Azoff, Capshaw, Silva Join Forces on Music Artists Coalition

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Led by top managers Irving Azoff, Coran Capshaw and John Silva, a group of artists, songwriters and artist representatives have formed the Music Artists Coalition – a music creators organization which will advocate for and protect artists’ rights. The initial board for the organization will include artists such as Don Henley, Dave Matthews, Shane McAnally, Maren Morris. Anderson .Paak, Meghan Trainor and Verdine White, along with artist reps Jordan Bromley, Jim Cicconi, Kristen Foster, Susan Genco, Elliott Groffman and Ali Harnell. “Artists decide their musical fate every time they write a song or step on stage,” said Henley. “Their true fate — the ability to protect their music — is being decided by others … bureaucrats, government legislators, and the powerful digital gatekeepers. We are forming the Music Artists Coalition (MAC) to ensure that there is an organization whose sole mission is to protect the rights of music artists – performers and songwriters.” “Emerging artists deserve the same opportunity that many of us had– to be able to make a living creating music. It’s important for today’s musicians to pave the way for those in the future,” added Matthews. MAC believes artists should have the right to decide how best to protect the fate of their music and their other rights as content creators. As technology has brought many exciting new ways to experience music, the rewards need to be shared fairly with those who create the music. The agenda is “to address the complex issues facing artists today in a rapidly changing digital landscape, and to give artists an uncompromised voice in all debates which impact today’s artists and the artists of tomorrow.” Among the issues MAC plans to tackle are the current Copyright Royalty Board proceedings, the formation of the Mechanical Licensing Collective under the Music Modernization Act, the reform of the safe harbor protections for the world’s largest online service providers and the lack of national protection for the right of publicity, as well as weighing in on various state legislation and policies that impact artists as well. “There is no music business without the artists,” concluded Azoff. “We have a responsibility to protect the people who write the songs and create the music. MAC will be the voice and defender for all music creators.”