ASCAP Establishes Bill of Rights

  I  

To remind the public, members of the music industry and U.S. legislators of the central role and rights of those who conceive and create music, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) launched a Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers.

This awareness-building initiative centers around 10 core principles, including “We have the right to be compensated for the use of our creative works, and share in the revenues that they generate” and “We have the right to license our works and control the ways in which they are used.”

These rights, all of which are already inherent in the act of music creation and protected by U.S. copyright law, are under threat as growing numbers of individuals bypass payment to illegally share music online.

“Given the many issues surrounding the music industry today, it can be all too easy to overlook the source of it all – individual songwriters, lyricists and composers,” said Marilyn Bergman, ASCAP president and chairman. “Our goal is to remind lawmakers, the general public and music creators of the rights that are inherent in their art. We cannot allow the original source of all music to be lost in the shuffle.”

Debuted during ASCAP’s “I Create Music” Week at the 25th Annual Pop Music Awards held on April 9, the bill has garnered more than 500 signatures from songwriters, composers and artists.

More info: ascap.com



  • Jack_DeJohnette_by_Steve_Sussman.jpg

    ​Jack DeJohnette boasted a musical resume that was as long as it was fearsome.

  • JoeFarnsworth_by_Osmel_Portuondo_Azcuy_copy_2.jpg

    Always a sharp dresser, Farnsworth wears a pocket square given to him by trumpeter Art Farmer. “You need to look good if you want to hang around me,” Farmer told him.

  • 750x750_copy.jpg

    ​D’Angelo achieved commercial and critical success experimenting with a fusion of jazz, funk, soul, R&B and hip-hop.

  • 1_Kandace_Springs_by_Joey_Kennedy_2025_Pittsburgh_Jazz_Fest_copy.jpg

    Kandace Springs channeled Shirley Horn’s deliberate phrasing and sublime self-accompaniment during her set at this year’s Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival.

  • Jim_McNeely_Courtesy_jim-mcneely.com_copy.jpg

    ​Jim McNeely’s singular body of work had a profound and lasting influence on many of today’s top jazz composers in the U.S. and in Europe.


On Sale Now
November 2025
Gary Bartz
Look Inside
Subscribe
Print | Digital | iPad