BENEFIT COMPILATION OUT TODAY FEATURES TIFT MERRITT, JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT, MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND, ANDREW BIRD, THAO, TROUSDALE & MORE — LISTEN HERE

TIFT MERRITT: “We all have stories about how these regressive steps backwards play out in our lives, and in the lives of people we love. I hope these songs open your heart to how important it is to stand up for bodily autonomy, reproductive freedoms, privacy and more love in the world no matter what it looks like.”

NOISE FOR NOW is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting local level Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice organizations throughout the country with 100% of proceeds going to charity. The organization, in partnership with the Artist Rights Alliance, releases their new benefit compilation, SONGS FOR SEX, today via NOISE FOR NOW’s label distributed digitally worldwide through ADA. The compilation features 16 exclusive tracks from Andrew Bird, Ella Vos, Erin McKeown, CAKE, Katie Malco, Kev Decor, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, My Brightest Diamond, Rett Madison, Robert Ellis, sym fera, Tanner Porter, Thao, The Album Leaf, Tift Merritt, and Trousdale.

Listen / purchase the album via all platforms here: https://lnk.to/vxvjdm

SONGS FOR SEX is the brainchild of GRAMMY® nominated artist Tift Merritt — a response to the dangerous policies outlined in The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. Executive Producers, Merritt and manager Victoria Roe enlisted the support of musicians to meet the moment, gathering songs that counter Project 2025’s shame and stigma around sex with songs of tenderness, anger, and defiant joy.

‘SONGS FOR SEX’ TRACK LISTING
01 — “Recreational Sex” — Tift Merritt & Robert Ellis
02 — “Love In This Club” (Usher Cover) — Ella Vos
03 — “bad idea right?” (Olivia Rodrigo cover) — Thao
04 — “White Beretta” (Live) — Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
05 — “Bloodless” (Live from the Green Mill) — Andrew Bird
06 — “Fatal Attraction” (Live) — Katie Malco
07 — “Today / Sex” (Live in Portland, OR) — Erin McKeown
08 — “Red String Theory” — Kev Decor
09 — “Hold You (Responsible)” — CAKE
10 — “Black Sheep” (Trouble Mix) — My Brightest Diamond
11 — “ThreeSeven” — The Album Leaf
12 — “Kids Having Kids” (Demo) — Rett Madison
13 — “eager teeth” (acoustic version) — sym fera
14 — “Back to Shore” (Acoustic Version) — Tanner Porter
15 — “How To Be 18” (Demo) — Trousdale
16 — “One Good Thing” — Tift Merritt

Listen here: https://lnk.to/vxvjdm

A few highlights from the album include CAKE’s “Hold You (Responsible)” — whose frontman John McCrea notes, “We are grateful for the chance to fight for reproductive rights for all citizens. People are needlessly dying”; and Trousdale’s “How To Be 18” (Demo),” that tells the story of a young woman who has made the incredibly difficult decision to seek an abortion in a state where it is illegal to do so. Trousdale note, “While the political conversation around abortion in this country often centers on life-threatening circumstances, we wanted to focus on the more common reason women seek it: simply not being ready to bring a child into the world. In addition to reproductive rights, Project 2025 targets the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and undermines protections for marginalized communities. We’re proud to be part of the fight for the basic human dignity that every person deserves.”

NOISE FOR NOW enables artists and entertainers to connect with and financially support grassroots organizations that work in the field of Reproductive Justice including abortion access. The new compilation is the third benefit compilation from NOISE FOR NOW. It follows the release of NOISE FOR NOW Vol 2 in June which features 11 exclusive tracks from Faye Webster, The War On Drugs, Courtney Barnett, David Byrne and Devo, MC50 ft. Arrow De Wilde, Big Freedia, SOFIA ISELLA, Julia Jacklin, Becca Mancari, Claud and AJ Haynes (of Seratones). NOISE FOR NOW Vol 1 — a special vinyl-only limited edition album featuring tracks from Maya Hawke, Amanda Shires and Jason Isbell, Bully, Wet Leg, My Morning Jacket, Fleet Foxes, and more, was released in November 2023 and is available on clear vinyl via the NOISE FOR NOW store HERE. These songs were originally found on the 2022 digital-only benefit compilation, Good Music To Ensure Safe Abortion Access To All, which was available for only 24 hours via Bandcamp and, along with the t-shirt sales featuring the album’s Kim Gordon-created “Liberate Abortion” cover art, grossed over $230,000.

