Exclusive | Democrat, GOP lawmakers push pay for play bill that would make radio stations compensate artists for playing their songs

This is a pay for play scheme lawmakers can publicly get behind.Members of Congress from both parties introduced legislation this week meant to close a loophole that gets radio stations off the hook from paying artists for broadcasting their music.The American Music Fairness Act would compel AM and FM broadcasters to compensate artists, in line with requirements already imposed on digital broadcasters and streaming services.“The United States is the only democratic country in the world in which artists are not paid for the use of their music on AM and FM radio,” bill co-sponsor Sen.

Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) told The Post in a statement.“This legislation would close an outdated loophole that has allowed corporate broadcasters to take advantage of artists and their songs for decades.”Musicians are bilked by at least $200 million in annual royalties due to the lack of payments from AM and FM stations, according to an estimate from Sound Exchange, a music tech organization that has pushed for the bill.“Radio conglomerates operating thousands of AM/FM stations across the U.S., make billions in profits, employ legions of lobbyists, and spend millions each year to influence lawmakers, all while continuing to refuse to pay the artists whose songs they play on the airwaves,” SoundExchange CEO Michael Huppe said in a statement.“For more than a century, American artists and producers have been denied the basic right to earn compensation for their own creation broadcast on AM/FM Radio,” Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement.“We urge Congress to finally pay creators for their work.”Broadcasting organizations oppose the bill, arguing that radio stations are already forced to pay fees that digital services do not.“This legislation would impose a new performance royalty on local radio stations on top of the huge royalties that our local radio stations already pay,” the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters previou...