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6 TIPS ON HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE ARTIST BIO

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 09:49:00 +0000

What is an artist bio and how can it help your music career? Sara Wass outlines six tips on how to write an effective artist biography.

WHAT IS AN ARTIST BIO?

An artist bio is an opportunity to appear more relatable to your audience in a truthful way. They also give yourself a solid pat on the back for what you’ve achieved in your music career. Moreover, having a bio present across your artist pages makes it infinitely easier for industry professionals looking for background information on you to find it. These pages include your website, paid streaming platforms, and social media. Additionally, having relevant info in your artist bio may even make you more appealing to labels in search of that je ne sais quoi — it could make or break you.

Now that you aren’t feeling any pressure at all, here are six tips to keep in mind when writing an artist bio.

1. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

An artist bio is a great place to showcase your music-related capabilities and accomplishments as a music producer. However, naming all your skills, contacts, and previous projects can be a turnoff to many essential readers (and potential fans). Especially for those who have been in the music game for a while, these can genuinely add up. Sticking to the facts and most recent highlights of your career trajectory is vital. No one wants to read a bio with a list of twenty DJs you’ve performed with at the same club.

Keep in mind that your music mostly speaks for itself as well as relevant images of your most recent projects that might appear on your EPK or social media (flyers, album covers, etc.). So, keep your artist bio and the name-dropping short and sweet when you’re just getting started. Those who matter will figure out the rest.

2. DON’T BIND YOURSELF INTO A GENRE

Maybe today you love moombahton. You love moombahton so much that you want to become the biggest moombahton music producer of all time. You write this in your artist bio and plan milestones for yourself along the way outlining how exactly you’ll become the biggest moombahton producer of all time. It’s science. You write dozens of 108-BPM tracks for months, touting your goals and progress along the way to friends and peers.

However, six months later you wake up from a nightmare, and suddenly you’ve decided you can’t listen to a single moombahton song ever again. Unfortunately, you’ve bound yourself into this niche genre by starting your career with a certain mindset. Now you have to deal with not only re-branding your persona as an artist who may not play moombahton. You also have to let go of the original goal you planned on sticking with as part of your brand.

Of course, this is an extreme scenario. It’s not a death sentence to let your audience know what genres or sound-styles you lean towards — but why put yourself in a box early on in the game when you could leave things more open-ended? Instead, allow yourself the freedom to explore sounds teetering on the boundaries of various musical flavors. For example, choose obscure terms that sound hip and rare to describe your musical inclinations. Also, opt to write about who and where you draw inspiration from in your musical stylings, what collective(s) you associate with, and any comparable artists.

These references will lend to your audience’s interpretation of your genre, rather than defining one for them ahead of time. This approach also avoids setting potentially false expectations for the near and far-away futures. What defines a category of music can change at any time, so let the audience decide for you. Also, if your music is unique enough, maybe you’ll create a namesake genre.

3. AVOID SENSATIONALISM

Unless you have a direct quote from another person or publication, avoid using words and phrases that may overhype your skills and popularity. Avoid biased, opinionated phrases, and stick to straight-up certainties and direct quotes alone. This approach makes your bio appear much stronger and honest. This tip also applies to the realm of journalism in general. Your audience will recognize the stench of tabloid-esque sensationalism when they smell it. It’s better to avoid causing skepticism in your audience wherever possible and stick to the cold-hard facts.

4. TELL YOUR STORY

Just like when applying for a job, your cover letter states what your resume can’t. This also relates to your artist bio and music repertoire as well. In other words, let your music speak for itself, and use the bio to tell your personal story. Also, use the biography as an opportunity to discuss how you were brought up, how you got into the music scene, where you learned to create, and what you’ve accomplished since. It can’t hurt to include where you’re from and where you learned to make music, along with your interests and inspirations. People are reading your bio because they want to learn about you — so let them.

5. DON’T TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY

Writing out the basics in your bio is also important when telling your story. However, all these facts listed in a long paragraph can come off as overly stoic, or robotic. Sprinkling your personal, factual story with comical or quirky trinkets can go a long way toward humanizing your artist persona. You can approach this however you want. For example, being self-deprecating, quoting your haters on social media, letting us know what your parents think of your music, including a fun fact that has nothing to do with your musical career or an embarrassing anecdote from your childhood. The list is endless, depending on your personality. As long as your true character shines through somewhere in your bio, you become relatable, and therefore human.

