The Music Modernization Act (MMA), signed into law on October 11, 2018, modernizes how music royalties are paid in the United States.
In essence, the MMA changes how mechanical royalties are calculated and distributed to copyright owners. It also updates the rules for collective licensing overseen by statutory boards and courts.
Key Benefits
- Improved digital royalty payments for songwriters.
- New royalties for older recordings, paying artists and labels for songs recorded before 1972.
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A new licensing collective to manage digital mechanical licensing for songwriters and music publishers.
Overall, the MMA ensures that songwriters and rights holders are compensated more fairly in today’s digital music landscape.