SoundExchange distributed $953 million in sound recording performance royalties to recording artists and rights owners in 2018, more than in any year their 15 year history. A strong fourth quarter distribution of $345 million to music creators helped put the PRO into record territory for the year.
Thanks in large part to the passage of the Music Modernization Act, SoundExchange is predicting even bigger distributions in 2019.
The MMA includes the CLASSICS Act, which guarantees federal copyright protection for sound recordings recorded before February 15, 1972 and ensures that legacy artists receive compensation for their work. The new law also includes the AMP Act, which codifies SoundExchange’s practice of honoring Letters of Direction (LODs) from recording artists.