6. GET A SECOND (OR THIRD) PAIR OF EYES

Ask someone, preferably a fellow music industry professional or a writer, to look over your artist bio once it’s complete. They can check for errors you glossed over, and strange phrases you’ve been staring at way too long. A pro writer may also help make your bio more creative than others in a way that stands out from the rest. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

HOW TO GET NOTICED BY A MUSIC BOOKING AGENT

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 09:43:00 +0000

Learn how to get noticed by a music booking agent. This guide explains the importance of a booking agent. It also offers tips on how to get noticed by a booking agency.

HOW TO GET THE ATTENTION OF A BOOKING AGENT

Artists who commit to making a career in music will reach a point where it becomes time to consider a booking agent. This decision can be an important step in taking their music career to the next level.

Booking shows and organizing tours is a vital part of being a performing musician today. Playing live is also essential if you want to be a successful musician. Getting signed by a reputable booking agency or hiring a booking agent can launch your music career. A booking agent can approach promoters, negotiate contracts, help you grow your fan base, sell music, generate press coverage, and more.

However, finding that perfect booking agent is challenging. Competition is fierce, and the process can be frustrating. It also requires a lot of work and commitment. If you’re thinking about professional booking management, this guide is for you. These tips will help you get the attention of a booking agent.

WHAT IS A BOOKING AGENT?

A music booking agent secures and manages live performances or appearances for artists. Booking agents work closely with promoters, venues, festivals, record labels, and the artists’ manager.

A booking agent may work independently or for a booking agency that represents a roster of artists. They are the point of contact for talent buyers interested in booking an artist. They also contact venues and promoters to pitch performances.

Moreover, a booking agent will secure shows or tours, negotiate contracts, collect payments, arrange technical setups, and manage other details. They also handle hospitality (hotels, dinners, riders), logistics (travel, flights), tour routing, and promotional efforts. A booking agent may even secure interviews, radio, commercial, and TV performances.

BENEFITS OF A BOOKING AGENT

Booking your own shows or tours can be difficult and time-consuming. Having someone handle the music business aspects can advance your music career. Here are the benefits of having a booking agent:

You can focus on writing, recording, and performing without the added stress of music business obligations.
They have a vast network of contacts and working relationships with music industry professionals.
Booking agents have direct contact with promoters, music venues, nightclubs, festivals, and anywhere else offering live entertainment.
Venues and promoters prefer to work with trusted agents over unknown artists.
They have experience in negotiating artist fees and contract terms.
You’ll have a better chance of opening for the bigger acts a booking agency represents.
A booking agent knows the music industry and music trends.
They are connected to the electronic music scene and have experience finding opportunities on an artists’ behalf.
They can help develop your music career and increase your exposure within the music industry.

Playing your music live is critical to building a fan base. Having a booking agent who can score bigger shows, better venues, and opening slots for popular acts can boost your music career. However, agents should only come into the picture when you have reached a certain point in your career.

WHEN IS IT TIME FOR A BOOKING AGENT?

The decision to hire a booking agent depends on where you are in your music career. It also depends on what you hope to achieve by working with an agent. Hiring an agent or connecting with a booking agency is also optional. You may choose to organize your own booking.

Artists reach a level to consider a booking agent when they have established a fan base, are playing regularly, selling out local shows, receiving several booking inquiries, and releasing original music. Most agents will not consider working with artists unless they have proven themselves as a live performer that can bring out fans.

In most cases, a booking agency will find you. However, you may hire an agent when it becomes difficult to manage your bookings, planning to tour, and are making enough to pay the agent.

HOW TO ATTRACT A MUSIC BOOKING AGENCY

Connecting with a booking agency can play a major role in launching your music career. But how do you get their attention? We break it down with these ten tips:

1. UPDATED ELECTRONIC PRESS KIT (EPK)

An Electronic Press Kit (EPK) is effectively a resume for musicians, artists, bands, and DJs. An EPK is your online media/marketing portfolio, designed to provide simple access to all your essential information. Make this first impression count!

