ROCK ICON GENE SIMMONS AND SOUNDEXCHANGE CEO MICHAEL HUPPE CALL ON CONGRESS TO APPROVE THE AMERICAN MUSIC FAIRNESS ACT

Historic Senate Judiciary Hearing testimony supports bipartisan push for legislation requiring broadcasters to pay recording artists for using their work

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On December 9, rock legend Gene Simmons joined SoundExchange President and CEO to testify before Congress in support of the American Music Fairness Act (S.326), which would require AM/FM radio stations to pay artists royalties when their songs are played on the air.

Simmons, KISS founder, bassist, and singer, and Huppe were invited to speak during the Balancing the Interests of Local Radio, Songwriters, and Performers in the Digital Age hearing held by the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary's Subcommittee on Intellectual Property.  

In his written testimony, Simmons told Senators, "American artists have never been paid for radio airplay. Not one cent … Meanwhile, radio made $14 billion this year. Billion with a B. They play our songs. People tune in to hear our songs. Advertisers pay big money to reach those listeners. And the artists who created the music that makes it all work? They get bupkis. I don't know about you, but where I come from, that's called robbery."

Simmons, who with his bandmates received Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday night in Washington, D.C., said, "The American Music Fairness Act is the answer to this injustice. It's not complicated. It simply says that when radio makes money playing our music, the people who created that music should get a fair cut. That's capitalism. That's the American way."

Simmons continued, stating bluntly, "I've devoted my life to the pursuit of capitalism. I'm not ashamed to say that. The free market made KISS possible. It made America the greatest country on Earth. And it should work for artists today, too. In America, you get paid for your work."

In his oral testimony, SoundExchange CEO and President Michael Huppe reminded lawmakers, "Congress has stepped up time and again to modernize the law to ensure that artists are paid when their music is played on digital, satellite, and streaming services, but it has yet to fix this problem for FM radio. We're asking you to finally close this glaring loophole in our copyright law which has been giving one of the oldest music delivery platforms a free ride for far too long."

Huppe also underscored how the lack of a performance right puts the U.S. in dubious international company, saying, "Even Russia and China pay. We are in the company of the most notorious abusers of property rights in the world—joining North Korea, Iran, and Cuba."

Huppe noted that continued inaction on the issue further harms American artists when their music is played overseas, saying, "Because we don't pay artists for radio in the U.S., other countries use that as an excuse avoid paying Americans. It's gotten so bad that countries like France will actually collect American royalties yet give those royalties to French artists. Americans are losing out on hundreds of millions of dollars overseas every year – on top of what they're losing here at home."

Full testimony and video of the hearing are available at judiciary.senate.gov. 

About SoundExchange
Since 2003, SoundExchange has been on a mission to build a fairer, simpler, and more efficient music industry through technology, data, and advocacy. The sole organization designated by the U.S. government to administer the Section 114 sound recording license, SoundExchange has collected and distributed more than $12 billion in digital performance royalties to date on behalf of more than 700,000 music creators. For more information, visit soundexchange.com.

SOURCE SoundExchange