IV 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 102 

Expressing the sense of Congress that it is the duty of the Federal Government to establish a new royalty program to provide income to featured 

and non-featured performing artists whose music or audio content is 

listened to on streaming music services, like Spotify. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 9, 2022 

Ms. TLAIB (for herself and Mr. BOWMAN) submitted the following concurrent 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of Congress that it is the duty of 

the Federal Government to establish a new royalty program to provide income to featured and non-featured 

performing artists whose music or audio content is listened to on streaming music services, like Spotify. 

Whereas streaming music services have become the dominant 

method of music consumption, and presently account for 

roughly 83 percent of total recorded music revenue in the 

United States; 

Whereas providers of streaming music service, like Spotify, 

saw a 13.4-percent increase in revenues in 2020, bringing 

Spotify’s streaming music service total revenue to 

$10,100,000,000; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2 

•HCON 102 IH 

Whereas musicians have created the content responsible for 

these record valuations, but are only compensated on average $0.007 per stream; 

Whereas providers of streaming music service compensate 

featured artists at a significantly lower rate than traditional physical record sales; 

Whereas non-featured artists are presently compensated for 

digital radio play but receive no compensation by providers of streaming music service for streaming plays; 

Whereas the COVID–19 pandemic has significantly disrupted 

the live concert industry, thereby reducing alternative 

sources of non-royalty income for musicians; 

Whereas, to the extent the rise of streaming music services 

has benefited musicians, it has done so in an unequal 

manner, with benefits accruing mostly to those with sufficient bargaining power to negotiate with large companies 

on an individual basis; 

Whereas existing royalty and remuneration practices are insufficient to address and cover new modes of consumption and distribution of music, as well as properly reflect 

the value captured by streaming music services through 

data gathering and advertising sales; 

Whereas ensuring that both featured and non-featured artists 

are adequately compensated for their work strengthens 

the creative economy and creates an environment within 

the United States wherein such artists feel respected; 

Whereas the United States risks falling behind in investing 

in musicians within the United States compared to countries such as France and Canada, that have proposed 

new legislation in the past 4 years to address inequities 

in the music-streaming industry; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•HCON 102 IH 

Whereas major record companies, like Universal Music Group 

and Sony Music, who license musical works to streaming 

music services simultaneously hold significant shareholder 

stakes in the underlying streaming audio service-providing companies, encouraging collusion at the expense of 

the musicians and performing artists themselves; and 

Whereas copyright collectives like SoundExchange, which administer statutory licenses and collect and distribute royalties on behalf of featured and non-featured artists, and 

owners of copyrights in music recordings, are critical to 

the economic health of the music industry: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That is the sense of Congress that— 

3 (1) it is the duty of the Federal Government to 

4 establish a new statutory royalty program— 

5 (A) to provide musicians, whose recorded 

6 work is listened to on streaming music services, 

7 like Spotify, reasonable remuneration through a 

8 royalty payment earned on a per-stream basis; 

9 (B) to ensure streaming music services, 

10 which have become the dominant method of 

11 music consumption, compensate musicians at 

12 fair rates that are not significantly lower than 

13 rates earned on traditional physical record 

14 sales; 

15 (C) to avoid falling behind in investing in 

16 musicians within the United States compared to 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4 

•HCON 102 IH 

1 other countries that have already proposed leg2 islation to address inequalities in the music in3 dustry; and 

4 (D) to promote an environment wherein 

5 the musicians within the United States feel re6 spected; and 

7 (2) the statutory royalty program should be— 

8 (A) administered by SoundExchange and 

9 the Copyright Royalty Board, who will together 

10 calculate, collect, retain, and distribute the roy11 alty payments to all eligible musicians whose re12 corded work is listened to on streaming music 

13 services in accordance with the standards and 

14 guidelines established by the scheme; and 

15 (B) funded by mandatory pro rata con16 tributions collected by SoundExchange from eli17 gible providers of music-streaming service, as 

18 defined by the program, with the option for 

19 SoundExchange to request additional direct 

20 public funding as it deems to be necessary and 

21 appropriate. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS