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H.R. 8994119th CongressIn committeeLatest action May 21, 2026Decoded by AI · checked against the record
Official title: Protect Working Musicians Act of 2026
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govThe plain-language version leads. The official text is always the reference.
Independent musicians earning under $1M/year could legally team up to negotiate streaming deals under this bill.
50-second read · 4 questions answered below
This bill creates a legal exception to antitrust rules so that independent music creators can join together and negotiate with large streaming platforms as a group. It covers musicians, producers, mixers, and sound engineers who own their own copyrights and earn less than one million dollars a year in licensing income. Groups could also collectively refuse to license their music to platforms or to AI companies that use music for training purposes.
The bill applies to independent creators who manage themselves and earn under one million dollars a year in licensing income. It targets platforms that earn more than one hundred million dollars a year from music distribution. Major record labels cannot be part of the negotiations.
Right now, individual independent artists have little power when large platforms set their own licensing terms, and creators largely must accept those terms or lose access to listeners. This bill would give smaller creators a legal path to organize together and respond to terms they find unfair.
AI-drafted summary. Verify it against the official text before you act on it. Read the official bill on Congress.gov
Right now: a House committee is reviewing it. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the President.
Latest action: — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.