125 Major Acts Unite To Oppose Pandora Plan To Cut Net Radio Royalties

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Hypebot) — 125 major artists spread have signed a letter opposing Pandora’s plan to cut artists’ pay when music is played on internet radio. Artists participating include Common, Dead Kennedys, Missy Elliot, Vince Gill, Don Henley, Billy Joel, Maroon 5, David Sanborn and Roger Waters; and with support from SoundExchange and MusicFirst, a coalition of industry trade groups including RIAA and A2IM, the letter will be published as a full page ad in Billboard later this week.

Internet broadcasters led by Pandora are pushing Congress to pass the Internet Radio Fairness Act which could cut related royalties paid to musicians by as much as 85%.
The artists that signed the letter praised Pandora, but after strong growth in revenues and a successful IP, questioned why Pandora is pushing Congress to cut payments. “That’s not fair and that’s not how partners work together,” the open letter explains.

“This issue is critical to the tens-of-thousands of recording artists we represent – all of whom rely on this digital performance revenue stream to make a living,” said SoundExchange President Michael Huppe. “It is important that we protect artists and the long-term value of their music, which is, after all, the foundation of Internet radio.”