Listen (3:19)
May 12, 2025
The Living Wage for Musicians Act, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives as H.R. 7763 by Rep. Rashida Tlaib on March 20, 2024, remains at the "Introduced" stage in the legislative process. This means that the bill has been formally submitted and sent to the House Committee on the Judiciary, but has yet to progress to hearings, markup, or a vote.
The bill has received support from musician advocacy groups such as the United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) and several city governments, including a New York City Council resolution urging Congress to pass it. The act aims to establish a new streaming royalty that guarantees artists a minimum of one cent per stream, funded through an additional fee on streaming subscriptions and a charge on non-subscription revenue.
Despite increasing grassroots and industry support, the act encounters significant political hurdles. As of this writing, there has been no advancement beyond the committee referral, and political analysis suggests that the change in presidential administration has further jeopardized the bill’s chances of progress.
Deborah Ross introduced the Protect Working Musicians Act of 2023 (H.R. 5576) in the United States House of Representatives on September 19, 2023. As of this writing, the bill remains at the "Introduced" stage, indicating that it has been referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary but has not progressed to hearings, markup, or a vote.
The act seeks to empower independent musicians, songwriters, and small record labels to collectively negotiate with large streaming platforms and generative AI companies for more equitable compensation while exempting them from specific antitrust restrictions. The bill has garnered endorsements from prominent music creator advocacy organizations, including the Society of Composers & Lyricists (SCL), the Songwriters Guild of America (SGA), Music Creators North America (MCNA), the American Association of Independent Music, and the Artist Rights Alliance.
The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), established by something that did pass in 2018, the Music Modernization Act, initiated a lawsuit against Spotify in 2024. They claimed that Spotify unlawfully lowered royalty payments to songwriters and publishers by reclassifying its Premium subscription as a "bundle" by including audiobook access. This reclassification enabled Spotify to pay a reduced royalty rate according to U.S. regulations.
On January 28, 2025, U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres ruled in favor of Spotify, dismissing the case with prejudice. The court determined that Spotify's inclusion of audiobooks represented a valid bundled service under federal guidelines, thus allowing the lower royalty rate. This ruling effectively ended the case and spared Spotify from potentially owing millions in additional royalties for the period in question.
On February 12, 2025, the MLC sought reconsideration, urging the court to reassess its dismissal of the lawsuit. The MLC contends that significant legal questions remain concerning the Music Modernization Act's interpretation and that the dismissal could lead to serious financial repercussions for the music industry. The case is closed, but the court is reviewing the MLC's reconsideration request.
As of this writing, we can do better.