ACCLAIMED SONGWRITER & VOCALIST DAN NAVARRO JOINS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Artist Rights Alliance (ARA), a non-profit artist-led education and advocacy organization, today announces a group of globally recognized musicians to its music council. Aerosmith, Creed, Lauren Daigle, Jerry Flowers, Myles Kennedy, Sevendust, and Wolfgang Van Halen all join the organization, lending their support to the protection and education of artists and creators. Additionally, The ARA is happy to announce acclaimed songwriter & vocalist Dan Navarro to its board of directors.

“As a longtime artist advocate, Dan brings tremendous expertise, energy, and passion for musicians’ rights to ARA’s efforts,” ARA Executive Director Jen Jacobsen shares. “The ARA Board is excited to work closely with Dan to ensure that artists are educated, protected, and treated fairly as they navigate the music marketplace. Dan’s voice will be a welcomed addition to our group as we navigate the murky waters of streaming royalties, keep AI from infringing on artists’ rights, and fight for a transparent ticketing system that fully supports artists and fans. We are thrilled to have Dan aboard.”

The ARA has long been on the front lines of the fight for creators, evidenced most recently by an open letter calling on tech platform not to devalue music and undermine artists’ rights, garnering the support of over 200 artists. Members of the ARA board and music council have lent their voice to important issues by conducting interviews, and offering their names in support of concerted efforts to endorse and give input to ongoing legislation. Streaming royalties, ticketing, and the effects of artificial intelligence are issues at the forefront of the ARA’s fight for artist, and the influx of new members only strengthens that fight.

Dan Navarro’s eclectic 40-year career as a songwriter, artist, singer and voice actor, includes 20 acclaimed albums, thousands of concerts, singing and voice acting in films like Oscar-winners “Encanto,” “Coco,” television, videogames, commercials, and writing songs for Pat Benatar (the Grammy-nominated classic “We Belong”), The Bangles, Dave Edmunds and more. In 2022, after 20+ years with Lowen & Navarro, he released his second studio-recorded solo album, “Horizon Line,” to rave reviews.

“I’m honored and excited to join the ARA Board in fostering its vital work,” Dan shares. “This in an era where artists’ rights are routinely threatened by technology, dismissed by industry and underserved by public policy. With so much work to do, I’m eager to help.”

Full text of the list of artists and songwriter signatories available HERE-

WASHINGTON, DC, APRIL 2, 2024 — The Artist Rights Alliance (ARA), a non-profit artist-led education and advocacy organization, issued an open letter supported by more than 200 artists calling “… on AI developers, technology companies, platforms, and digital music services to cease the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to infringe upon and devalue the rights of human artists.”

While AI-related threats such as deepfakes and voice cloning continue to rightfully attract significant scrutiny, the letter also highlights two related trends that are among the most serious and irresponsible uses of AI, including:

· The use of musical works by AI developers without permission to train and produce AI “copycats”; and

· The use of AI “sound” to dilute royalty obligations.

“Working musicians are already struggling to make ends meet in the streaming world, and now they have the added burden of trying to compete with a deluge of AI-generated noise,” explains Jen Jacobsen, Executive Director of the ARA. “The unethical use of generative AI to replace human artists will devalue the entire music ecosystem — for artists and fans alike.”

In part, the letter states that:

“Make no mistake: we believe that, when used responsibly, AI has enormous potential to advance human creativity and in a manner that enables the development and growth of new and exciting experiences for music fans everywhere…. Unfortunately, some platforms and developers are employing AI to sabotage creativity and undermine artists, songwriters, musicians and rightsholders.

“We must protect against the predatory use of AI to steal professional artists’ voices and likenesses, violate creators’ rights, and destroy the music ecosystem. We call on all digital music platforms and music-based services to pledge that they will not develop or deploy AI music-generation technology, content, or tools that undermine or replace the human artistry of songwriters and artists or deny us fair compensation for our work.”

This letter follows intensifying discussion across the globe on the responsible use of AI in music. Already, the state of Tennessee has enacted the so-called ELVIS Act, enhancing its “right of publicity” protections. The ELVIS Act is formally titled the “Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act.” Similar legislation is being discussed in the US Congress and in several US states.

Click here to join the movement.

