ASCAP mobilizes its million members to vote in upcoming election as Congress debates AI

On Tuesday, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) announced that they are working to mobilize over one million songwriters to vote in the upcoming major election with some Nashville figures leading the charge.

ASCAP's 2024 Citizen Campaign in partnership with HeadCount, an organization focused on registering voters, begins on July 9 and will run through November 5, Election Day. 

The campaign urges ASCAP music industry members to vote as congressional debates focus on artificial intelligence's role in the music and issues surrounding streaming.

The campaign will also engage in voter registration and early voting efforts.

The voting campaign launched with a video that features ASCAP members sharing why they think it is important to participate in the voting process and noting that legislation can directly impact songwriters' livelihoods.

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Nashville ASCAP members Jaren Johnston (“Take Me to the Bottom,” The Cadillac Three) and Georgia Middleman (“I’m In,” Keith Urban) are two songwriters leading the charge.

"Whether it's streaming or AI, elected officials make decisions that affect our ability to make a living as music creators," Johnston says in the video.

"This year, we're not just electing the next U.S. President, we're also electing 34 senators, the entire House of Representatives, 11 governors, 44 state legislatures, and countless local officials," songwriters say in the video.

Joe Ragosta, a co-writer on Jelly Roll's "Need a Favor, is also advocating for the cause.

"I vote because roughly three quarters of an American songwriter's income is regulated by the federal government," Ragosta shares.

Songwriters Leon Thomas (“Snooze,” SZA), Madison Love ("Bad Things,” Machine Gun Kelly & Camila Cabello), Jimmy Jam (“What Have You Done for Me Lately,” Janet Jackson), Marcus Miller (“Jump to It,” Aretha Franklin) and  Akil “worldwidefresh” King (“BLACK PARADE,” Beyoncé) are also among some of the campaign supporters speaking up.

Throughout the coming months, ASCAP will post on its social media channels, featuring members from all genres discussing why they find it important to vote.

ASCAP will also share messages from other creators like Olivia Rodrigo, Alicia Keys and Kehlani who are speaking on behalf of "get out the vote" campaigns.

“Whether it is protecting creators’ rights through copyright law or new artificial intelligence regulations, policy directly impacts our members’ livelihoods. It’s vital for music creators to stay engaged with democracy and that starts with voting,” said ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews.

“It’s time to show elected officials that they should listen to more than just our members’ songs, because music creators vote.”

To learn more about the voting campaign, head to ascap.com/citizen.

Audrey Gibbs is a music reporter at The Tennessean. You can reach her at agibbs@tennessean.com.