Grammy Advocacy

GRAMMYs On The Hill Advocacy Day

Photo: Paul Morigi/WireImage for The Recording Academy

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The Recording Academy’s Advocacy Team Joins Twitter Spaces: A New Way To Have Discussions That Uplift All Musicians

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GRAMMY Advocacy returns to Twitter Spaces with a special conversation about songwriter advocacy featuring the Academy’s Chief Advocacy and Public Policy Officer, Managing Director of the Songwriter and Composer Wing and Chair of the S&C Wing
Advocacy
Sep 9, 2021 - 11:45 am

Twitter Spaces is a live, audio-only platform that enables Twitter users to have engaging conversations for their followers.

And this week (Thursday, Sept. 9 at 5 pm ET), GRAMMY Advocacy returns to Twitter Spaces with a special conversation about songwriter advocacy featuring the Recording Academy’s Chief Advocacy and Public Policy Officer, Daryl Friedman, Managing Director of the Songwriter and Composer Wing, Susan Stewart, and acclaimed songwriter, Academy Trustee, and the Chair of the Songwriter and Composer Wing, Evan Bogart.

These kinds of open-forum conversations are nothing new for the Academy’s Advocacy department. Every other Thursday, the Advocacy team conducts a live conversation on advocacy topics of interest to their members and the public at large. The team has gotten terrific engagement from the Academy’s followers and it has helped them showcase the Academy as the leading voice in Washington for music makers.

Since the Advocacy team launched the series in late June, we have discussed the HITS Act, the American Music Fairness Act, the Music Modernization Act, unclaimed royalties, and more in a very top-level and directly informative way. (While not under the umbrella of this biweekly series, a notable conversation about vaccines happened recently with Recording Academy co-president Valeisha Butterfield-Jones and Dr. Cameron Webb.)

Read More: How The Recording Academy & the Dept. of Health And Human Services Teamed Up To Address COVID-19 Vaccines and a Return to Live Music

In the discussion this Thursday, Friedman, Stewart and Bogart will discuss why songwriters need to be their own advocates, key issues impacting songwriter pay, and the success the Academy has had for songwriters. Bogart, who has written songs for the likes of Beyonce, Jason Derulo, and Rihanna, will also speak personally about his experience as a songwriter and advocate. 

Tune in at 5 p.m. ET and be sure to follow @GRAMMYAdvocacy to listen in and enjoy what is sure to be an elucidating conversation about advocating for all musicians and music makers.

Congress Is Back In Action In September: 3 Things Music Makers Should Watch For On Capitol Hill

Joe Crowley

Congressman Joe Crowley

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Congressman Joe Crowley Named Chairman Of musicFIRST Coalition

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Former Congressman Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) will serve as the musicFIRST campaign's Chairman and lead the charge to secure rights and fair compensation for all music creators
Morgan Enos
Advocacy
May 26, 2021 - 8:18 am

The Recording Academy and its music community allies are thrilled to announce that former Congressman Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) will serve as Chairman of musicFIRST, a coalition that fights for fairness and equity for music creators.

In his new role, Congressman Crowley will lead the charge to secure fair compensation for all music creators, including overseeing Capitol Hill efforts to enact legislation to finally get artists paid when their music is played on FM/AM radio stations.

"Congressman Crowley is a longtime advocate for music creators, a fact recognized as a past honoree of our annual GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards," Daryl P. Friedman, Chief Advocacy Officer at the Recording Academy, said in a statement. "His tireless support for artists and understanding of crucial parity issues uniquely position him in this ongoing fight for fairness. We look forward to working together once again on behalf of music creators across the country."

Back in March 2016, the Recording Academy honored Congressman Crowley, along with then-Congressman Thomas Rooney (R-Fla.) and the Zac Brown Band, at the GRAMMYs On The Hill Awards. Crowley was the lead sponsor of the Allocation for Music Producers (AMP) Act in the House of Representatives. The AMP Act, which became law in 2018 as part of the Music Modernization Act, gives studio professionals recognition in federal copyright law for the first time in U.S. history.

