ARA Summer Newsletter — A note from our board
A quick note from the Board.
We’ll keep this update short because, frankly, this summer newsletter is so packed with important information we want to get you to it as quickly as possible.
What’s inside?
- An update on a new issue for music creators — putting an end to unfair “noncompete” contracts that limit your ability to tour and do deals. If you haven’t done so yet — sign our petition here!
- A report on ARA’s major letter to Congress and federal regulators explaining the many different ways Google, Facebook and the other large monopoly “platforms” rip off artists. We will be going in soon to meet with top policymakers to demand action to strengthen the music economy and make it more diverse, creative, and fair.
- A deep dive into the Justice Department’s ongoing review of ASCAP and BMI and the songwriter “consent decrees” that royalty rates for radio plays and venue licenses. A big but under the radar issue that could radically change the economics of songwriting.
- A look at new legislation working through Congress to create a Copyright “small claims court” to help creators affordably defend their rights.
- A rundown of recent developments involving the US Copyright Office, including a review of the progress being made implementing last year’s Music Modernization Act law that creates a new mechanical licensing system.
- An update on ARA events at this year’s Americana Festival.
- And finally, more senseless, preventable gun violence drives artists from all walks of music to speak out and fight for change. We compiled some of their tweets on the subject as a reminder of the strength of this community and to give us all a little hope.
It’s a full plate and a reminder that even when it’s cliché to say “nothing ever gets done in Washington” there’s actually a ton going on right now and all the time that affects the music community in vital, long-term ways.
Please share, forward, and post this newsletter far and wide and get to as many of your fellow artists and creators as possible.
And watch this space for big ARA news by the time of the next newsletter. Getting ready to pull back the curtain on something we’ve been working on for a long, long time.
