Indie Music Community Rails Against Copyright Office Over 43% Fee Hike

The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) has led a group of 10 music industry organizations in filing an opposition with the US Copyright Office over its proposed 43% average increase to copyright registration fees.

Why it matters:

• The organizations argue the fee increase will adversely impact independent creators, many of whom will be unable to afford to register their work with the US Copyright Office.

• They point to an already low registration rate among independent creators, which will be exacerbated by the rise in fees.

• They also reference the fact that independent artists are “price takers,” and don’t have the leverage to demand higher streaming royalty rates, which are negotiated by the majors.

• Absorbing a 43% price hike will, therefore, be overly prohibitive.

The coalition:

• The organizations involved include the Artist Rights Alliance, Music Managers Forum–US, The Recording Academy, the Society of Composers & Lyricists (SCL), Songwriters of North America (SONA), the Songwriters Guild of America (SGA), Music Artists Coalition (MAC), the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), and the Future of Music Coalition.

• Together they represent more than 600 independent labels, and tens of thousands of musicians, songwriters, and artist managers.

What they said:

• Ian Harrison, A2IM CEO: “The Copyright Office’s mission is to serve every American creator, not just those with the most resources. A 43% fee hike, imposed on independent artists and labels who are already navigating compressed streaming royalties, stagnant per-stream rates, and no ability to pass through costs, is not cost recovery: it is a barrier to justice.”

• He adds: “Registration is the gateway to enforcement, and if we price independent creators out of that gateway, we are dismantling the very infrastructure that makes copyright meaningful for the people who need it most. A2IM urges the Copyright Office to reconsider this proposal and to stand with the full, diverse community of American rightsholders it was created to serve.”