Policy news and analysis about key music advocacy issues in the music community.

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Award-Winning Musical Polymath Andrew Joslyn Joins Continuing Co-Chair Yolanda Adams To Lead Recording Academy National Advocacy Committee

On Nov. 11, the Recording Academy announced that composer, orchestrator, violinist, and award-winning musical polymath Andrew Joslyn will join four-time GRAMMY-winning artist Yolanda Adams as Co-Chair of the Academy's National Advocacy Committee. Additionally, independent music industry veteran and Chair of the Academy's Board of Trustees Tammy Hurt and GRAMMY-nominated artist, songwriter and producer Rico Love&nbsp;will join the Committee.

Serving as the voice for all music creators alongside the Academy's Advocacy team in Washington, D.C., the committee is composed of leading performers, producers, songwriters, and studio engineers, and works to determine specific policy positions of the Recording Academy and advance the interests of all music creators.

Advocacy Committee members include founding member and Chair of the Songwriters &amp; Composers Wing, multi-platinum songwriter and producer Evan Bogart; GRAMMY-winning composer, producer and singer Claudia Brant; and 2021 NEA Jazz Master and three-time GRAMMY-winning drummer, composer, producer, and educator Terri Lyne Carrington. CEO of the Recording Academy Harvey Mason jr. will serve as an ex officio member.

"The breadth of experience brought to the Recording Academy's National Advocacy Committee by Andrew Joslyn will be an invaluable asset alongside the exceptional Yolanda Adams as we strive for economic fairness for all creators," said Mason. "Every creator that contributes to the music recording process is facing their own unique set of challenges, and we look forward to continuing the success of the past year in producing meaningful change and advancement of key priorities."

Joslyn is an avid music advocate who brings a prolific resume to the committee. His passion for collaboration has led him to work with a remarkably diverse group of world-class artists, touring the world, performing, co-writing, and arranging music on over 400 songs throughout his career.

The Advocacy Committee will continue its work toward economic fairness and recovery for all music creators, building on the success of the past year and recent Behind The Record Advocacy meetings, during which hundreds of creators across the country advocated virtually to their representatives in support of key priorities, including pending legislation:

<ul>
	<li>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.grammy.com/advocacy/issues-policy/hits-act">Help Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS) Act</a>, which allows an individual to fully expense for tax purposes the cost of new studio recordings on their taxes, up to $150,000, within the same year of production;</li>
	<li>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.grammy.com/advocacy/issues-policy/american-music-fairness-act">American Music Fairness Act (AMFA)</a>, which enables artists and producers to finally collect royalties when their music is broadcast on AM/FM radio, while establishing key protections for local and public broadcasters.</li>
</ul>

<a href="https://www.grammy.com/advocacy/act#/52">Ask Congress To Pass The HITS Act</a>

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Here's Who Will Lead The RA Advocacy Committee

An Inside Look At The Recording Academy's Congressional Briefings During GRAMMY Week

Over GRAMMY Weekend in Las Vegas, the Recording Academy's Advocacy team gathered with a bipartisan group of Members of Congress including Reps. Ted Deutch (FL-22), Ron Estes (KS-04), Steven Horsford (NV-04), and Linda Sanchez (CA-38) as well as senior congressional staff from the House Ways and Means and House Judiciary Committees to discuss the importance of music legislation and how it has a real impact.

This applies not only to the artists that make up Music's Biggest Night, but countless other music creators who also work tirelessly to make a career out of their passions.

The Advocacy team jump-started its congressional briefings with remarks and a performance from GRAMMY nominee John Popper of Blues Traveler. Poppernot only showed his talent on the harmonica with a rendition of the National Anthem — he also discussed his experience throughout his long career in the music industry. The Blues Traveler frontman also discussed his public support for the American Music Fairness Act (AMFA).

The briefing continued with a songwriter panel consisting of three GRAMMY-nominated women — Emily Bear, Tayla Parx and Whitney Phillips. These songwriters and composers touched on many important topics, including the challenges that face women in the industry, how the pandemic affected the way they create, and the difficulties of making a living as a songwriter.

