work we routinely audit these services and, when appropriate, initiate litigation.
OTHER MUSIC legislation
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE – TICKETING – ARTIST RIGHTS
Stay current on legislation creators need to know about.