WASHINGTON D.C. (CelebrityAccess) — Just a week after the legislation unanimously cleared the Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives have voted to unanimously approve the Senate’s edition of the bill.
The bill will now land on the desk of U.S. President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it into law.
The quick passage of the reconciled bill by the House received rounds of praise from the music industry.
SoundExchange President and CEO Michael Huppe said: “If you are a music fan, you should celebrate today’s House passage of the Music Modernization Act. The music industry came together to demand that Congress modernize our music laws. That includes ensuring that music creators get paid more fairly. Because we spoke with one voice, Congress heard us. On behalf of SoundExchange’s 170,000-member community, thank you.”
John Josephson, SESAC Chairman and CEO, said: “Tonight’s unanimous passage of the Music Modernization Act by the House is a big win for content creators, and we remain hopeful the President will sign the bill in the coming days. Thanks to all for their support on this important legislation for our creative community.”
NMPA President & CEO David Israelite said: “After many months moving through Congress, we are thrilled to see the Music Modernization Act officially passed. Now, only days stand between tonight’s House vote and this bill becoming law.
“We thank our champions Congressman Doug Collins, Hakeem Jeffries, Bob Goodlatte and all of the members who again voted unanimously to improve the lives of millions of music creators and fans. This was not an easy process, but it has galvanized the entire industry behind the songwriters, artists, producers, and composers whose voices carried the bill across this threshold. Music is at the core of our country and it’s edifying to see Congress work together to ensure those who make it can make a living in the digital age.”
The bill is the first major rework of US copyright law in almost two decades. It includes three major sections:
The bill rewrites Section 115 of the U.S. Copyright Act to create a single licensing entity that will oversee the administration of mechanical reproduction rights for all digital uses of music, such as interactive streaming, which is rapidly becoming the dominant means of distributing recorded music. The bill also repeals section 114(i) and changes the rules to assign random judges to rule on ASCAP and BMI rate-setting cases.
The CLASSICS Acts Compensating Legacy Artists for their Songs, Service, & Important Contributions to Society Act) is aimed at artists and songwriters who recorded music prior to 1972 and enables them to receive royalty payments whenever their music is paid via digital radio. SoundExchange will oversee the distribution of royalties for these recordings when played by Internet, cable, and satellite radio services.
The AMP Act (Allocation for Music Producers Act) will add producers, and engineers to the list of eligible recipients for royalties under U.S. copyright law. The bill defines a producer’s right to collect royalties and creates a permanent process for studio professionals to receive royalties for their contributions.