About the Artist Rights Alliance

The Artist Rights Alliance is an artist-run, non-profit organization fighting for songwriters and musicians in the modern music economy, co-founded by GRAMMY winner Rosanne Cash. It is led by a Board of Directors including artist manager Thomas Manzi, John McCrea of CAKE, critically acclaimed Americana singer/songwriter Tift Merritt, award-winning producer Ivan Barias, world guitar innovator Matthew Montfort, and Indie label executive and musician Maggie Vail. ARA works to ensure artists are at the table when decisions are made on policies that affect their lives and livelihoods and empowers artists to advocate directly for themselves through classes, events, and presentations to demystify music, politics, and the spaces where they intersect.

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For more information, please visit:

https://artistrightsalliance.org

Media Contacts

Paul Freundlich

Shaun Gold

pfa Entertainment Media & Marketing

paulf@pfamedia.net

sgold@pfamedia.net

Click here to join the movement!

Media Contacts —

Paul Freundlich paulf@pfamedia.net

Shaun Gold sgold@pfamedia.net

Ground-breaking Legislation Developed in Partnership with Artist Rights Alliance (ARA) and American Association of Independent Music (A2IM)

(Washington, D.C.) — U.S. Representative Deborah Ross (D-NC) introduced an enhanced new version of the Protect Working Musicians Act today, legislation that would allow small and independent artists and music creators to collectively negotiate fairer rates and terms for the use of their music by online streaming services as well as Artificial Intelligence (AI) developers. The Protect Working Musicians Act was written by U.S. Representative Ross in partnership with The Artists Rights Alliance and The American Association of Independent Music.

Under current laws, small and independent musicians have little ability to bargain for fair royalties for the use of their music by global online platforms that include Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube. Instead, these artists have been forced to accept whatever compensation is offered without the ability to collectively negotiate for market value rates. In addition, there currently exists no avenue through which to engage with AI companies who routinely scrape and use music without permission or consent. Artists are unable to work together in the free market to negotiate compensation with venture capital backed AI giants.

The current model threatens the livelihoods of the thousands of independent artists who seek to use online distribution platforms that provide essential pathways to reach current and potential fans, and whose music is being used by AI companies without authorization. While standing alone, independent creators have little power; together, they could collectively negotiate on a level playing field to secure fair licensing rates for their work.

“North Carolina has long been home to outstanding artists and a vibrant music scene that plays a vital role in our state’s culture and economy,” said Congresswoman Ross. “Working musicians and small independent labels face urgent challenges to their livelihoods posed by the market power of streaming platforms as well as the explosion of AI applications that use their work without licensing or pay. This legislation will help give small, independent music creators a level playing field, empowering them to stand together for fairer compensation and giving them a voice in important negotiations that will determine the future of the music industry.”

The Protect Working Musicians Act would:

• Allow working artists and independent musicians to band together to negotiate with dominant streaming platforms and artificial intelligence developers.
• Make clear the antitrust laws are no obstacle to these negotiations.
• Grant working artists and independent musicians the ability to collectively refuse to license their music to a dominant online music distribution platform that refuses to pay market value rates.

“Musicians today are fighting for fair treatment on so many fronts, including both in the online streaming marketplace and against the growing threat posed by AI companies who exploit creators’ work without permission,” said Jen Jacobsen, Executive Director of the Artist Rights Alliance (ARA). “The ‘Protect Working Musicians Act’ will give small and independent artists a shot at facing these challenges by allowing them to negotiate collectively with the large and powerful entities who profit from musicians’ hard work. We thank Rep. Ross for her leadership in empowering creators with tools to navigate this ever-changing market.”

“Thank you, Rep. Deborah Ross, for championing the rights of artists through the introduction of the Protect Working Musicians Act. The PWMA would help level the playing field for indie artists who struggle to make a living from the mega corporations that control the streaming marketplace.” — Dr. Richard James Burgess MBE, President and CEO A2IM (American Association of Independent Music)

“I’m so grateful to my fellow North Carolinian Deborah Ross for fighting for independent music and the future of creativity,” said singer-songwriter Tift Merritt, Co-Chair of the Artist Rights Alliance. “Artists, songwriters, and independent labels have never needed each other more, and this legislation will ensure our voices are heard and we receive fair pay for our work.”

ARA Co-Founder John McCrea of CAKE said: “The Protect Working Musicians Act is a necessary tool for independent artists and labels to compete in today’s marketplace and receive fair compensation for their work from streaming platforms and AI companies. It is amazing that it even needs to be said, but people who make things have a fundamental right to negotiate with the giants who use and distribute their work.”