EPK’s are also one of the most professional tools to showcase your talents to the music industry. They provide your artist assets to labels, booking agents, promoters, venues, media, and anyone who would like to learn more about you and your music.

Moreover, an EPK should feature your artist bio, links to stream your music and DJ mixes, high-resolution images, tour dates, relevant media, logo, recent press, notable achievements, links to your social media or online presence, and contact details. A successful EPK represents you as an artist, your brand, and musical identity.

2. RELEASE MUSIC

There is a strong correlation between releasing music and scoring bookings. To be a successful touring artist, you must release music. Regularly putting out music is a sure way to build a loyal following that will get the attention of booking agents and promoters. Also, getting listed in various charts and having DJ support will increase your chances of catching the attention of a booking agent.

3. PERFORM LIVE REGULARLY

Booking agents want to see a busy gig schedule. Immerse yourself in your local scene and build a regular performance schedule. Take on as many worthy gigs as you can handle. Show booking agents and promoters that you’re serious about your music career. Having dates at notable venues or events can boost your credibility and make your local demand seem stronger. If you’re not able to manage a regular gig schedule, then keep busy releasing music. Show you’re staying active and relevant!

4. RECORD LABEL SUPPORT & MANAGEMENT

Signing your music with an established record label is the best way to reach a global audience. Gaining the support of a reputable label is a sure way to catch the attention of a booking agent. Also, releases from top labels receive a lot of chart coverage and music streams. This exposure will also increase your chances of getting noticed by a booking agent.

Once your music career reaches a certain level, you may also want to consider hiring a manager. It can be beneficial for your career if you have someone who can represent you, connect with booking agencies, and seek opportunities. Moreover, having a manager working on your behalf makes you more qualified to prospective agents.

5. STRONG SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

The rise of social media is a valuable asset for musicians. A strong social media presence is essential for promoting your music, engaging with fans, and expanding your fan base. Having an effective social media strategy also connects you with music industry peers and presents new opportunities.

Your social media profiles will also be the first place booking agents look when researching potential clients. They will judge an artist by looking at their social media presence, activity, and followers.

Covering all the major social media networks is also crucial. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Mixcloud are excellent platforms for promoting your brand and music. The more you can showcase your artistry the better.

It’s also vital you keep your networks updated and active. Show you’re busy releasing music, playing live, and engaging with fans. Booking agents may get concerned about how in-demand you are if there are gaps in your timeline.

Furthermore, having a strong following will reassure booking agents you are a good investment. Followers show you have fans interested in your music and want to see you perform. Also, growing your followers organically will make you credible. Avoid services that generate fake followers. Having thousands of followers with little or no engagement is suspicious and will turn agents away.

Last, post engaging content with regular consistency to stay relevant to your fans. It’s critical to create content for your audience even when you’re busy in the studio, between releases, or touring. Finally, engage with your fans. It’s vital you connect with your fans. Don’t just use social media to promote your music and tour schedule. Use these platforms to interact with your fans.

6. PUBLIC RELATIONS

One of the biggest challenges as an artist is getting your music heard. Getting noticed in the music industry takes work. You have to employ different marketing tools to keep up with the competition.

PR and marketing strategies play a big part in increasing your outreach and getting your music heard. An effective PR campaign will help you increase exposure, establish credibility, and open new opportunities.

Learning different ways to promote your music and brand is also essential if you want to make it in the music business. There are several effective ways to promote your music and reach new audiences. Do some research on public relations and marketing strategies.

7. NETWORK AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

Building relationships and networking in the music industry is always helpful. Boost your chances of getting noticed by a booking agent by making connections. Get out and connect with people, regardless of their status. Try to meet other artists, producers, DJs, publicists, booking agents, label staff, fans, and anyone else in the music scene. These connections could lead to opportunities. But, do so professionally, and don’t be a stalker.

8. GET REFERRALS

One of the quickest ways to connect with a booking agency is by referral. Your chances of being considered will increase if a known artist, manager or record label puts in a good word for you. So, making the right connections is crucial!

