President Donald Trump has long positioned himself as an advocate for American workers.
Since first running for president in 2016, he has used his business experience to put America first. He has expressed his support for all citizens who feel overlooked by powerful special interests in Washington, and that includes America’s music artists.
During his first term, President Trump signed the Music Modernization Act, a law that updated copyright protections for the digital age and allowed artists to get paid fairly when listeners streamed their songs over the Internet. That law has made a real difference in the lives of working music artists who have been taken advantage of for far too long.
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For every famous artist whose name you recognize, there are thousands of working artists – backing singers, band members and studio musicians – who help bring recordings to life. They rely on music performance income/royalties earned through licensing, radio, streaming or other music distribution platforms to support their families. It is the payment they are rightfully entitled to for the use of the ‘product’ they ‘manufacture’ here in America: music. After all, paying someone to use their property or IP is fundamental to our American values.
Yet these values ​​are tested every day when you are an artist. Despite the progress President Trump has made with the Music Modernization Act, today the world’s wealthiest tech companies are using our music without permission or compensation to build their AI products. Major radio conglomerates broadcast our music for free and make billions in advertising dollars every year, without ever compensating the artists for the use of their work. It gets worse: because the US doesn’t pay artists for AM/FM radio play, other countries won’t pay American artists for AM/FM radio play abroad. There is currently an estimated $300 million that American artists have earned being held abroad. Because American legislation has not caught up with the rest of the world, American workers are not getting paid.
The good news is that President Trump can quickly address these pressing challenges and level the playing field for all American artists – including session musicians, background vocalists and band members – who bring their incredible talents and continue to contribute to our Great American Songs.
One meaningful step: Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) have introduced the American Music Fairness Act, a bill that would require major radio companies to pay artists fairly when they play their songs on AM/FM radio, freeing up money abroad while protecting small and independent broadcasters.
The American Music Fairness Act is a good bill. It will help working artists pay for groceries, save for retirement and provide for their families. Most musicians fall into that category. I have met many artists over the years who struggle day in and day out to feed their families while pursuing their music dreams.
In February, a few weeks after President Trump was sworn in for a second term, I joined more than 300 music artists in asking Congress to send the American Music Fairness Act to the president’s desk.
Several of my close friends and fellow supporters of this effort – including Jason Aldean, Billy Ray Cyrus, Village People, Lee Greenwood and Trace Adkins – signed the same letter because we believe that Americans deserve to be paid for their work, no matter what field they are in.
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Since then, however, Congress has done little to make this bill a reality. The House Judiciary Committee should withhold an increase in this bill so it can move one step closer to the Oval Office. President Trump can side with American workers and tell Congress to take action on the American Music Fairness Act.
And while fair compensation for AM/FM broadcasting is a crucial step forward, it is only one part of a much bigger picture for working musicians. Long-serving artists continue to navigate outdated foreign copyright rules that limit their ability to regain control of their own recordings. Many older artists struggle with basic access to affordable healthcare. And now, with the rise of AI-generated voices and imitation tracks, creators are facing a new wave of unauthorized use of their artistry. These issues are not in competition with each other; they reflect the shared reality of people who dedicate their lives to making American culture what it is. It will take time to tackle them all, but updating the outdated radio legislation is a concrete starting point.
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Every American who works hard deserves to have that work rewarded with a fair wage. It’s time to close the loophole in radio law that has plagued music artists for far too long.
Let’s pass the American Music Fairness Act and ensure that American artists are treated fairly.