“We at Merge would like to thank Congresswoman Ross for endorsing the North Carolina music scene as the strong cultural and economic force it is and taking this step to make sure we can compete and succeed in the digital world,” Laura Ballance, Co-Founder, Merge Records and member of the band Superchunk.

Those who would like to reach out to their representatives in support of the Protect Working Musicians Act can do so at the link here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/support-the-protect-working-musicians-act.

Washington, D.C. — The Artist Rights Alliance (ARA), a non-profit artist-run organization helping musicians navigate the ever-changing creative economy, has named music industry veteran Jen Jacobsen as its new Executive Director. Jen will work with ARA’s artist-led Board to amplify the voice of music creators in the ongoing effort to protect artists and their work in today’s music marketplace.

A lifelong musician and performer who is passionate about the arts, Jen has over 25 years of experience in the music and copyright policy arena, serving as Vice President, Industry & Government Relations at Sony Music Entertainment; Vice President, Global Public Policy at Time Warner, Inc.; and Director of Public Policy at AOL. She has worked to forge strategic partnerships across the music community and has helped lead state and federal policy initiatives that impact creators — from copyright protection to free speech to music licensing reform.

“As the music industry grapples with issues that could fundamentally change the landscape for artists and songwriters, ARA’s work has never been more vital,” Jen said. “I am honored to have been selected for this role by ARA’s Board — an inspiring group of working musicians, songwriters, and executives with decades of experience on the front lines of the music business. And I am committed to helping artists and songwriters get a seat at the table as the future of the creative economy is charted.”

“Jen Jacobsen is a strong, experienced leader who radiates energy and love of music and the arts,” said ARA Board Member Rosanne Cash. “Her dynamic presence will help ARA continue to stand up for artists and bring people together on important issues impacting our community. ARA has always stood for common sense, transparency, and equity for working creators, and we know Jen will carry on that tradition.”

ARA Board Member Tift Merritt added, “We also want to take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Stacey Dansky for her hard work and commitment supporting ARA’s mission and goals. Stacey’s expertise, engagement, and partnership in promoting our artist rights agenda is recognized and deeply appreciated.”

Jen Jacobsen is a strong advocate for music education and the power of music to connect, heal, and inspire. She recently served as the Executive Director for Kid Pan Alley, a non-profit that teaches songwriting workshops in schools. Jen is a member of the D.C. Advisory Council for Musicians on Call and a graduate of the Nashville-based Leadership Music program. She attended Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law.

About the Artist Rights Alliance:

The Artist Rights Alliance is an artist-run, non-profit organization fighting for songwriters and musicians in the modern music economy. It is led by a Board of Directors including GRAMMY winner Rosanne Cash, artist manager Thomas Manzi, John McCrea of alternative rock band CAKE, critically acclaimed Americana singer/songwriter Tift Merritt, award-winning producer Ivan Barias, world guitar innovator Matthew Montfort, and Indie label executive and musician Maggie Vail. ARA works to ensure artists are at the table when decisions are made on policies that affect their lives and livelihoods and empowers artists to advocate directly for themselves through classes, events, and presentations to demystify music, politics, and the spaces where they intersect.

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For more information, please visit: https://artistrightsalliance.org

Media Contacts

Paul Freundlich & Shaun Gold, pfa Entertainment Media & Marketing / paulf@pfamedia.net, sgold@pfamedia.net

Casey Murray, Shape Advocacy / casey.murray@shapeadvocacy.com

WASHINGTON DC — (May 27, 2021) For decades, gun violence has been an epidemic in this country. What should be places of community — schools, houses of worship, concerts, grocery stores — have become sites of tragedy time and time again. It is uniquely American and uniquely horrific.

Our hearts are with the Uvalde and Buffalo communities, and we continue to remember the countless others impacted by gun violence.

We have had enough of the shallow “thoughts and prayers” from lawmakers who abdicate their responsibility as legislators and leaders and claim there is nothing that can be done. We know that mass shootings can be prevented. We know that common sense gun laws are effective and that they are supported by the majority of Americans.

We call on lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and at every level of government — Do your jobs. Protect your communities. Make gun safety legislation a top priority, and put an end to this American tradition of tragedy followed by inaction.

For more information and to learn how you can support common sense gun legislation, visit Everytown.org , Giffords.org, SandyHookPromise.org, or BradyUnited.org.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 18, 2022) — The Artist Rights Alliance applauds the introduction of The SMART Copyright Act of 2022 today by Senators Patrick Leahy and Thom Tillis. The bill gives the Copyright Office and Librarian of Congress new authority to designate widely available and effective “technical measures” — tools that allow copyright owners to identify their works on digital platforms and take action if they are being used without permission.

