Historic Hatch-Goodlatte Music Modernization Act Signed into Law
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: October 11, 2018
Media Contact: Charlotte Sellmyer
Historic Hatch-Goodlatte Music Modernization Act Signed into Law
Signing ceremony took place this morning at White House
Washington, D.C. – This morning, President Trump signed the Hatch-Goodlatte Music Modernization Act (MMA) into law at a White House signing ceremony.
NMPA President & CEO David Israelite, “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.”
The Music Modernization Act reforms mechanical licensing through the creation of a Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), paid for by digital companies, which will offer digital streaming services a blanket license in return for proper payments to songwriters and copyright owners. The bill also improves the rate standard by which songwriters’ mechanical rates are considered and makes improvements to the ASCAP and BMI consent decrees. Additionally, the bill ensures pre-72 legacy artists are paid for their work when played on satellite and digital radio and codifies the process through which producers and engineers are paid.
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