top of page
Musician in the Desert

RESOURCES

THE PROBLEM WITH AB 983

AB 983 is a flawed, unnecessary proposal that would destabilize California's music business, cut opportunities for working artists, and weaken the state's economic recovery.

THE FACTS ABOUT AB 983
 

AB 983 – a proposal the California Legislature has rejected many times in various forms over the last two years – would severely harm California’s creative economy while benefiting established superstars and their agents at the expense of working artists and new acts trying to get signed.

CA MUSIC COALITION
LETTER TO SENATE COMMITTEES OPPOSING AB 983

"As members of California’s world-leading music community, we write to oppose AB 983 – a bill that would gut our state’s music business and destroy opportunities for working musical artists, especially new artists and those from less commercial genres."

DONALD B. VERRILLI
(MUNGER, TOLLES & OLSON)
LETTER OPPOSING AB 983

"If applied retroactively, AB 983 would upend existing legal norms and eviscerate record labels’ existing contractual rights—with no constitutionally acceptable justification."

BACKGROUND

AB 983's amendment to California Labor Code Section 2855 would significantly hurt California's entire music ecosystem, including the vast majority of California artists.

INFOGRAPHIC: KALRA BILL WOULD HURT WORKING MUSICIANS & COST CALIFORNIA MILLIONS EACH YEAR

 

AB 983 is a threat to working artists, diverse voices, new talent, and California's entire economy. 

SANTA MONICA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LETTER OPPOSING AB 983

"On behalf of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce — representing 600 local businesses in Santa Monica — we write to oppose AB 983, flawed and risky legislation that will put California jobs and our state’s leadership in

music at risk."

LOS ANGELES COUNTY BUSINESS FEDERATION LETTER TO CALIFORNIA SENATE COMMITTE ON LABOR & PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OPPOSING AB 983

"AB 983 would disincentivize the investments that record companies make in artists in California, which would result in fewer artist signings and fewer new acts, especially for diverse and less commercial genres."

Q & A 

How does a recording contract work? What happens when an artist's album is successful? If a proposal dictating record deal terms by statute becomes law, how will artists be impacted?

THE ECONOMICS OF CALIFORNIA'S PROPOSED BILL AB 983 

Dr. David Blackburn

NERA Economic Consulting

"Real concern should be shown for the possibility that AB 2926 could have significant, unintended consequences on the investments made in the music business."

BERKELEY LAW CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION CENTER POLICY ANALYSIS OF AB 983

"Either under existing law, or under a possible new California-specific contract clause analysis, a retroactive AB 983 likely is unconstitutional."

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND

CALCHAMBER LETTER TO CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON LABOR & PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT

"The California Chamber of Commerce is OPPOSED to your AB 2926 (Kalra), which impermissibly circumvents the collective bargaining process in the entertainment industry by legislating specific items that were not agreed to during recent negotiations and retroactively invalidates certain contract provisions in violation of the California and federal constitutions."

BURBANK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LETTER OPPOSING AB 2926

" We urge you to stand up for California’s tradition of leadership in music, film, television, and streaming and oppose AB 2926."

CENTRAL CITY ASSOCIATION OF LOS ANGELES LETTER TO CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY MEMBER ASH KALRA

"CCA opposes AB 2969 as it would be detrimental to California’s music industry by slashing opportunities for hard-working artists by upending the balance between artists and record companies while weakening the state’s economic recovery."

COALITION LETTER TO

CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY MEMBER LORENA GONZALEZ 

California Music Coalition letter in opposition to the FAIR Act

CHARLES RIVER ASSOCIATES:
STUDY OF RECORDING INDUSTRY CONTACTS STILL RELEVANT

Steven S. Wildman, Ph.D.

LOS ANGELES AREA
CHAMBER 
OF COMMERCE
LETTER 
OPPOSING AB 2926

“Music currently adds approximately $40 billion annually to California’s GDP, supporting over 430,000 jobs and 72,000 venues across the state. . . . . But AB 2926 would disrupt this major California industry by limiting artist choice and driving down pay and penalizing working artists and businesses.”

CALIFORNIA MUSIC COALITION LETTER TO CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY MEMBER TASHA BOERNER HORVATH

"As members of California’s world-leading music community, we are writing to voice our deep opposition to AB 2926. We believe the bill is unnecessary and unconstitutional, would destabilize California’s music business, cut opportunities for working artists, and weaken the state’s economic recovery."

LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS
OPPOSE AB 2926

"As leaders of communities that depend on our state’s world-leading creative economy, we respectfully urge you to oppose AB 2926 which puts California’s music and film, television, and streaming production jobs at risk."

COALITION LETTER TO CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON LABOR & EMPLOYMENT

California Music Coalition letter in opposition to the FAIR Act

MUSONOMICS: ON THE IMPACT OF PROPOSED FAIR ACT TO THE CALIFORNIA MUSIC COMMUNITY 

Larry Miller

Clinical Professor of Music Business

NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, & Human Development

MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION LETTER TO CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY MEMBERS ASH KALRA AND HEATH FLORA

"This bill, if enacted, will disrupt the long-standing business practices and legal principles that have made California home to the vibrant motion picture, TV and streaming business. A.B. 2926 undermines both private contracts and the collective bargaining process that are hallmarks of the entertainment industry."

VALLEY INDUSTRY & COMMERCE ASSOCIATION (VICA) LETTER TO CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 

"AB 2926 will reduce advances for all but the biggest superstars. It will make it harder for new artists to get signed and divert time, resources and funding needed to break new acts to those who have already made it. Further, it will erect new obstacles for diverse, innovative, and less commercial voices and genres."

BILLBOARD:

'FAIR ACT' JEOPARDIZES NEXT GENERATION OF RECORDING ARTISTS

 by RIAA CEO Mitch Glazier 

PHOENIX CENTER POLICY
BULLETIN NO. 51

The Day The Music Died (in California): Analysis of the Proposed FAIR Act

bottom of page