The musicFIRST Coalition, which counts the Academy, the American Federation of Musicians, SAG-AFTRA, SoundExchange, and others as members, formed under a simple precept: To ensure that music creators are compensated whenever their work is played. When it comes to radio, the opposite is true. Big Radio has never compensated performers and recording artists while earning billions in advertising revenue off their backs.

One Trojan Horse for this destructive pattern has been the Local Radio Freedom Act (LRFA). The innocuous sounding bill implies that the act promotes broadcast localism, but it is in fact something very different. In actuality, the non-binding resolution, which is pushed by conglomerates like iHeart Radio and their well-financed lobbyists at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), hurts creators by placing Congress on the other side of the fulcrum.

By a 2-1 margin, Americans believe it's unfair that artists are not paid when their music is played on traditional radio,according to a recent national survey. The poll found that less than a quarter of Americans turn to AM/FM radio to discover new music and unmasked the cold reality that most Americans don't know that artists aren't being paid when traditional radio plays their music. The same number (57%) reported that they did know that artists receive payment when their music is played on streaming services like Spotify and SiriusXM.

Now's the time to give all music creators their fair share, and the Recording Academy believes that Congressman Crowley is the man to spearhead this creator-first mission.

Read More: Congress: It's Time To Side With Music Creators Over Big Radio

Woman Listening To Music

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The Recording Academy Announces Behind The Record Advocacy to Advance Creators’ Rights in Washington

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Behind the Record Advocacy is a new virtual advocacy program for Academy members to advance the rights of creators behind the record
Advocacy
Sep 17, 2021 - 2:52 pm

The Recording Academy's Advocacy department recently launched Behind the Record Advocacy, a new virtual advocacy program for Academy members to champion the rights of creators behind the record.

Building off the success of the Academy’s Behind the Record initiative, the Academy is expanding its commitment to give credit where credit is due by meeting virtually with Members of Congress to educate them on the creators behind their favorite records, and discuss the key issues impacting the music community.

The new Advocacy program takes place nationwide on October 14. Academy members can register at the landing page here.

During the virtual meetings, Academy members will focus on legislation currently being considered in Washington that would have a direct impact on America’s recording artists, songwriters, and studio professionals, like the HITS Act and the American Music Fairness Act. Behind the Record Advocacy will fight to ensure that those behind the record can earn fair compensation for their work.

The Recording Academy Advocacy department will organize and schedule the meetings, as well as help educate registrants on the issues, talking points and key messaging. Participants just have to be themselves, discuss their careers, and their livelihoods as music makers, while helping to champion the key legislation that would advance their rights as music makers.

The virtual advocacy day is designed to complement the widely popular Behind the Record movement, taking place the very next day on October 15. The third annual Behind the Record initiative will once again spark an impactful, cultural moment on social media where all creators are recognized for their essential roles in making the music we love.

Registration for Behind the Record Advocacy closes Monday, Sept. 20, so don't delay if you'd like to participate in this one-of-a-kind initiative!

The Recording Academy's Advocacy Team Joins Twitter Spaces: A New Way To Have Discussions That Uplift All Musicians

Audience

Photo: Fin Costello/Redferns via Getty Images

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Oxford Economics Reveals Findings On The Fiscal Impact Of Live Music

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Oxford Economics, a self-described leader in global forecasting and quantitative analysis, just revealed its findings on how live music impacts local economies. The data might surprise you
Morgan Enos
Advocacy
Aug 5, 2021 - 8:10 am

Oxford Economics last month shared their findings on how live music impacts local, state and national economies—and although the report deals with pre-COVID dollar signs, it contains a wealth of telling information.

The downloadable, illustrated report, compiled in cooperation with Live Nation and titled "The Concerts And Live Entertainment Industry: A Significant Economic Engine," explores "the economic impact this important industry has across the United States." 

This encompasses all the various professions and hats therein, from stagehands to front-of-house engineers to theater ushers—plus, all live musical performances, such as festivals and concerts, and comedy shows held in amphitheaters, clubs, theaters, arenas, stadiums, and other venues.