This bi-partisan legislation is a huge step forward towards these goals — making it easier for artists to control their music online and holding tech companies accountable for unlicensed work on their platforms.

Last month, the Artist Rights Alliance submitted comments to the Copyright Office in support of standard technical measures, writing,

“Broad adoption and implementation of technical measures that identify and protect music would help artists and songwriters enormously. It would let them focus on creating new music and lessen the need to monitor for infringements of their existing work. It would also likely increase the number of artists, musicians and songwriters that can make a living from their music. And it would send a message that digital platforms are partners in a healthy music economy, not zero-sum game competitors focused solely on their own bottom lines.”

Contact: ara@artistrightsalliance.com

About the Artist Rights Alliance:

The Artist Rights Alliance is an artist-run, non-profit organization fighting for songwriters and musicians in the modern music economy. It is led by a Board of Directors including GRAMMY winner Rosanne Cash, artist manager Thomas Manzi, John McCrea of CAKE, critically acclaimed Americana singer/songwriter Tift Merritt, award-winning producer Ivan Barias, world guitar innovator Matthew Montfort, and Indie label executive and musician Maggie Vail. ARA works to ensure artists are at the table when decisions are made on policies that affect their lives and livelihoods and empowers artists to advocate directly for themselves through classes, events, and presentations to demystify music, politics, and the spaces where they intersect.

For more information, please visit:

https://artistrightsalliance.org

Docket №2021–10

Delivered via regulations.gov

February 8, 2022

The Artist Rights Alliance (ARA) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Copyright Office’s notice of inquiry regarding technical measures (“NOI”).

ARA is an artist-run, non-profit organization fighting for songwriters and musicians in the modern music economy. ARA works to ensure artists are at the table when decisions are made on policies that affect their lives and livelihoods. It is led by a Board of Directors including GRAMMY winner Rosanne Cash, music manager Thomas Manzi, John McCrea of CAKE, critically acclaimed Americana singer/songwriter Tift Merritt, award-winning producer Ivan Barias, world guitar innovator Matthew Montfort, and Indie label executive and musician Maggie Vail. Stacey Dansky is ARA’s Executive Director.

Introduction

We thank the Copyright Office for its continued study into how to better protect music online. Performers and songwriters depend on a healthy online music system — which provides critical streaming income and serves as a springboard for touring, merchandise sales, video placements, and virtually the entire music economy. The massive costs of online piracy drag down all music creators in ways that make one of the most challenging careers even less sustainable.

We agree with many commenters that one way to improve the online music ecosystem is ensuring that digital platforms properly implement technical measures to identify and protect our members’ work online.

Below we identify and respond to some of the specific questions you posed where we feel we can offer helpful information from the perspective of working artists and songwriters.

1. Rightsholders: Please identify any technical measures currently used or in development by you, your organization, company, industry, or sector to identify or protect copyrighted works online. How do these technical measures affect your ability to protect your copyrighted works online?

Automated content recognition technologies, like Audible Magic or YouTube’s Content ID, are used by some platforms to identify copyrighted music and then enable rightsholders to block or monetize it depending on their creative and commercial strategy and approach. Unfortunately, some platforms do not implement these technologies in a manner that benefit all artists and songwriters.

In addition, some platforms offer free APIs to help monitor for, and report infringements of, music on their platform. These tools should be made scalable so they can be used easily by smaller creators and individual artists as well as larger corporate music companies.

5. Are there any other processes that are ongoing for identifying voluntary solutions or to identify and implement technical measures? Are there alternative processes, other than those that may currently be in place, that would better identify and implement technical measures? Please be specific, as different technical measures may have different solutions in different industry sectors.

We strongly support partnerships with digital platforms and voluntary solutions to online piracy, including implementation of standard technical measures. One option could be to have state attorneys general, the Intellectual Property Office Enforcement Coordinator, or the Copyright Office help convene negotiations for voluntary solutions.

We also believe online platforms should be more transparent and share more information with artists and songwriters about the technical measures they use to protect music online and the tools they make available to creators large and small. Standards for this kind of “how to” information and practical hands-on training could be incorporated into STMs.

