SoundExchange CEO Michael Huppe and Country Music Legend Randy Travis to Deliver Testimony on the American Music Fairness Act

House Judiciary Subcommittee to hold hearing on June 26 focused on bill that would advance fair pay for creators

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — SoundExchange CEO and President Michael Huppe will testify before the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, next Wednesday, June 26th on the American Music Fairness Act (H.R. 791) alongside country music icon Randy Travis.

The American Music Fairness Act is bipartisan, bicameral legislation that will close a century-old loophole and require AM/FM radio stations to pay artists royalties when their songs are played on the air. AM/FM radio plays an estimated 967 million songs annually, reaching nearly 300 million people each week. But unlike other music platforms, radio broadcasters have never paid artists for the use of their work.

“Creators deserve to get paid, no matter where their music is played,” said Huppe. “The American Music Fairness Act would ensure artists are rightfully paid for the performances that are the main input of the AM/FM radio business. It is time for Congress to come together, stand up for creators everywhere, and pass the American Music Fairness Act.”

Event: Hearing on “Radio, Music, and Copyrights: 100 Years of Inequity for Recording Artists” 118th Congress (2023-2024)
Date: Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at 2:00 pm EDT
Location: 2141 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.

The American Music Fairness Act was introduced in the U.S. House by U.S. Representatives Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Jerry Nadler (D-NY), and in the U.S. Senate by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). The legislation is supported by a diverse coalition of artists, broadcasters, labels, and music lovers, including the musicFIRST Coalition

For more information, visit judiciary.house.gov. 

About SoundExchange
SoundExchange is the premier music tech organization on a mission to power the future of music. It was independently formed in 2003 to build a fairer, simpler, and more efficient music industry through technology, data, and advocacy. The only organization designated by the U.S. government to administer the Section 114 sound recording license, SoundExchange collects and distributes digital performance royalties on behalf of 700,000 music creators and growing. Through proprietary music tech solutions that turn data into accurate revenue, SoundExchange has paid more than $11 billion in distributions to date. For more information, visit soundexchange.com.

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SOURCE SoundExchange