ASCAP’s Paul Williams Reveals Music Advocacy Project

ASCAP’s Paul Williams

ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams unveiled the “Music Advocacy Project” (MAP), a five-point plan to steer music licensing reform in Washington, on Thursday, April 24 during ASCAP’s General Annual Membership meeting.

Williams outlined five core Music Advocacy Project principles that form the basis of his vision for a sustainable future for music:

• SIMPLIFICATION: The music licensing process must be simplified, streamlined and reflective of how people listen to music today.

• MARKET RATES: The free market should determine the value of music copyrights, just as it does in other entertainment sectors.

• CONSUMER CHOICE: Music fans should continue to have access to a wide variety of music on any platform they choose.

• CREATOR CONTROL: Music starts with the songwriter or composer, and the interests of music creators should be central to any effort to reform copyright laws.

• ACCESS: We must preserve a robust collective licensing system in order to keep the music playing, ensure music creators are fairly compensated for use of their work, and enable new music businesses to launch efficiently and legally.

Williams also acknowledged the recent introduction of the Songwriter Equity Act legislation in Congress, a recently announced U.S. Copyright Office study to analyze the effectiveness of the ASCAP and BMI consent decrees, and statements of support from key members of Congress.

“We are working on the front lines,” Williams told the ASCAP members in the audience. “The Music Advocacy Project is our map to a modernized music licensing system that works better for everyone – writers, composers, publishers, licensees and, most importantly, music fans.”