Protect Working Musicians Act of 2026
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became Law
Overview
The Protect Working Musicians Act of 2026 aims to empower independent music creators by allowing them to collectively negotiate licensing terms with large online music platforms. The bill establishes definitions for key terms like ‘Dominant Online Music Distribution Platform’ and ‘Individual Music Creator Owner,’ and provides a safe harbor from antitrust liability for collective negotiations related to music licensing. It seeks to address a perceived imbalance of power between these platforms and independent musicians, who often lack the resources to effectively challenge unfair licensing practices.
Key provisions
- Defines ‘Dominant Online Music Distribution Platform’ and ‘Individual Music Creator Owner’.
- Provides a safe harbor from antitrust liability for collective negotiations between independent music creators.
- Allows independent music creators to collectively negotiate music licensing terms with online platforms.
- Permits independent music creators to collectively refuse to license their music to online platforms.
- Establishes criteria for collective negotiations to be considered consistent with antitrust laws (non-price, non-discriminatory, and involving only independent creators and platforms).
- Defines ‘musical work’ and ‘sound recording’ for clarity.
- Includes a provision related to generative artificial intelligence.
- Clarifies that the Act does not modify or supersede the existing antitrust laws.
Who is affected
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