SOUNDEXCHANGE APPLAUDS PASSAGE OF NEW LAW IN IRELAND TO PAY AMERICAN PERFORMERS & RIGHTS OWNERS

Country's Adoption of National Treatment Ensures Equal Treatment

WASHINGTON, March 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- SoundExchange celebrates Ireland's adoption of a new law extending national treatment to American sound recording performers. This landmark measure, which was signed into law last week by the Irish President Catherine Connolly, ensures equal treatment for American creators and brings Ireland into alignment with European Union (EU) law. In 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled in the RAAP decision that EU member states may not deny compensation to American performers based on reciprocity. With the new Irish law, nearly 78% of the EU now provides national treatment to American artists and producers.

"Ireland's new national treatment law is a significant victory for American creators. As Ireland prepares to lead the EU Council in July, this new law sends a powerful message to the remaining European countries that still must enact national treatment," said Michael Huppe, President and CEO of SoundExchange. "Music is one of America's most powerful cultural exports, yet too often U.S. artists and labels are denied payment abroad simply because of their nationality. Ireland's leadership demonstrates respect for the rule of law, for creators' rights, and for a fair and nondiscriminatory international music economy." 

National treatment is a core principle of international copyright law requiring countries to treat foreign creators the same as their own citizens. In music, this means performers and record producers are entitled to the same compensation for use of their sound recordings regardless of their national origin. Applying national treatment promotes fair compensation, nondiscrimination, and a stable global rights system that benefits the entire community of music creators.

Ireland's action affirms that performers and record producers from most major countries, including the United States, are entitled to the same compensation as Irish creators when their sound recordings are broadcast or publicly performed in Ireland.

Only six EU member states – Belgium, Croatia, Finland, France, Slovakia, and Slovenia – have yet to implement the CJEU's requirement of national treatment into their own laws. Continued delays in these markets leave many creators unpaid for the use of their work and undermine the uniform application of EU law. SoundExchange urges remaining EU member states to follow Ireland's lead and promptly adopt national treatment through clear legislative or regulatory action.

"Implementation isn't optional—it's a legal obligation," added Huppe. "Creators everywhere deserve to be paid when their music is used, no matter their nationality. That is why SoundExchange has consistently fought for this principle in Europe and around the globe, and why we honor national treatment for our own payments of approximately a billion dollars annually."

SoundExchange is the largest neighboring rights collective in the world and operates under the lowest administration rate among comparable entities. The sole organization designated by the U.S. government to administer statutory non-interactive digital performance royalties for more than 800,000 music creators, SoundExchange is trusted by nearly 500,000 artists and rights owners to collect their international royalties. 

About SoundExchange
SoundExchange is the largest global neighboring rights organization in the world, redefining how creators in the music industry get paid. By turning data into fast, accurate revenue for artists and rights owners, we have collected and distributed more than $13 billion in digital performance royalties to date on behalf of more than 800,000 music creators. As the sole organization designated by the U.S. government to administer the Section 114 sound recording license, SoundExchange seamlessly collects and distributes digital performance royalties from platforms like Pandora, SiriusXM, iHeartRadio, and thousands more, as well as all available international performance royalties through a strong global partnership network. For more information, visit soundexchange.com.

SOURCE SoundExchange