🎸 Gene Simmons Urges Congress to Act: Why the Fight Over Music Royalties Matters for Every Artist
In early December, legendary KISS frontman Gene Simmons took an unexpected stage: the halls of Congress. In a powerful plea to lawmakers, Simmons urged the passage of the American Music Fairness Act (AMFA)—a bill designed to finally give recording artists the right to be compensated when their music plays on AM/FM radio.
For decades, musicians have lived in a strange legal loophole: while streaming platforms, satellite radio, and digital broadcasters must pay royalties when they play a recorded track, traditional radio pays performers nothing. Songwriters and publishers earn royalties, but the actual singers, musicians, and producers behind the sound recording receive zero compensation.
Simmons, with more than 50 years of industry experience, is calling it what it is: a broken business model. And for the many creators, producers, and rights holders navigating today’s fast-changing entertainment landscape, this fight could reshape the future of artist compensation and music copyright law.
🎶 The Problem: Radio Profits While Artists Don’t
In his op-ed, Simmons reflects on the early KISS days—playing clubs, hoping a spin on the radio would drive album sales. That old model once worked: radio played the music, and in return, record sales surged. But today, the music industry ecosystem is entirely different.
Music discovery is dominated by:
Spotify
YouTube
TikTok
Social media
Digital streaming platforms
Yet terrestrial radio continues to broadcast music without paying the performers whose work draws listeners and boosts advertising revenue. In 2024 alone, corporate radio giants like iHeartMedia generated nearly $14 billion in advertising revenue, none of which was shared with the artists behind the songs.
From an intellectual property rights perspective, this gap is glaring. Under current U.S. law, AM/FM radio is exempt from paying sound-recording royalties—a distinction unlike nearly every other developed nation. Performers abroad also lose income because the U.S. does not reciprocate royalty payments to foreign artists.
This longstanding loophole harms not only global superstars—but also independent musicians, backup vocalists, session players, and producers whose livelihoods depend on the protection of their creative work.
⚖️ What the American Music Fairness Act Would Change
The American Music Fairness Act is designed to correct these disparities. If passed, AMFA would:
Require AM/FM radio stations to pay performance royalties to artists and rights holders
Align U.S. law with international copyright standards
Protect small, community-based radio stations through reduced royalty tiers
Ensure session musicians and background vocalists receive their share
In essence, AMFA modernizes U.S. entertainment law to reflect how music is consumed and monetized today.
From a legal standpoint, AMFA strengthens the broader framework of music copyright, ensuring creators receive compensation whenever their copyrighted sound recordings generate commercial benefit.
🎤 Gene Simmons Testifies to Congress: A Major Moment for Artists’ Rights
Simmons isn’t just writing opinion pieces—he is set to testify before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on December 9. This will be the first Senate hearing addressing artist compensation from AM/FM radio since 2009.
He will testify alongside Michael Huppe, CEO of SoundExchange, the nonprofit tasked with collecting and distributing digital royalties to recording artists. Their joint message is clear: creative labor deserves fair compensation, regardless of the platform broadcasting it.
Simmons, now guiding his own children through the music business, emphasized that younger artists face a more complex and less equitable industry than he entered decades ago. With corporate radio consolidating power and traditional revenue structures collapsing, correcting this legal imbalance is critical.
💼 Why This Matters for Creators — And Where Entertainment Lawyers Come In
As an intellectual property and entertainment law firm, Katie Charleston Law, PC works with musicians, producers, influencers, and creative entrepreneurs who rely on strong copyright protections to build and safeguard their careers.
The issues Simmons raises reflect the challenges our clients face every day:
Protecting creative works
Monetizing copyrighted content
Understanding performance and licensing rights
Negotiating fair royalty structures
Navigating complex music-industry agreements
Ensuring compliance with federal copyright law
The American Music Fairness Act may significantly impact how rights holders earn revenue. When laws evolve, artists need experienced counsel to understand how new regulations affect:
Copyright ownership
Royalty collection
Performance rights
Licensing agreements
Music publishing structures
Fair compensation is more than an industry debate—it is a legal issue at the core of intellectual property rights.
🔐 Protecting Musicians in a Changing Legal Landscape
If Congress passes AMFA, it will close one of the largest gaps in U.S. copyright and entertainment law. Musicians will finally receive royalties from one of the most widely used music platforms in the country.
This change would create a more equitable system for both legendary performers like Simmons and emerging artists building their careers in today's digital-first world.
At Katie Charleston Law, PC, we champion creators and help them protect, monetize, and enforce their intellectual property. Whether you're a musician, producer, or content creator, our firm provides strategic counsel to safeguard your rights—now and as the law continues to evolve.
📣 Final Takeaway
Gene Simmons’ plea to Congress is more than a celebrity headline—it's a turning point in the fight for fair pay for musicians. As the music industry transforms, the law must evolve with it. And artists must be ready.
If you’re in the music or entertainment industry and have questions about your rights, royalties, or copyright protection, Katie Charleston Law, PC is here to help you make your best mark.