# Plain Language Summary: American Music Fairness Act

The American Music Fairness Act is about making sure musicians and singers get paid when their music is played on the radio. Right now, songwriters and music publishers get paid when their songs are played on radio stations, but the actual performers and record labels often don't receive anything. This bill would change that by requiring radio stations to pay performers and record companies a fee whenever they broadcast music, similar to how they already pay songwriters.

This is a significant shift because radio has been one of the few places where musicians don't get compensated for their work being used. If you hear a song on your local radio station, the artist who recorded it and the company that produced the recording currently receive no payment from that radio play, even though the songwriter does. The bill aims to level the playing field by treating recorded music the same way other industries treat intellectual property—if someone uses your work to make money, you should get paid.

The practical impact would be that radio stations would need to pay licensing fees to performers and record labels, which could increase their operating costs. These costs might eventually get passed along to advertisers or affect how much radio stations are willing to pay for other services. For musicians, especially independent artists and those on smaller record labels, this could mean a new revenue stream from radio play. However, the bill could also affect which songs get played on the radio, as stations might be more selective about their playlists if licensing costs increase significantly.

American Music Fairness Act

Padilla, Alex

American Music Fairness Act This bill establishes that the copyright holder of a sound recording shall have the exclusive right to perform the sound recording through an audio transmission and addresses other related issues. (Currently, the public performance right only covers performances through a digital audio transmission in certain instances, which means that nonsubscription terrestrial radio stations generally do not have to secure a license to publicly perform a copyright-protected sound recording.) Under the bill, a nonsubscription broadcast transmission must have a license to publicly perform such sound recordings. The Copyright Royalty Board must periodically determine the royalty rates for such a license. When determining the rates, the board must base its decision on certain information presented by the parties, including the radio stations' effect on other streams of revenue related to the sound recordings. Terrestrial broadcast stations (and the owners of such stations) that fall below certain revenue thresholds may pay certain flat fees, instead of the board-established rate, for a license to publicly perform copyright-protected sound recordings.