Why It Matters

ASCAP represents more than one million songwriters, composers, and music publishers whose livelihoods depend on how Congress defines and enforces performance rights. The organization's lobbying activity occurs amid active Congressional engagement on multiple fronts, such as generative AI's use of copyrighted works, music licensing reform, and antitrust regulation of performing rights organizations.

The policy environment has shifted notably, with the U.S. Copyright Office recently affirming the value of performing rights organizations, and Congress advancing legislation requiring transparency in AI training data use. These developments suggest ASCAP is navigating both threats and opportunities in a rapidly evolving legislative landscape.

By the Numbers

The First Quarter 2026 lobbying disclosure filing from Thorn Run Partners lists $110,000 in lobbying fees, consistent with every quarterly filing ASCAP has made through that firm dating back to at least early 2024. Notably, this Q1 2026 filing lists no specific issues, breaking from prior Thorn Run filings, which consistently described the subject as "Performance Rights Issues." ASCAP runs parallel lobbying operations through multiple firms simultaneously.

This quarter, a second disclosure was filed by a new entrant, Capitol Dome Advocacy LLC, which reported $50,000 for lobbying on "performance rights licensing and information transparency." Lobbyist Alec French, who previously worked through Radius Advocacy LLC on ASCAP's behalf, now appears on the Capitol Dome Advocacy filing, suggesting a firm's transition rather than a new hire.

Radius Advocacy LLC had filed three consecutive quarterly disclosures for ASCAP covering second quarter 2025 through fourth Quarter 2025, each at $110,000, and focused on "performance rights information transparency." That firm no longer appears in the first quarter 2026 congressional lobbying records for ASCAP.

Across the full one-year lookback period, ASCAP's disclosed lobbying spend across all three firms totals approximately $820,000. The Thorn Run filings alone account for $440,000 of that figure over four quarters.

The lobbying team:

  • Harriet Melvin (Thorn Run Partners) — Listed on every Thorn Run filing going back through the two-year lookback period. No congressional staff record was identified for Melvin in available databases.
  • Alec French — Appeared on Radius Advocacy filings through fourth quarter 2025, then transitioned to Capitol Dome Advocacy LLC for first quarter 2026.
  • Ben Staub (Radius Advocacy LLC) — Listed alongside French on the Radius filings through fourth quarter 2025, but does not appear in the First Quarter 2026 filings.

The Agenda

The Thorn Run lobbying activity report for first quarter 2026 lists no specific issues in the disclosure. Prior Thorn Run filings consistently described the subject as "Performance Rights Issues." The Capitol Dome Advocacy filing describes lobbying on "performance rights licensing and information transparency."

No specific legislation is cited in any of ASCAP's lobbying disclosures from the past year. Based on prior filings, the lobbying has broadly covered copyright and performance rights matters, though the exact legislative vehicles being tracked are not identified in the disclosure requirements as filed.

Broader Context

Congressional engagement on ASCAP's core issues has been active. In August 2025, Senators Marsha Blackburn and Peter Welch introduced the TRAIN Act, a bipartisan bill requiring transparency about when and how copyrighted works are used to train generative AI models. ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews issued a public statement endorsing the legislation, saying it "paves the way for creators to be fairly compensated for the use of their work." A House companion bill was introduced in January 2026.

In May 2025, Rep. Jared Moskowitz met with ASCAP and Grammy and Oscar-winning songwriter Paul Williams to discuss AI's impact on the music industry. In December 2025, ASCAP participated in a Congressional Musicians' Caucus event alongside SoundExchange, the Society of Composers & Lyricists, and other music industry organizations.

On the regulatory front, the U.S. Copyright Office issued a formal response to Congress in November 2025 affirming the value of performing rights organizations and cautioning against further government regulation of entities like ASCAP, a development that ASCAP publicly characterized as favorable.

Separately, bills to close a longstanding loophole allowing AM/FM radio stations to avoid paying performance royalties (unlike satellite and digital streamers) were reintroduced in both the House and Senate in January 2025, according to Billboard. That issue directly affects ASCAP members.

Congressional hearing records show substantial committee-level attention to music licensing, copyright, and performing rights organizations, indicating sustained engagement with the issues ASCAP lobbies on.

The Bottom Line

ASCAP is a longstanding, consistent player in congressional lobbying records, maintaining a multi-firm strategy at steady spend levels for at least two years. The first quarter 2026 filings show a structural shift, with Radius Advocacy out, and Capitol Dome Advocacy in. Still, the core agenda around performance rights and copyright protection remains central.

The blank specific issues field in the latest Thorn Run filing represents a departure from prior disclosure practice, making the organization's current legislative priorities less transparent than in previous quarters. With AI legislation actively moving through Congress, and the Copyright Office having recently weighed in favorably on performing rights organizations, the policy environment ASCAP is navigating remains notably active.