Tayla Parx, who has been in the industry since she starred in the film Hairspray at a young age, detailed the importance of making your voice heard as women — and how it has not been uncommon for her to be the only woman in the room during the creation of a song.

Whitney Phillips added to that point, describing how others have tried to take or diminish her ideas with the expectations that she wouldn’t speak up — a sentiment the other women echoed.

Additionally, the panel discussed the effects of COVID-19 on the music industry. Emily Bear, who went on to win the GRAMMY for Best Musical Theater Album for The Unofficial Bridgeton Musical, talked about her experience writing a full musical during the pandemic with her writing partner Abigail Barlow, while documenting the entire process, and going viral, on TikTok.

Phillips, who moved back home during the pandemic, did not let COVID stop her from creating new music — she only changed how she did it. Just as the Members of Congress in attendance all had to learn to operate via Zoom, so did the music industry.

One of the key things the panel discussed was the difficulty in making a living as a songwriter. Each woman echoed that most people they know are unable to let songwriting and producing be their only source of income because the compensation they receive is so little. And before the discussion wrapped, Bear played on the keyboard displaying her incredible talent.

Following the panel, the delegation traveled to The Hideout Studios in Henderson for a studio tour and production demonstration led by Academy members Zoe Thrall and Kevin Churko of the Hideout Studio, along with multi-GRAMMY winning producer Josh Gudwin, and Autumn Rowe and Kizzo Keaz, who won GRAMMYs on Sunday as producers of Jon Batiste’s We Are, which won multiple GRAMMYs at the 2022 GRAMMYs, including one for Album Of The Year.

While en route, Todd Dupler, Acting Chief Advocacy and Public Policy Officer, briefed the delegation on the HITS Act and the support it would provide artists so they can afford to create music both at home and in studios such as the Hideout.

Once the delegation arrived, Churko and Thrall shared with the delegation how their studio has seen drastic changes over the last couple of years. As the pandemic slows, people are ready to get back into the studio, but over the last two years, many artists began creating music remotely. Churko also did a quick demonstration of some of the studio’s production tools.

Rowe and Keaz, who have worked together for many years, discussed the struggles of not getting fair compensation and credit for the work they write and produce. This highlighted to members of Congress the importance of passing legislation such as AMFA, so artists will see proper return on their hard work. While Gudwin described the uniqueness of producers being their own employer, while also being an employee, yet lacking any semblance of traditional benefits or job protections.

Following the discussion, Rowe, Gudwin and Keaz surprised the delegation by putting Members of Congress and staff into the recording booth to record vocals.

The next day, the delegation got a behind-the-scenes look at the preparations for the 2022 GRAMMYs telecast to wrap the weekend. The delegation got a firsthand look at how the music industry is more than just the famous faces or voices they know and love, but also made up of countless behind-the-scenes workers who bring crucial expertise to creating successful and memorable performances.

<a href="https://www.recordingacademy.com/advocacy/news/grammy-week-2022-recording-academy-advocacy-team-grammy-fund-breakfast-recap-yolanda-adams">GRAMMY Week 2022: How The Recording Academy's Advocacy Team And The GRAMMY Fund Breakfast Fight To Advance Music Creators' Rights</a>

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RA Advocacy Meets Congress At 2022 GRAMMYs

GRAMMY Week 2022: How The Recording Academy's Advocacy Team And The GRAMMY Fund Breakfast Fight To Advance Music Creators' Rights

They say teamwork makes the dream work. To prove that axiom true, music creators and lawmakers must unite to advance the rights of music professionals. The drive to increase support for music creators defined the theme at the third GRAMMY Fund Breakfast, a fundraiser for the Recording Academy's Political Action Committee (PAC) held by the Advocacy &amp; Public Policy team.

