American Music Fairness Act

The American Music Fairness Act (S 253) updates U.S. copyright law to require traditional radio stations (terrestrial broadcasts) to pay performance royalties for playing music, aligning them with internet streaming services. It establishes reduced annual royalty fees for small radio stations based on revenue: $10 for stations under $100,000 annual revenue, $100 for public broadcasters between $100,000-$1.5 million, and $500 for non-public stations in the same range. Small stations must certify eligibility annually using revenue data. The bill explicitly states it will not reduce songwriters' existing public performance royalties or affect their rights.