9. STAND OUT FROM THE COMPETITION

What makes you stand out from the crowd? The competition is fierce, there are countless DJs and live performers in the music scene. Booking agents and promoters are always looking out for an act that is unique. Think of ways to stand out and catch the attention of booking agents.

Knowing your target audience is also vital. Who are your fans? What are their interests? Tailor your brand to meet the market’s needs. Also, keep up on trends in the music scene. Keeping on top of music industry trends will help you stay on point. Avoid the risk of becoming outdated or undesirable.

10. BE CONSIDERATE

Finally, professional courtesy is a must. Show the utmost respect to music industry peers and fans. Consider showing appreciation; gratitude can go a long way. Reputation and respect matters in the music industry!

CONCLUSION

For most artists, success doesn’t happen overnight. Going through the steps above takes time and commitment. Be patient, stay dedicated, and work hard on building your portfolio. It takes time to get noticed and to build a following.

Last, don’t rush into signing with a booking agency. Ensure you’re ready and that your music career is at a level that requires a booking agent. There are also numerous agencies out there. Research them and find the agency right for you.

MUSIC STREAMING ROYALTY CALCULATOR FOR ARTISTS

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 15:19:00 +0000

How much do streaming services pay artists? Use our music streaming royalty calculator to estimate how much your streams are worth on popular music streaming services.

Calculate potential royalties from Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, Amazon Music, Pandora, SoundCloud, Napster, Deezer, TIDAL, and YouTube.

Please Note: This music streaming royalties calculator provides U.S. estimate earnings based on public information on various websites. The calculations are approximate fees, and they may change.

The estimated royalties do not include percentage splits from music distribution services, record labels, music publishing companies, etc. Actual royalty amounts will also change depending on music streaming memberships, country, currency values, and various other factors.

Read: How Music Royalties Work in the Music Industry. This guide breaks down the complexities of music royalties and music copyrights in the music industry.

WHAT ARE MUSIC ROYALTIES?

Music royalties are income payments paid to recording artists, songwriters, composers, publishers, and other copyright holders for the right to use their intellectual property. U.S. copyright laws give artists these exclusive rights to their work.

The four main royalty types include mechanical, public performance, synchronization, and print music. The music industry relies on these royalties as a primary form of payment to musicians.

HOW MUSIC STREAMING IS CHANGING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

The introduction of streaming services transformed the music industry. The launch of iTunes in 2003 and Spotify in 2006 changed the way people consume music and the way musicians make music.

Streaming brings millions of songs to your fingertips. It’s easy to find and listen to songs, discover new artists, and access music from any device.

Plus, streaming platforms provide several benefits to artists in the music business. For example, streaming:

Provides musicians additional income through royalty payments
Boosts an artists’ exposure by putting their music in front of a global audience
Offers artists various promotional and marketing opportunities
Allows artists to engage better with their audience and fans

In 2019, streaming numbers topped a trillion for the first time in history. Music streaming also accounted for 80% of the revenue generated from recorded music. Millions of listeners pay for subscriptions!

THE TWO TYPES OF MUSIC STREAMING SERVICES

There are two types of music streaming: Interactive and Non-interactive.

Interactive or “on-demand” streaming includes platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, and YouTube. Listeners can “interact” with the streaming service. They choose what song to listen to whenever they want.

Non-interactive streaming platforms include sites such as Pandora, SiriusXM, and internet radio. These platforms play songs at random, without the ability to select specific tracks. However, the user can create a station or playlist based on an artist, song, or genre.

Both interactive and non-interactive streaming services pay out streaming royalties to songwriters and publishers.

Non-interactive streams generate performance royalties. Performance royalties are paid out whenever a composition is broadcast or performed in public. Performing Rights Organizations (PROs), like BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC collect and distribute these royalties to the rights holders.

Interactive streams generate both performance royalties and mechanical royalties. Mechanical royalties generate music income for the physical or digital reproduction and distribution of copyrighted works. This applies to all music formats such as vinyl, CD, cassette, digital downloads, and streaming services.

HOW MUCH DO MUSIC STREAMING SERVICES PAY MUSICIANS?

It’s difficult to answer how much an artist will make per stream due to several factors. For example, most music streaming platforms do not publicly announce their stream rate.

