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chromas writes:

From Billboard:

The Music Modernization Act is not the law of the land yet, but it's pretty damn close, as the House of Representatives today (Sept. 25) unanimously approved passage of the U.S. Senate's version of the bill, which had itself been approved by that chamber last week. Now, the MMA is off to the White House where it will await the signature of President Donald Trump before becoming the law of the land.

The legislation forged by compromises throughout the music industry creates a blanket mechanical license and a collective to administer it, while changing some of the considerations used in setting music publishing rates. It also compels digital and satellite radio to pay a royalty on pre-1972 master recordings to labels and artists and it codifies the procedure by which SoundExchange can pay producers and engineers royalties for the records it works on.

From Engadget:

MMA will update rules regarding royalties and licensing when it comes to streaming in an effort to make sure creators are properly compensated. It will lead to the creation of a publicly-accessible database that makes it easier to see which publishers and artists need to be compensated for particular songs. Further, it will update the royalty rates for artists behind pre-1972 songs and will update royalty rates to reflect market changes all around.

[...] The president is now expected to sign it into law over the next ten days.

The bill: S.2823 - Music Modernization Act

Previously: Senate Passes Copyright Bill to End 140-Year Protection for Old Songs

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