Artist Rights Alliance Comments On Landmark Covid-19 Relief Bill

The Artist Rights Alliance, an artist run nonprofit fighting for a healthy creative economy and fair treatment for all creators in the digital world, shared comments today regarding the recently passed COVID-19 relief bill.

Included in the omnibus relief package is an extension of The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act) to include Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, the addition of The Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act (the CASE Act), and the inclusion of the Save Our Stages Act which will provide roughly $15 billion in relief to independent music venues, theaters, and similar cultural establishments.

ARA shares in a statement:

"As an organization by and for working artists and songwriters, we applaud Congress for making a down payment on the critical needs of a music community devastated by the pandemic. We are pleased the combined COVID relief bill and omnibus appropriations act includes economic assistance for venues and unemployment programs that determine benefit amounts by taking into account the multiple sources of income many songwriters and artists rely upon to earn a living wage.

We are also pleased that the bill includes measures to create a better music economy for the long term, including a small claims court for independent creators to use to ensure they are paid for the use of their work (the CASE Act) and a bill modernizing laws used to fight industrial scale piracy for the streaming age."

ARA recently shared a joint statement with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) regarding the COVID-19 relief bill and what it means for the music industry - check the statement out here.

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, 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. Longtime DC political strategist and former top House of Representatives staffer Ted Kalo is ARA's Executive Director.

In addition to its advocacy work, one of ARA's key missions is providing artists and their allies with resources, knowledge, and tools to navigate the complex music business landscape. ARA's Nashville-based Educational and Grassroots Initiatives are led by Erin McAnally and Chelsea Crowell, musicians and creators with lifetime experience in and around songwriters, creators, and the music business. ARA has additionally set up a new website and artists' forum to serve as an educational resource, advocacy platform, and open meeting place for songwriters and performers to exchange information and organize grassroots activities and campaigns.

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.

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