Other factors that affect how much money an artist will earn from streaming royalties include:

An artists’ royalty rate or royalty percentage split
The listener’s country and location
The local currency rate of different regions
Whether the listener has a freemium account or paid subscription
Whether an artist is self-releasing or signed with a record label

Several variables make it challenging to predict what you’ll earn in streaming royalties. It’s near impossible to calculate precisely how much you’ll make.

However, we found rough estimate royalties currently being paid out to artists in the U.S. by the top music streaming platforms. There’s not a standard rate. Each platform has different earning potential.

The comparison table below shows streaming rates collected by musicians and third-party websites.

Read: How to Get More Streams on Spotify as an Unsigned Artist. This guide offers six tips on how to grow your fanbase and get Spotify plays as an unsigned artist.

CONCLUSION

The estimated earnings paid out for streams can seem discouraging. Especially after putting so much hard work and hustle into your music.

However, every cloud has a silver lining! The royalties paid to artists by music platforms continue to increase due to the rise in popularity and higher subscription rates.

Also, music streaming is not the only way an artist can generate income. There are several ways to generate income with your music or skills. For example, sync licensing, playing live gigs, selling merchandise, selling sample packs or presets, monetizing your YouTube channel, signing with a major label, offering music services, etc.

WHAT IS A MUSIC SUPERVISOR AND WHY IT MATTERS?

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 15:06:00 +0000

What is a music supervisor? Learn the role of a music supervisor and the art of music supervision to reach new audiences with your music.

EXPLORING MUSIC SUPERVISION

Getting a track placed in visual media is an excellent way for your music to reach a wider audience. To do that you need to understand music supervision. This blog post will go over the basics of music supervision and the role of a music supervisor. It also provides examples of TV shows and movies with excellent music supervision to help you understand where your music might fit.

WHAT IS MUSIC SUPERVISION?

Have you ever watched a movie or television show and discovered a new artist because of background music? If so, you have the music supervisor to thank.

Music supervision is the process of pairing existing music with visual media. Television, movies, commercials, video games, and other visual media platforms rely on music supervision to license existing songs.

Also, music supervision is separate from scoring. The composer hired to write an original score for a media production does not own the master rights to the score. The production company who paid for the score own the master rights. For example, Lucasfilm owns every piece of music John Williams’ wrote for all eight Star Wars films. They can use that music at their leisure for any purpose if they own it.

WHAT IS A MUSIC SUPERVISOR?

A music supervisor oversees all music-related aspects of television, film, advertising, video games, and other existing or emerging visual media platforms. Music supervisors also serve as middlemen between the artists and the companies or directors licensing the music. Artists own their music (most of the time) and companies license the music for their production. As such, a good music supervisor needs to have the industry know-how and good taste in selecting the appropriate music. They also need to know how music and visuals fit together. Moreover, a skilled music supervisor will understand licensing and creative rights.

A significant part of the music supervisor’s job is negotiating terms with whoever owns the music the director wants to use for a production. Most of the time, negotiations are simple. Music supervisors will draw up synchronization licensing contracts and master recording licensing contracts. Together these two licenses allow the master recording to be synched to a production.

However, there are times when a project may necessitate recording a cover version of a song. For example, when the master recording license is too expensive or difficult to acquire within a specific time frame. When this happens, the music supervisor will produce a cover of the requested song. In this case, the music supervisor oversees the entire production. For instance, they find the musicians, book the studio, handle necessary contracts, and more.

These situations are only a few examples of what may arise for a music supervisor. Every production is different and thus requires different musical needs.

HOW DO YOU GET MUSIC SUPERVISORS TO NOTICE YOUR MUSIC?

There are worldwide companies that handle licensing music for various media. These companies are known as performance rights organizations (PRO). PROs collect license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers. They also distribute them as royalties to those whose copyrighted work was used in a public setting.

The two largest PROs are The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI). Together, these two PROs represent millions of songwriters and compositions. According to Billboard, in 2018, BMI collected $1.199 billion in licensing fees and distributed $1.12 billion in royalties.

You may have noticed the lack of the word “music producer” related to BMI and ASCAP. That’s because music producers who create music with Ableton Live are considered songwriters. For music producers, the best route for placing music in visual media is to become a member of BMI. BMI is better for television and movie placement, whereas ASCAP is more for engineers and other fields in the music industry.