The GRAMMY Fund Breakfast — an official <a href="https://www.grammy.com/news/recording-academy-announces-official-schedule-grammy-week-2022-grammys-64th-annual-awards-musics-biggest-night">GRAMMY Week 2022</a> event held at Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas on April 2 — gathered leaders of the Recording Academy's Advocacy team, supporters and advocates to thank them for their support and contributions to advancing creators' rights. The event raises funds for the <a href="https://recordingacademy.com/advocacy/act/the-grammy-fund-for-music-creators">GRAMMY Fund for Music Creators</a>, a PAC that provides Recording Academy members the opportunity to help defend music makers' rights and support their best interests on significant policy issues. With a deep understanding of the creators' journey, the Recording Academy Advocacy team strives to build a better future for all music makers.

Leaders of the committee spoke on the importance of championing music advocacy throughout the GRAMMY Fund Breakfast fundraiser. Todd Dupler, Acting Chief Advocacy &amp; Public Policy Officer at the Recording Academy, expressed the utmost appreciation for the Recording Academy's <a href="https://recordingacademy.com/advocacy/about/national-advocacy-committee">National Advocacy Committee</a> and backers.&nbsp;

"Your support for what we are doing here fuels our advocacy work all year long, fighting for music creators and for creators' rights," he said.

During the event, Dupler recognized members of the Advocacy team, including Recording Academy Co-President <a href="https://www.recordingacademy.com/news/valeisha-butterfield-jones-interview-co-president-executive-dei-music-industry-change-2022-grammys-awards">Valeisha Butterfield Jones</a>, as well as trustees in attendance — among them, Recording Academy Board Of Trustees Chair Tammy Hurt, Vice Chair Rico Love and Chair Emeritus Christine Albert. He also offered thanks to his Advocacy &amp; Public Policy team members in attendance, including Senior Director Michael Lewan, Project Manager Anngela Hanks, and Executive Assistant Montana Miller.

Dupler also acknowledged Brookly Bowl founder and owner Peter Shapiro for hosting the event. At the venue, located in the LINQ Promenade, fundraiser attendees settled into large leather sofas as they drank breakfast cocktails and noshed on gourmet morsels.

Shortly after, <a href="https://www.recordingacademy.com/advocacy/news/award-winning-musical-polymath-andrew-joslyn-joins-continuing-co-chair-yolanda-adams">Andrew Joslyn</a>, composer, orchestrator, violinist, and Co-Chair of the National Advocacy Committee, took the mic. With great enthusiasm, Joslyn delivered a heartfelt speech, expressing appreciation to the Washington, D.C.-based Advocacy team and donors. Through his leadership role, he aims to advance economic equality and recovery for all musicians.

"I wanted to talk a little about the human aspect of what the GRAMMY Fund does. Advocacy sometimes can feel like a stratospheric concept," Joslyn said, adding that he is a gig musician.&nbsp; "It doesn't really get to the heart of what it actually means. Becoming a full-time musician for a lot of artists is the dream. It's not about the glitz and the glamor and the millions of dollars. It's about being able to sustain the dream.

"The pandemic, the zombie apocalypse, Ice Age, we've all been living through, that was difficult for all of us," he continued. "The gigs stopped. The work stopped. The tours stopped. So where's the money come from? Here's the human aspect that you need to know."

In his gripping speech, Josyln praised the Committee for their dedication to making progressive changes in the music industry, noting that the Advocacy team is "really on the front lines making sure that people like me, people like my colleagues" can live their dreams and sustain a living. "The conductors, the engineers, the road crew, the people that make the dream happen for all the superstars. They're the ones that are suffering.

"The money you are contributing today is putting forth the dreams for all the musicians," Joslyn said. "Not just for me … but all the people that deserve the right to be here in the future. Thank you so much."

Following Joslyn, <a href="https://recordingacademy.com/advocacy/news/award-winning-musical-polymath-andrew-joslyn-joins-continuing-co-chair-yolanda-adams">Yolanda Adams</a>, Co-Chair of the Academy's National Advocacy Committee and the event's special guest host, took the floor. The iconic gospel singer and four-time GRAMMY winner has been at the forefront of fighting for <a href="https://www.recordingacademy.com/advocacy/news/womens-history-month-advocates-arts-ledisi-yolanda-adams-testimony-michelle-obama-reach-higher">fair compensation for artists</a> and creating legislation to increase the rights of creators.