Here are the key findings, reprinted verbatim:

  • In 2019 the industry's total nationwide economic impact of $132.6 billion supported 913,000 total jobs with associated labor income of approximately $42.2 billion.
  • The industry generated a direct impact of $55.2 billion in 2019, which included local operational spending by live events venues and off-site spending by out-of-town live event attendees.
  • If an out-of-town attendee were to spend $100.00 on a concert ticket, the local economy would benefit from an additional $334.92 in spending, resulting in a total spending impact of $434.92.
  • Overall, the live events industry generated a total fiscal impact of $17.5 billion in 2019, including nearly $9.3 billion in federal tax revenues and $8.3 billion in state and local tax revenues.

Below these bullet points, the landing page offers downloadable summary reports specific to all 50 states with additional findings for top metropolitan areas.

"We commend Oxford Economics for reaffirming what we've known for so long—the music industry is a key driver in creating a prosperous United States economy," Harvey Mason jr., the President/CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. "From local operational spending to the creation of more than 900,000 jobs, the live music industry creates diverse revenue streams and career opportunities resulting in significant economic impact. This study shows just how important our industry's role is in a healthy economy, which is more crucial now than ever as we continue to cope with the effects of COVID-19."

Helping keep the live music economy afloat in the present is the Shuttered Venues Operators Grant Program (SVOG), which the Recording Academy helped establish in Congress in December. In a recent update from the Small Business Administration, the SVOG has awarded more than $7.5 billion to more than 10,000 venues, theatres, and other qualified businesses.

SBA is still processing first-round awards, but they will have enough for "supplemental" grants. Once SBA finishes processing all first round awards and requests for higher award reconsiderations and appeals of those who were declined, they will begin the supplemental phase. SVOG grants will help ensure live music can return to its recent glory, and resume its significant economic impact across the nation.

Keep an eye on the Recording Academy's Advocacy page for more updates on this and be sure to absorb Oxford Economics' findings as a window into how music shapes the United States' fiscal composition.

Small Business Association To Wind Down Paycheck Protection Program, Ending Historic Relief Program

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Small Business Association To Wind Down Paycheck Protection Program, Ending Historic Relief Program

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As part of a massive revamp, the SBA is winding down the end of the nearly $1 trillion PPP while setting up an online loan forgiveness process. Here's how you can access it
Morgan Enos
Advocacy
Jul 28, 2021 - 3:09 pm

The Paycheck Protection Program helped buoy millions of small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic—and now it's coming to an end.

As Politico reports, the Small Business Association (SBA) on Wednesday announced the beginning of the end of the historic, nearly $1 trillion program, announcing in its stead an online loan forgiveness platform that will accept applications from small borrowers.

This initiative will encourage borrowers with loans of $150,000 or less — accounting for more than 90 percent of the pandemic-era program — to apply for loan forgiveness.

The ability to turn PPP loans into grants in exchange for maintaining payroll was a key component of the small business rescue initiative. However, nearly 7 million of those loans have not been forgiven.The SBA's new platform will accept applications from small borrowers directly in a format that officials estimate will take businesses just a few minutes to go through.

What's more, they plan to spare certain borrowers who received second PPP loans this year worth less than $150,000 from having to supply documentation proving that they suffered a 25 percent revenue reduction in 2020 that was required to receive the aid.

The SBA plans to launch the site on a pilot basis on Wednesday (7/28) and have it go live around August 4. This development will be germane to many music creators, who may be considered sole proprietors, independent contractors, or self-employed businesses—which is exactly who the PPP was aimed at in the first place.

Last February, the Biden Administration and SBA jointly announced changes to the PPP, adding increased access to essential financial relief for the creative workforce. Formed as part of the CARES Act, the PPP has enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support due to its ability to rapidly deliver relief to qualified small businesses, sole proprietors and independent contractors. 

While the PPP will soon be a thing of the past, the Recording Academy's Advocacy wing urges those still in need to access the upcoming portal and pursue PPP loan forgiveness if they meet the qualifications.

Updated: Biden Administration Announces Creator-Friendly Changes To The Paycheck Protection Program