Congress has excluded the AM in Every Vehicle Act from the federal government funding bill, following strong opposition from musicians and advocacy groups who demanded the simultaneous passage of the American Music Fairness Act (AMFA).

The AMFA would require radio companies to pay artists royalties for playing their songs on AM/FM radio, bringing the United States in line with other industrialized nations. Currently, AM radio stations play over 240 million songs annually without compensating artists.

The National Association of Broadcasters invested more than $3 million in lobbying efforts to pass the AM bill. However, prominent artists including David Byrne, Randy Travis, MC Lyte, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, and Melle Mel rallied against passing the AM bill without AMFA.

Key facts about the current radio royalty situation:

• Radio companies generate over $15 billion in ad revenue without paying artist royalties
• AM/FM radio is the only music platform legally playing music without artist compensation
• The United States remains one of the few developed nations not requiring radio royalty payments

"This is a major win for all music artists across the country," says Darryl McDaniels. "I look forward to continuing to work with them to get Congress to finally pass the American Music Fairness Act."

SoundExchange CEO Michael Huppe emphasized that Congress should not mandate radio requirements without ensuring appropriate artist royalties, noting that many backup vocalists and musicians must work multiple jobs to survive due to lack of radio compensation.

The musicFirst Coalition maintains that passing the AM bill alone would have legitimized a system that has denied artists fair compensation since radio's inception. They continue to push for the passage of AMFA to establish equitable payment practices in the radio industry.

Related Articles

Previous Articles