Sponsors (6)
The bill shifts clarity and predictable, enforceable royalty benefits toward recording and songwriting rights holders while increasing costs, compliance burdens, and potential service impacts for broadcasters and, indirectly, listeners and smaller local stations.
Creators — record labels, performing artists, songwriters and other copyright owners — gain clearer, broader rights and more reliable royalty recovery when sound recordings and nonsubscription broadcast transmissions are treated as covered "audio transmissions," with updated judge‑determined royalty rates through Dec 31, 2028.
Legal and regulatory uncertainty is reduced: a single statutory definition of "audio transmission" plus a predictable five‑year revisit schedule for royalty proceedings make licensing rules and timing clearer for stakeholders.
The bill preserves existing public performance rights and income stability for songwriters and rights holders, maintaining an ongoing revenue stream for many musicians who rely on royalties.
Radio broadcasters — especially small, local, and terrestrial stations — likely face higher royalty costs and new payment obligations for transmissions previously outside the public performance right, increasing operating expenses and financial strain.
Smaller and legacy stations face increased compliance, licensing and administrative burdens (including costs to prepare economic/programming evidence), imposing disproportionate costs on community broadcasters.
Listeners and the general public could see reduced free‑to‑air access or format/programming changes if providers alter services to limit licensing exposure.
Based on analysis of 12 sections of legislative text.
Expands sound recording performance rights to all audio transmissions, directs CRJs to set terrestrial broadcast royalties, creates small‑station flat fees, and requires certain direct‑license royalties be paid to the statutory collective.
Official title: Amend title 17, United States Code, to provide fair treatment of radio stations and artists for the use of sound recordings, and for other purposes.
Introduced January 30, 2025 by Marsha Blackburn · Last progress January 30, 2025
Expands federal public performance and statutory licensing rules so that sound recordings are protected when transmitted by any "audio transmission" (digital, analog, or other), not just digital streams. It directs the Copyright Royalty Judges to set interim and recurring royalty terms for nonsubscription terrestrial (broadcast) transmissions, creates very low flat statutory fees for qualifying small and mid‑sized stations, requires certain direct-licensees to remit half of direct-license royalties for statutory-type transmissions to the statutory collective, and preserves existing songwriter/musical‑work rights.