One bill, the RESPECT Act, would close a loophole that allows digital music services, like SiriusXM, to stream music recorded before 1972 without paying for them. These include legends such as The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross and other Motown artists.
A second bill, the Songwriter Equity Act, would give songwriters more leeway to argue for higher royalties when their songs are played by digital streaming services. Songwriting and recordings are licensed separately.
Representative Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat from New York, said on Tuesday he was working on an omnibus bill to address these and other legal issues as digital streaming has replaced broadcast radio and albums as the most popular way of listening to music.