IA Greenlights Music Modernization Act

BECKERMAN: “With IA’s support, the MMA now has the backing of the entire music community.”

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Internet Association sent a letter of support to Congressional sponsors of the Music Modernization Act (MMA) calling on them to advance the legislation. The bill will increase legal access to music for consumers and ensure prompt payment to songwriters for their music. The MMA will reform music licensing laws by replacing the current cumbersome and complex system for obtaining mechanical rights to songs with an efficient blanket licensing system built for the digital age.

“With IA’s support, the MMA now has the backing of the entire music community,” said Internet Association President & CEO Michael Beckerman. “This bill builds on the internet innovations driving growth in the music industry to modernize music licensing laws. IA and our 40 members are fully committed to advancing this bipartisan legislation because it will strengthen the digital music revolution that’s bringing the industry -creators, consumers, and digital platforms- to new heights.”

Consumers’ top choice for music consumption is streaming, and its rise has led to back-to-back years of growth for the music industry. The MMA recognizes the shared success of internet models by improving choices for consumers, promising clarity for internet companies, and providing greater opportunities for compensation to publishers and songwriters.

The MMA modernizes the current system for obtaining mechanical rights to songs, which is cumbersome and complex. Today, licenses must be obtained on a song-by-song basis, which may have multiple co-writers, split across tens of thousands of music publishers. The MMA will create a blanket licensing system with collective administration, bringing simplification and clarity to the market.

From Internet Association’s letter of support, “The more than 40 members of Internet Association include the most innovative and forward-thinking companies in the world, including many internet platforms and services that depend on clear, reliable rules for licensing music. Such rules enable innovation and economic success. Success of traditional rights holders and contemporary internet models are intertwined. By fueling innovation, we can promote growth for diverse forms of creative expression.”

To read IA’s letter of support, click here.

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