American Music Fairness Act Congressional hearing today

Today, Wednesday February 2nd at 10 AM ET. the US House Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing on finally paying artists when their music is played on the radio by passing the American Music Fairness Act.

If passed, the legislation would change the law to require large broadcasters like iHeartRadio and Cumulus to compensate artists when they play their songs, just as radio broadcasters already do in every other developed country in the world and as US digital and streaming platforms do now.

Artist and advocate Blake Morgan penned an open letter on behalf of more than 14,000 petition signers calling for artists to finally get paid when their music is played on AM/FM radio. “It’s unjust to not pay people for their work while arguing that so-called “promotional value” is enough,” wrrote Morgan.

Read the full letter here.

Watch the American Music Fairness Act Congressional hearing here live at 10AM ET

MORE: 14,000 petition iHeartRadio, Cumulus ahead of American Music Fairness Act Congressional hearing Wednesday

Bruce Houghton is Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank and serves as a Senior Advisor to Bandsintown which acquired both publications in 2019. He is the Founder and President of the Skyline Artists Agency and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.