"I am so excited about the future. We have come through some really stressful, hard times, and to see you all in attendance today makes our hearts just burst with joy because we know that the work we are doing is not going in vain," she said. "We're fighting on the Hill, we're fighting at the state level, we're fighting on the local level. Everywhere we fight, we know the fight is worth it."

Adams' radiant presence and warm voice charmed the crowd. "Although our faces are the most prominent, your participation helps us get to the Senate floor [and] the House floor to tell folks, 'Hey, y'all doing us wrong.1945 prices for 2022. That will not work!' Some of y'all didn't get the joke, you'll catch it after the Bellini."

Such efforts require a team, she continued. "We could not do this without you. None of us are islands," Adams said with exuberance. "We all got here through people, so we're gonna need people. I am so glad that the people we need today are the amazing folks in this room who are going to make it happen."

<a href="https://recordingacademy.com/advocacy/news/recording-academy-songwriters-composers-wing-town-hall-recap-evan-bogart">The Recording Academy's Songwriters &amp; Composers Wing Town Hall: Here Were The Insights About Songwriter Royalties &amp; Justice For Music Makers</a>

&nbsp;

Advancing Creators' Rights During GRAMMY Week 2022

The Recording Academy’s Songwriters & Composers Wing Town Hall: Here Were The Insights About Songwriter Royalties & Justice For Music Makers

On Mar. 17, the Recording Academy’s Songwriters &amp; Composer Wing held a town-hall meeting for its members to learn more about songwriter royalties and pending changes that will impact how much songwriters earn for their work.

This town hall comes at a crucial time as decisions are being made in Washington this year that will impact all songwriters for years to come. Not only are the Copyright Royalty Board Rate (CRB) Proceedings to decide royalty rates for the next five years occurring this spring, but there is also an ongoing appeal of the 2018 royalty rate decision.

The panelists included Todd Dupler, Acting Chief Advocacy &amp; Public Policy Officer; Evan Bogart, Chair of the Songwriters &amp; Composers Wing and Los Angeles Chapter Trustee; Colin Rushing, President of Duck Road Advisory and former Chief Legal Officer for SoundExchange, and Danielle Aguirre, Executive Vice President &amp; General Counsel of the National Music Publishers’ Association. Together, they discussed the nuances of these court proceedings, how they affect songwriters, and what to expect moving forward.

Per the Copyright Act of 1909, individuals and companies that use music legally have the right to purchase the license to a song as long as they follow the terms of copyright law. This includes purchasing so-called "mechanical rights," or the right to make a copy and distribute somebody’s musical work or song. This is one of the licenses that companies such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music use when they stream a songwriter's music on their platforms.

That’s where the CRB comes in. As the panel explained, the board is made up of three judges who decide what that royalty rate is for companies to purchase these rights via a proceeding that takes place every five years. This year, the CRB will meet to decide the rates for the next five years —essentially deciding how much songwriters will get paid when their work is used.

In the last proceedings, which concluded in early 2018, the CRB decided that the royalty rate would increase from 10% to 15.1%-- a 44% increase covering 2018-2022. This time around, the songwriting and publisher community are requesting that the CRB raise the rate to 20% during the 2023 – 2027 period.

However, it is not that clean-cut. As Aguirre laid out, the last rate increase has yet to go into effect. Streaming services — all but Apple Music — have been in the process of appealing the last decision since 2019. As a result, songwriters have been stuck with the 10% royalty rate established nearly a decade ago, which has had an unfair and harmful impact on songwriters whose source of income heavily relies on these royalties.

Bogart, himself an acclaimed songwriter, detailed how tough this appeal has been on songwriters around the country who thought they had secured a pay increase, only to be stuck with an outdated rate for their work. "It feels like — and I think a lot of songwriters feel this way — it feels like we’re pushing a boulder up the hill and then the boulder comes back down again," Bogart said.

