House Judiciary Committee Paves the Way for Passage of Historic Music Legislation

The musicFIRST Coalition issued the following statement today from Executive Director Chris Israel on the House Judiciary Committee markup of H.R. 5447, the Music Modernization Act (MMA). The MMA combines music licensing reforms outlined in the CLASSICS Act, Songwriters Equity Act of 2015, the rate standard parity provisions of the Fair Play Fair Pay Act and AMP Act, into a single, consensus bill. The bill now advances to the full House for further consideration.

“It is no secret that the laws governing music today are outdated and prevent generations of our most beloved artists from receiving fair compensation for their work. Most notably, pre-72 legacy artists are treated most unjustly because, unlike other artists, the law specifically exempts them from being compensated fairly when their songs are played on digital listening platforms and satellite radio. With the House Judiciary Committee’s introduction and unanimous vote in favor of the Music Modernization Act today, 2018 is poised to be the year many music laws are finally brought into the 21^st century.

“We are pleased this bill now heads to the full House for a vote with the solid backing of the music community, digital music groups and internet companies. We are grateful to Chairman Goodlatte, Ranking Member Nadler, Congressman Doug Collins, and the many others who worked on this consensus legislation for their leadership. With the wind of today’s committee action in our sails, it is clear that now is the time to enact the MMA and update our music laws to fairly treat music creators across the country.”