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12/11/2025, 10:49 AM
Gene Simmons statement re American Music Fairness Act
Today I received this info from sound exchange, one of the many places who send me royalties for collection of monies on my music that is performed in various places (SoundExchange provides products and services to 700,000+ creators, labels, and publishers, enabling them to get paid for their music played digitally and internationally. It also helps digital service providers meet their obligations and advocates for fair and efficient music industry.) ==================================================================== Do any of you believe this? "This week I visited the U.S. Senate, where I testified about the American Music Fairness Act, the bipartisan bill that will compel AM/FM radio corporations to finally start paying artists for their music. Now, I’m asking for your help. Do you realize that your favorite recording artist is paid zero cents, not even one penny, when you hear their music on AM/FM radio? Shockingly, Elvis was never paid a single penny for the millions of times his music was played on AM/FM radio. This includes Frank Sinatra, Celine Dion, George Strait, Whitney Houston, and all the new artists. None of them has ever received a penny for radio airplay on AM/FM radio. Meanwhile, just this last year, AM/FM radio stations have made $14 billion. While recording artists, all of them, have made zero. This must change. Now. Thanks, Gene Simmons" KISS founder Gene Simmons is the latest artist to stand up and demand passage of the American Music Fairness Act (AMFA) and to compel big radio corporations to pay recording artists for the use of their work. More than 300 artists wrote Congress earlier this year demanding radio join the rest of the democratic world and pay artists a performance royalty on terrestrial radio. Watch him testify alongside SoundExchange CEO Michael Huppe at this week’s Balancing the Interests of Local Radio, Songwriters, and Performers in the Digital Age hearing held by the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property. JOIN THE FIGHT! We urge you to reach out to your congressional representatives to demand passage of AMFA. https://musicfirst.quorum.us/campaign/150889/
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12/12/2025, 12:20 PM
Many thanks Bryon. Very informative. I never knew about the Canadian standards or rights organizations, much less ours here. I saw Gene Simmons on one of the financial channels the other day addressing this topic with a passion and a genuine concern for young and newer artists. Well done - both he and you. Thanks for all you do too, Glenn
12/11/2025, 12:29 PM
Let me educate some of you if you dont know this you are neglecting the most important part of protecting your intellectual property When i have recorded or written a composition(s) I go to socan my Performing Rights Organization and register the song there at socan.ca then if i have the song ready i go and get it encoded digitally at "Digital Delivery" MBEncoding@mediabase.com> When the song is played on radio tv or elsewhere it is picked up by satellite or other means and tracks the song catalogs it and then reports are sent to the various charts, its pretty comprehensive and when the song is played the stations have to track it and send in the monies to the respective PRO of what ever country and royalties are collected accordingly This is how it works in CANADA and this SOCAN is my Performing rights organization P.R.O. https://www.socanmagazine.ca/socan-academy/socan-academy-digital-royalties-101/ I was in the Promotions and Management of Musicians for nearly 20 years and learned taught and represented a lot of artists over my time in my business at VOODOOHEAD PRODUCTIONS, i have a wealth of knowledge and understanding in this music business so I know what I am talking about , now saying this I dont have any artists i represent anymore, it is a tough business and promotions and dealing when artists and radio stations and so on drains you, I did this as well as teaching piano etc , i worked from early morn to late at night between these 2 jobs, and it burned my soul out, glad i am not working with artists anymore and or tracking down gigs for them, tough tough biz lol
12/11/2025, 12:00 PM
IF he got on Canadian radio AM FM Satellite stations he would get paid , our system is far superior to the US and really does take care of their own, and that is the truth and bottom line,we have fair laws in regards to music here in Canada, even European stations pay, I have gotten royalties from all over, but did not know the USA laws do NOT protect musicians it is pretty bloody sad
12/11/2025, 10:54 AM
Surprising the US stations dont pay royalties,hard to believe I get AM FM royalties from Canadian stations via my PRO via SOCAN shocked the USA are ripping artists off