As the town hall wrapped up, there was some hope for optimism in the immediate future. The appeal brought on by streaming services is set to come to a decision in the coming months. If a favorable decision is reached, songwriters will get the compensation they missed out on over the last five years.

This would be a silver lining to the fact that they missed out on this pay increase during critical times in our country. Additionally, the CRB is set to hold hearings this summer and could decide on higher royalty rates by the end of this year with those taking effect in 2023.

Once the dates for the CRB proceedings are set, you can find them&nbsp;<a href="https://app.crb.gov/case/detail/21-CRB-0001-PR%20%282023-2027%29">here</a>. The Academy and its Songwriters &amp; Composers Wing will always fight for fair compensation for all songwriters. Visit&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.recordingacademy.com/songwriters-composers-wing">S&amp;C Wing page</a>&nbsp;to learn more about the Wing, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.recordingacademy.com/advocacy">Advocacy page</a>&nbsp;to learn how to support&nbsp;all&nbsp;music people.

<a href="https://recordingacademy.com/advocacy/news/what-songwriters-need-know-about-next-royalty-rate-decision">What Songwriters Need To Know About The Next Royalty Rate Decision​</a>

&nbsp;

The S&C Wing Just Held A Town-Hall Meeting: Recap

How The Recording Academy Advocates For Legislation That Could Help Generations Of Black Artists

Every year during Black History Month, the Recording Academy shines an extra bright light on the contributions and successes of Black artists, past and present. However, the work of Black artists should be championed year-round, and their contributions to popular culture honored through systemic change. As Black History Month comes to a close, the Recording Academy's Advocacy team looks ahead to pending legislation that would benefit Black artists in the long term.&nbsp;

Among such proposed legislation is the <a href="https://www.recordingacademy.com/advocacy/issues-policy/american-music-fairness-act">American Music Fairness Act (AMFA)</a>, which would close the century-long loophole that has enabled AM/FM radio to play music without paying a royalty for sound recordings. While radio has grown to become a multibillion-dollar business, not a single cent has gone to the legion of artists behind the mic, in the booth, or on guitar —many of whom are Black music makers— involved in the creation of the sound recording.

These artists — from the trailblazing jazz acts of the '20s and '30s, to '50s pioneers of rock and roll, to the countless Motown treasures — have defined American music and culture. Yet they do not receive compensation for their contributions. This injustice has hindered the success and longevity of generations of Black artists, musicians and studio professionals, as well as their heirs.

Radio royalty payments would be of particular necessity to Black artists, who have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to <a href="https://www.artsactionfund.org/sites/artsactionfund.org/files/COVID-19%20Pandemic%20Impact%20on%20the%20Arts%20Research%20Update%20%204-26-2021.pdf">Americans for the Arts</a>, 69 percent of BIPOC artists became unemployed as a result of the pandemic, losing 61 percent of their income. Comparatively, white artists had a 60 percent rate of unemployment and 56 percent loss of income.

The issue of rectifying nonexistent royalty payments has had broad support. Many leading Black artists have come to Washington, D.C., over the years to fight to end this injustice, including the late, great <a href="https://www.recordingacademy.com/advocacy/news/celebrating-mary-wilson-advocate-music-creators">Mary Wilson</a> of the <a href="https://www.grammy.com/artists/supremes/17715">Supremes</a>. Last summer, <a href="https://www.grammy.com/artists/dionne-warwick/14250">Dionne Warwick</a> and <a href="https://www.grammy.com/news/sam-moore-his-lifetime-achievement-award-it-means-more-me-anything-grammy-salute-music">Sam Moore</a> went to Capitol Hill to introduce the American Music Fairness Act, and major producer <a href="https://www.recordingacademy.com/advocacy/news/memphis-chapter-governor-boo-mitchell-testifies-house-judiciary-recap">Boo Mitchell testified on the issue</a> earlier in February in front of the House Judiciary Committee.

