American Music Fairness Act

# American Music Fairness Act Summary **What It Would Do** This bill would require traditional AM/FM radio stations to pay royalties (fees) to artists and record labels when they play their music—something they currently don't have to do. Right now, only digital radio services (like satellite and internet radio) pay these performance fees, while terrestrial broadcast radio stations get a free pass. The bill would change that by establishing that radio stations need a license to broadcast copyrighted music and would have to pay rates set by the Copyright Royalty Board (a government agency that determines fair licensing costs). **Who It Affects** The primary groups affected are: artists and record labels (who would gain new revenue from radio play), and terrestrial radio stations (who would face new licensing costs).

Small radio stations below a certain revenue threshold might face different requirements than larger stations. Listeners wouldn't directly pay extra since they already listen to radio for free, though the economics could indirectly impact programming decisions. **Current Status** The bill was introduced by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in the 119th Congress and is currently in committee, meaning it hasn't advanced to a full floor vote yet. This is a significant change to copyright law that would likely face debate from both the radio industry and music advocacy groups.