You can become a member by simply paying a fee. Once you’re a member of BMI, your music is in their repertoire. From there, anyone looking to license your music can search for it in BMI’s online database. Once they’ve found it, BMI will ensure you receive royalty payments for your work depending on how it’s used.

Artists whose music is available for licensing through BMI are Claude VonStroke, Zeds Dead, RL Grime, VNSSA, Chris Lake, and more. Also, dozens of shows and movies now use electronic music, including Ozark, Bloodline, Breaking Bad, The Interview, and more. So, the chances of placing your music in visual media are only increasing.

Another solid option for getting your music placed is to approach lesser-known filmmakers. They’re far more likely to place your music. For example, you can pitch music already placed in media such as YouTube video, a film school project, or anything else which has visual context surrounding the emotion your music communicates.

Furthermore, to understand where your music fits, you must study other television shows and movies. Ideally, shows that license a wide variety of genres for different situations on screen. The following television shows are excellent examples.

TELEVISION SHOWS WITH GREAT MUSIC SUPERVISION

Here are three popular television shows that get music supervision right.

ENTOURAGE

Most television shows use original music in their productions. However, that’s not the case for Entourage. Every piece of music heard on this show is provided by outside artists.

Moreover, because this show is comparable to reality, each song heard pertains to a realistic situation. For example, Vincent Chase and his life-long buddies navigate the film business and experience the full range of emotions. Happiness. Sadness. Love. Heartbreak. Anger. Relief. Gratitude. Fear. Surprise. All supported by excellent music from every genre. Focus on the nuances of each song and how they contribute to the tone of the scene. From there, you can understand what makes a song work in a particular situation.

BREAKING BAD

Unlike Entourage, Breaking Bad features an amazing original score. But it also has excellent music supervision. Dave Porter made all the original music for the show, but there were still moments where his eerie compositions were not adequate. That’s when they brought in the music supervisor to find music from other artists. These songs fit the scene at key moments in the show. They also contributed to developing the character.

One prevalent example is the use of Knife Party’s 2014 dubstep hit ‘Bonfire.’ The supervisor placed this track as Walt dives back into the meth trade with a new level of arrogance. This arrogance is represented by his frivolous purchase of a new car for both himself and his son. And the raucous, high-energy brand of dubstep which dominated that year was the perfect backdrop for Walt’s reckless enjoyment of being a criminal again.

EUPHORIA

This hit HBO show from Sam Levinson explores some of the harshest truths of what it means to grow up. The challenges faced by the characters in this show are severe, daunting, and even cruel at times.

With this in mind, a soundtrack that mirrors the vehement nature of the show was necessary, and Labrinth was a prime choice to provide it. This decision put even more pressure on the music supervision team, though. They had to find existing music that matched Labrinth’s vulnerable score.

They not only succeeded in doing so, but they found music from all genres that fit a show about high school kids. There’s plenty of music made in the previous century that would fit the emotion of the scenes. But a good music supervisor understands the music has to make sense within the context of the characters. For example, this is a show about kids, and kids listen to new music.

IN CONCLUSION

We are living in an age where music is mostly consumed digitally, and that includes visual media. By understanding music supervision, you can open a new door for others to discover and share your music.

WHAT IS THE MUSIC MODERNIZATION ACT AND WHY IT MATTERS?

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 15:03:00 +0000

What is the Music Modernization Act? Learn how this massive update to U.S. copyright and publishing laws will affect your music and the music industry.

WHAT IS THE MUSIC MODERNIZATION ACT?

The Music Modernization Act (MMA) brings the most significant reform of music licensing in decades. The MMA updates music copyright laws and streamlines music licensing for the digital era.

The Music Modernization Act was signed into law on October 11, 2018. It passed through the US House and Senate with unanimous support. It also has widespread approval from the music industry.

The MMA updates outdated U.S. copyright and publishing laws for the internet age. It also creates better ways artists get paid, simplifies complex processes, closes crucial loopholes, and provides copyright protection for key players.