6. To what extent would the adoption and broad implementation of existing or future technical measures by stakeholders, including online service providers and rightsholders, be likely to assist in addressing the problem of online copyright piracy? What are the obstacles to adopting and broadly implementing such existing or future technical measures? Would the adoption and broad implementation of such existing or future technical measures have negative effects? If so, what would be the effects, and who would be affected?

Broad adoption and implementation of technical measures that identify and protect music would help artists and songwriters enormously. It would let them focus on creating new music and lessen the need to monitor for infringements of their existing work. It would also likely increase the number of artists, musicians and songwriters that can make a living from their music. And it would send a message that digital platforms are partners in a healthy music economy, not zero-sum game competitors focused solely on their own bottom lines.

7. Is there a role for government to play in identifying, developing, cataloging, or communicating about existing or future technical measures for identifying or protecting copyrighted works online? Can the government facilitate the adoption or implementation of technical measures, and if so, how? Are there technical measures or other standards used to protect copyrighted works online of which the government should be aware when implementing statutory or regulatory provisions, such as requirements for procurement, grants, or required data inventories?

The Copyright Office, along with others in government, can and should help identify and exhort the adoption of existing technical measures. The Copyright Office can also call out the need for such technical measures to be implemented properly and in a manner the protects both larger and smaller creators.

* * *

Thank you for considering our views and the interests of independent and working artists, musicians, and songwriters.

Sincerely,

/Stacey Dansky/

Stacey Dansky

Executive Director

Artist Rights Alliance

Washington, D.C. — The Artist Rights Alliance (ARA), an artist-run, non-profit organization fighting for songwriters and musicians in the modern music economy, announced that former longtime Viacom vice president Stacey Dansky has been named Executive Director.

Stacey has been plugged into copyright affairs and creator rights issues in D.C., serving as Vice President, Government Relations at Viacom, Inc. for 10 years. Prior to that, Stacey served as Chief Copyright Counsel on the House Judiciary Committee, drafting legislation to establish a public performance right in sound recordings and identifying copyright issues to bring before the committee.

“I look forward to Stacey’s creative guidance through the next phase of growth for the Artist Rights Alliance,” board member Rosanne Cash says. “It’s a critical time for setting the future for young musicians, and we want to leave a legacy of protection and stewardship. Stacey is enthusiastic, curious, and brings her wide experience and expertise to a leadership role in our mission.”

“ARA’s greatest strengths are its artist-led Board and its hard-earned reputation as a trusted and effective voice for the music industry’s songwriters and performers,” said incoming Executive Director Stacey Dansky. “In recent years, the organization has proved its ability to organize broad coalitions by elevating the voices of working artists. I am excited to carry on that tradition and to expand our work into vital areas including arts education and COVID-19 relief. The issues on which the ARA is focused have never been more urgent. Along with our partners and peers in the creative community, we have much to do.”

“Stacey (Dansky) is an incredibly talented person, with a wealth of knowledge about law, policy, and politics; a love for music; and a demonstrated passion for artist rights. The Artist Rights Alliance is unquestionably in good hands, and along with its exceptional Board leadership, by artists and for artists, the organization could not be better positioned to tackle the challenges ahead,” said outgoing Executive Director Ted Kalo, who will continue to support the organization in an advisory role.

During Kalo’s five years at the helm, the ARA has become one of the most respected and trusted voices advocating for artists and songwriters in the music policy landscape today. It successfully advocated for the inclusion of robust songwriter protections in the Music Modernization Act and supported the Copyright Office’s implementation efforts that led to the recent payment of nearly $500 million in “black box” royalties to the Mechanical Licensing Collective. In 2020, the ARA led a nationally recognized effort to de-politicize the use of music used in political campaigns without artist consent. The effort drew strong support from Mick Jagger, Steven Tyler, Lorde, Pearl Jam, Sia, and other internationally recognized musicians.

About the Artist Rights Alliance:

The Artist Rights Alliance is an artist-run, non-profit organization fighting for songwriters and musicians in the modern music economy. It is led by a Board of Directors including GRAMMY winner Rosanne Cash, artist manager Thomas Manzi, John McCrea of CAKE, critically acclaimed Americana singer/songwriter Tift Merritt, award-winning producer Ivan Barias, world guitar innovator Matthew Montfort, and Indie label executive and musician Maggie Vail. ARA works to ensure artists are at the table when decisions are made on policies that affect their lives and livelihoods and empowers artists to advocate directly for themselves through classes, events, and presentations to demystify music, politics, and the spaces where they intersect.

For more information, please visit:

https://artistrightsalliance.org