The United States Senate today unanimously passed the Music Modernization Act, a comprehensive bill that aims to reform our outdated music licensing system and give music creators an opportunity to obtain compensation that more accurately reflects the value of music in a free market. ASCAP and our partners in the music industry have worked tirelessly for passage of this bill and this is a major victory for all songwriters, composers and music publishers.
We want to thank the thousands of you who joined together, raised your voices, wrote to your members of Congress and worked hard to help achieve this historic achievement.
Below are statements from ASCAP Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Matthews and from ASCAP President and Chairman of the Board Paul Williams, on today’s vote:
“Today’s unanimous passage of the Music Modernization Act in the Senate represents a Herculean industry-wide effort to promote and celebrate songwriters and ensure their right to a sustainable livelihood. We applaud Senators Hatch, Alexander, Grassley, Feinstein, Whitehouse, Coons and the entire Senate for recognizing the value music has in both society and our hearts.” – Elizabeth Matthews, ASCAP Chief Executive Officer
“American songwriters work tirelessly behind the scenes to create the music that fans all over the world enjoy. Today, we made history by joining together and working for Senate passage of the Music Modernization Act, bringing us one step closer to a music licensing framework that reflects how people listen to music today. We urge the House of Representatives to swiftly pass the Senate bill, so the President can sign it into law and music creators can begin to see the benefits of this critical reform.” – Paul Williams, ASCAP President and Chairman of the Board
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