Today (10/11) President Trump signed into law the Music Modernization Act (CAT 9/26), an event attended by artists including Craig Morgan, John Rich and Kid Rock. The MMA bill was created to give music creators fairer compensation for their works in the digital streaming world. Statements from the industry include:
"We have worked on elements of this legislation for 15 years. With the passage of this law, every professional songwriter in America, including myself, who has suffered devastating economic losses in the era of digital music delivery, can now breathe a sigh of relief and be optimistic about the future of our profession. Along with the songs that bear my name, this is my proudest career accomplishment." –NSAI Pres. Steve Bogard
"Now the job of utilizing the tools found in the Music Modernization Act begins. NSAI and other songwriter organizations will immediately select songwriter board and committee members for the new Music Licensing Collective (MLC) that commences operation on January 1, 2021. We have two years to build the first-ever songwriter, music publisher run mechanical licensing collective. This will be the first collection agency that pays songwriters 100 cents from every royalty dollar since the digital streaming companies will pay operational costs of the MLC." –NSAI Exec. Dir. Bart Herbison
"The Music Modernization Act is finally the law of the land. We are incredibly grateful for the Members of Congress who passed the MMA and the President for signing it. Songwriters have for too long labored without seeing fair rates and receiving all that they deserve, and for the first time in history, the music industry has partnered with the tech industry to fix these systemic problems. As we embark on supporting and helping build the critical structures within the MMA, we are humbled by the extraordinary progress propelled by compromise and the unprecedented political involvement of music creators. Today is about their future and this bill stands as a great statement on what can be done when we work together." –NMPA Pres./CEO David Israelite
"Thanks to the unrelenting efforts of our ASCAP music creator and publisher members, industry partners and champions in Congress, a more sustainable future for songwriters is finally within reach. The MMA's unanimous passage in the House and Senate proves that the power of music is a great unifier. ASCAP is gratified to have stood alongside creators, music publishers, and many more to make this dream a reality." –ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews
"A young songwriter once wrote, 'You give a little love and it all comes back to you; You're gonna be remembered for the things that you say and do.' Decades later, this could not be more true. Songwriters across this country now and in the future will remember those who fought so hard for the Music Modernization Act–both in Congress and across the music industry. On behalf of the music community, we are so thankful for the love and will return the favor with music for generations to come." –ASCAP songwriter/Chairman of the Board/Pres. Paul Williams
"This is truly a historic moment for the music industry, especially for the American songwriters and composers at its core, who will see significant and deserved benefit from this legislation. Passage of the Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act was a hard-fought process that hinged on tremendous collaboration and unprecedented support among diverse stakeholders who ultimately united to safeguard the future of music. We are gratified by this extraordinary outcome that recognizes the essential contributions of creators and streamlines the use of their music across businesses. While BMI will keep advocating to protect the livelihood of music creators in the digital age, we thank Congress and the President for taking this important step in implementing the most meaningful music licensing reform in decades." –BMI Pres./CEO Mike O'Neill
"Today, President Trump signed the bi-partisan Hatch-Goodlatte Music Modernization Act (The MMA), which will finally bring music copyright laws into the digital age. We applaud everyone's hard work and tireless efforts on this legislation, especially the Senators who worked diligently to get the bill passed then adopted by the House. We're grateful for our committed songwriting and publishing community whose focus and passion have strengthened our industry for generations to come." –SESAC Chairman/CEO John Josephson
"NAB is grateful for President Trump's signature on the Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act, thus culminating a years-long process to find consensus solutions to music licensing issues. This important legislation will benefit songwriters, legacy recording artists, producers, digital streaming services, and music listeners. We appreciate the bipartisan process that resulted in passage of this landmark legislation. Senator Hatch and Chairman Goodlatte deserve credit for their diligent work on copyright issues over the years, and NAB commends their leadership alongside Chairman Grassley and Ranking Members Nadler and Feinstein – along with Representatives Collins and Jeffries and Senators Whitehouse, Alexander and Coons – to skillfully guide this legislation through Congress." NAB Pres./CEO Gordon Smith
"With the president's signature today, the Music Modernization Act is officially the law of the land. As we celebrate the harmony and unity that got us here, we applaud the efforts of the thousands of performers, songwriters, and studio professionals who rallied for historic change to ensure all music creators are compensated fairly when their work is used by digital and satellite music services. We thank the members of Congress who championed this issue throughout the past several years to bring music law into the 21st century." –Recording Academy Pres./CEO Neil Portnow
