The Music Modernization Act has a very real chance of passing. If it passes, politely put, they are going to stick it to us like Ned Beatty bent over a moss covered log. We will see even less $$ for our hard work and creations. It would also be likely that to get any $$ due, each song will have to have a registered Copyright which is something that many musicians/songwriters can't afford to do.

What is the Music Modernization Act?

I am not necessarily a fan of Breitbart, but they have a good article on this:

https://www.breitbart.com/big-governmen ... -industry/

I am not being political (and there really are no politics in it since it has bipartisan support), just bringing up something that is flying under the radar that will affect all American musicians/songwriters.

For music listeners, it will make the music you purchase needlessly more expensive, with the sole benefit being to pay the salaries of the government employees overseeing this.

Are musical acts going against this? I've not heard of it before, but I dont live in the US.

It sounds like something all the big artists would be rallying against.

Almost nobody it affects is even aware of it. People here have, understandably, been tuned out of politics for years. And unless something is getting heavily covered by mainstream media, almost nobody is aware of it. Mainstream coverage of this is hard to find, and it is the more fringe media that is even giving it any attention.

It kinda reminds me of how very recently, us small business owners in the USA woke up one day and discovered if we have an Internet presence, we are expected to be in compliance with the EU's GDPR (which most of us were completely ignorant of and many, like myself, are scrambling to get up to speed on). If the Music Modernization Act passes, it is going to catch most musicians and songwriters completely by surprise.

Unlike choosing to join ASCAP, BMI, etc, this appears it will be mandatory. And since it is being run by the government, you can be sure data will be shared with the IRS and it will be harder for musicians/songwriters to hide income (as I am sure many do).

https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2018/0 ... gal-theft/