Advocacy/Legislation

Pandora recently purchased radio station KXMZ-FM in Rapid City, South Dakota, in a bid to lower the licensing fees it pays songwriters and composers. Pandora says this will help creators and listeners. But the facts tell a different story.

Four-time Grammy Award-winning songwriter Josh Kear (Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood) fired back at Pandora's recent op-ed in Washington DC's The Hill. The bottom line? Pandora is stiffing songwriters. Read his full response.

Pandora ran an op-ed in The Hill yesterday attacking ASCAP's efforts to protect fair compensation for its members from the online music streaming service. Read ASCAP President and Chairman and songwriter Paul Williams's response here.

Paul Williams delivered a powerful keynote at the CISAC World Creators Summit in DC yesterday. He spoke passionately and pointedly about what it means to be a creator in today’s challenging digital environment. Read the full speech.

Williams is among the more than 30 renowned authors and artists to speak at the fourth biennial World Creators Summit, scheduled for June 4th-5th in Washington, D.C. The lineup will give the creative community a chance to speak out on a variety of important issues affecting their rights and their lives.

ASCAP's 2013 General Annual Membership Meeting was held on Thursday, April 18th at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. The meeting kicked off the 2013 ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO, the annual three-day conference for music creators featuring educational and inspiring panels, networking opportunities and exhibits.

The US Trade Representative's Special 301 Report shows that the US government is serious about upholding music creators' rights around the globe. Now it's time to turn the report’s recommendations into concrete benefits for songwriters, composers and publishers.

While the afterglow of this year’s eighth annual ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO still burns, here’s a look back at some of the highlights, from lessons learned to great photo and video moments from the heart of it all in Hollywood.

This week Maria A. Pallante, the Register of Copyrights, testified at a hearing convened by the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet to consider revisions to US copyright law. Pallante acknowledged the need to consider the rights of songwriters and composers alongside other music copyright issues.

Strong copyright law is an essential part of how songwriters and composers earn a living from their music. Increasingly, the fate of copyright is playing out on blogs, through social media and by word of mouth. We compiled a list of five resources that will educate and provoke you, and inspire you to take action.

Professional songwriters, producers and composers work behind the scenes of our favorite music every day, but their work is undervalued in the digital music landscape. That's why we support the Recording Academy's Give Fans the Credit initiative. Sign the petition and help get the credit you deserve.

ASCAP presented a performance and Q&A session with hit songwriters Josh Kear and Dan Wilson in Washington, DC. The event was designed to entertain and inform members of Congress and their staffs about the creative process of songwriting and the challenges facing songwriters in the digital world.

This week, Congresswoman Judy Chu (pictured) and Congressman Howard Coble launched a new bi-partisan Congressional Creative Rights Caucus. Its goal is to educate Congress and the public about the importance of preserving and protecting the rights of the creative community. This is great news for music creators everywhere.