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"This week is the 50th anniversary of <a href="https://www.grammy.com/artists/al-green/13386">Reverend Al Green</a>'s legendary Let's Stay Together album, which was produced and recorded and mixed here at Royal Studios by my father, the late Willie Mitchell," Mitchell <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdTICqUHcG8">said</a> at the hearing, noting that the album's title track was a No. 1 hit and added to the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress. "My father, who passed away in 2010 tragically, never received a penny from radio for his work. And shamefully, neither have the other great Memphis musicians and vocalists who created this work."

Mitchell continued, "Time is running out to fix this injustice for the artists of my dad's generation … These artists aren't looking for free promotion to sell records or to go on tour. They simply want to be compensated for their work."

Following the House Judiciary Committee hearing, children of deceased Black legacy recording artists <a href="https://www.showbiz411.com/2022/02/10/children-and-heirs-of-deceased-pop-stars-urge-house-judiciary-committee-to-pass-american-music-fairness-act">wrote a letter</a> in support of the American Music Fairness Act. This letter outlined the importance of closing the loophole that allows terrestrial radio to get away with not paying artists for their work, as well as the incorrect nature of the National Association of Broadcasters' (NAB) arguments against the passage of the AMFA.

"For us, to hear the NAB claim that passage of a bill that finally would compensate hundreds if not thousands of black artists would somehow put small minority owned radio stations that couldn't afford $500 a year out of business, thereby devastating low income communities where Black and Latino reside is intolerable," the letter stated.

The letter also argued in favor of the bill’s protections for small, local and community radio stations that earn less than $1.5 million annually. In the letter, the heirs even offered to cover a station’s "$10, $100 or $500 only annual fees" paid through the 501(c)(3) The Soul Arts And Music Foundation, founded by Sam Moore and his wife, Joyce.

If the American Music Fairness Act becomes law, these royalty payments would provide overdue funds to artists across the country and serve as one large step toward ending systemic inequities for artists of color. Ending these disparities is at the core of the Recording Academy's Advocacy efforts.

Similarly, the <a href="https://www.recordingacademy.com/advocacy/issues-policy/hits-act">Help Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS) Act</a> is another effort that will provide much-needed, immediate relief to independent artists while benefiting them in the long term.

The HITS Act would allow artists, musicians, producers, and studio technicians to deduct the entirety of their recording expenses, up to $150,000, on their taxes for the year incurred. The HITS act passed the House in 2021 as part of the Build Back Better Act and is currently being considered in the Senate.

"We have an opportunity where every other business has all these tax laws and things that have been passed," Kevin Liles, co-founder and CEO of 300 Entertainment, CEO of Elektra Music Group, and Recording Academy member, noted of the importance of the HITS Act during a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PublicPrivateStrategies/videos/910438562972851/">panel discussion</a> about Black-owned small businesses.

Liles continued, "If you think about the small artist, the small producer, the recording studio — if we give them a kind of a cap, $150,000 basis, they could write off 100 percent of the cost as an expense. That little thing alone could keep the light on. It could have somebody else get another piece of equipment."

The HITS Act is another proactive step Congress can take to help the music community recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. And since the onset of COVID-19, the Recording Academy has mobilized its members to advocate for better protections and provisions for Black artists and Black-owned small businesses in the music ecosystem.

During the Academy's <a href="https://www.recordingacademy.com/advocacy/news/look-back-recording-academys-summer-advocacy">Summer of Advocacy in 2020</a>, thousands of Recording Academy members successfully pushed Congress to provide targeted relief to minority-owned businesses by providing dedicated funding for underserved businesses so that they had direct access to the support and capital they deserved. The HITS Act would be another step towards recovery for Black artists and businesses, and reflects the Academy's advocacy efforts to provide economic relief and equity that encourage creative success in years to come.

<a href="https://www.recordingacademy.com/advocacy/news/2022-grammys-awards-show-nominees-advocates-mastodon-jennifer-hudson-sean-ardoin">Creators &amp; Champions For Creators: These 2022 GRAMMYs Award Show Nominees Are Also Advocates For The Music Industry</a>

Proposed Legislation Would Benefit Black Artists

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