The Protect Working Musicians Act of 2026 would allow independent musicians and music creators to collectively negotiate with major streaming platforms and artificial intelligence companies without violating antitrust laws. Currently, individual artists lack the bargaining power to negotiate fair licensing rates and are forced to accept whatever terms platforms like Spotify or Apple Music offer, or face their music being distributed illegally anyway. The bill creates an antitrust exemption for independent music creator owners who earn less than $1 million annually in licensing revenues to band together and collectively negotiate terms regarding how their music is distributed and used. The legislation applies to dominant online music distribution platforms with over $100 million in annual music-related revenues and companies developing generative AI, addressing what Congress views as an imbalanced market where platforms exploit copyright protections while individual artists cannot effectively enforce their rights. No specific funding or implementation timeline is included in the bill text.
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