"One of our core missions at Spotify is to enable a million artists to make a good living from what they love: creating and performing music. The Music Modernization Act is a huge step towards making that a reality, modernizing the outdated licensing system to suit the digital world we live in. The MMA will benefit the music community and create a more transparent and streamlined approach to music licensing and payment for artists." -Horacio Gutierrez, General Counsel and Vice President of Spotify

THE MUSIC MODERNIZATION ACT BENEFITS

The Music Modernization Act benefits artists, music producers, songwriters, musicians, engineers, and music business. Some highlights of the bill will:

Update licensing and royalty rules for digital music providers.
Improve the way digital music providers pay royalties to rights holders for the streaming and distribution of musical works.
Create a new Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC). This group will collect and distribute royalties on behalf of songwriters and publishers.
Establish a public mechanical licensing database that will identify songs and match them to songwriters or publishers.
Create a new blanket license for digital streaming services that covers the use of all music in the database.
Give copyright protection to music producers and engineers for the first time in history.
Close the “pre-1972 loophole” and require digital music providers to pay legacy artists the compensation they deserve.
Provide a consistent legal process to help rights holders collect unclaimed royalties. It also implements a new “wheel” approach for resolving rate setting disputes.
Establish a new rate standard that will require all digital platforms to pay fair market value for mechanical licenses.
Give fans more access to music across digital music services due to fewer restrictions and better music data sharing.

The MMA also combines three pieces of legislation into a single bill: The Musical Works Modernization Act, The Classics Protection and Access Act, and The Allocation for Music Producers Act. Below is a simplified summary of these three main components:

MUSICAL WORKS MODERNIZATION ACT (MMA)

The Musical Works Modernization Act updates licensing and mechanical royalties for streaming music. It changes how digital music providers like Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, SiriusXM, Google Play, and others obtain licenses for the broadcast of music compositions. It also improves the way rights holders can collect royalty payments for the streaming and distribution of their music.

The MMA also sets a new “willing buyer/willing seller” rate standard that will require all digital platforms to pay fair market value for mechanical licenses.

Moreover, the MMA will establish the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC). This board will collect and distribute royalties on behalf of songwriters and publishers. It also has the authority to grant blanket mechanical licenses to digital music services for the distribution and streaming of musical works. The MLC will also create and maintain a public database that provides information regarding musical works and their respective owners. This database will ensure the correct rights holders receive royalty payments.

Note: Anyone involved with music creation/publishing must provide information to the database to ensure proper payments.

CLASSICS PROTECTION AND ACCESS ACT (CLASSICS)

The Classics Protection and Access Act allow artists and record labels to obtain compensation for recordings created before 1972. Previously, artists who recorded music before 1972 were not entitled royalties under federal law when digital music services use their work.

This flawed law created a “pre-1972 loophole,” which enabled digital music services to avoid paying royalties to legacy artists. This loophole also led to extensive and costly litigation in the courts over recent years.

This section of the MMA also creates a digital performance right for owners of sound recordings created between February 15, 1972, and January 1, 1923.

ALLOCATION FOR MUSIC PRODUCERS ACT (AMP)

The Allocation for Music Producers Act improves and simplifies the payment of royalties owed to music producers, mix engineers, and sound engineers. It’s also the first time in history producers and engineers are mentioned in copyright law.

Music producers, mixers, and sound engineers contributing to the creation of a sound recording now have a statutory right to royalties. They will receive royalty payouts when songs they helped create play on satellite radio or streaming services.

The AMP Act also establishes a process for how music producers and engineers receive royalty payments. The organization SoundExchange will now collect and administer digital performance royalties. They will also distribute royalty payments owed to producers and engineers upon the direction of the featured artist.

For example, the AMP Act requires the featured artist to send “letters of direction” to SoundExchange. This letter provides instructions on how to distribute a portion of the royalties they receive to specified producers and engineers involved in the creative process. Upon acceptance of a letter, SoundExchange will distribute the appropriate royalties to those involved in making the sound recording.

CONCLUSION

There are many other components and benefits to the new law that are complex and beyond the scope of this general overview. There is also a lot more of the law to work out, and the copyright system is still complicated. However, the Music Modernization Act is a big step towards bringing music laws to the modern age. It should ensure artists are paid more and have an easier time collecting money they are owed.