Music Modernization Act Is Now Law

• President Donald Trump signed the Music Modernization Act into law today at a White House ceremony. The bipartisan legislation, which passed Congress unanimously last month, includes a number of components, including payments to songwriters and artists for pre-1972 recordings, as well as increased compensation for works played on streaming services.

According to Variety, among the artists present for the signing were Kid Rock, former Doobie Brothers’ guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, MercyMe, the Beach Boys’ Mike Love, Sam Moore (Sam & Dave) and Country artists Craig Morgan and John Rich. Kanye West was expected to be there, but his name was not called out by Trump at the ceremony. He was scheduled to have lunch at the White House on Thursday afternoon.

Mitch Glazier, President of the Recording Industry Association of America, said, “The Music Modernization Act is now the law of the land, and thousands of songwriters and artists are better for it. The result is a music market better founded on fair competition and fair pay. The enactment of this law demonstrates what music creators and digital services can do when we work together collaboratively to advance a mutually beneficial agenda. It’s a great day for music. We hope fans across the country will join with us in celebration and PLAY IT LOUD.”

Also present at the signing was Neil Portnow, President & CEO of the Recording Academy, who remarked, “With the president’s signature today, the Music Modernization Act is officially the law of the land. As we celebrate the harmony and unity that got us here, we applaud the efforts of the thousands of performers, songwriters, and studio professionals who rallied for historic change to ensure all music creators are compensated fairly when their work is used by digital and satellite music services. We thank the members of Congress who championed this issue throughout the past several years to bring music law into the 21st century.”