Music bills reintroduced to protect fans, help creators

Three music bills reintroduced by U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) this week had gained bipartisan support near the end of the last legislative session before being pulled from the final Federal funding bill.

Music bills reintroduced to protect fans, help creators

The American Music Tourism Act, Mitigating Automated Internet Networks for (MAIN) Event Ticketing Act, and Help Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS) Act will collectively promote music tourism, help protect fans, venues and artists from online scammers, and provide tax deductions that support independent music creators.

These bipartisan bills are endorsed by prominent music industry trade groups.

American Music Tourism Act

The American Music Tourism Act would leverage the existing framework within the Department of Commerce to highlight and promote music tourism in the United States.

This legislation is co-sponsored by Senator Hickenlooper (D-Colo.). It was introduced in the House by Representatives Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.) and Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.) and is endorsed by the Recording Academy, RIAA, NMPA and others.

MAIN Event Ticketing Act

The MAIN Event Ticketing Act would build upon the 1993 BOTS Act by:

• creating reporting requirements whereby online ticket sellers and resellers have to report successful bot attacks to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
• creating a complaint database so consumers can also share their experiences with the FTC, which in turn is required to share the information with state attorneys general;
• enacting data security requirements for online ticket sellers
• sharing of information between the FTC and law enforcement; and
• requiring a report to Congress on BOTS enforcement.

This legislation is co-sponsored by Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and endorsed by the Recording Academy, RIAA, Live Nation, National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), and others

HITS Act

The federal tax code currently allows film, television, and theater productions to fully deduct production expenses in the year they are incurred. However, music production expenses do not qualify for the same treatment under current law.

The HITS Act would help level the playing field for many small, independent creators and labels.
This legislation would allow independent music creators – including musicians, technicians, songwriters, and producers – to deduct 100% of recording production expenses in the year they are incurred, rather than in later years.

This legislation is co-sponsored by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and endorsed by the Recording Academy, American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), RIAA, NIVA, BMI, NMPA and others.

Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, a Berklee College Of Music professor and the founder of the Skyline Artists Agency