Why It Matters

Sony Music Entertainment filed its quarter two 2026 lobbying disclosure on July 21, reporting $410,000 in expenditures for the quarter.

Congress is actively considering legislation that could reshape how artists and labels are compensated, from performance royalties on terrestrial radio to collective bargaining rights with streaming platforms.

By the Numbers

Sony Music Entertainment spent $410,000 on lobbying in the second quarter, matching its spending from the fourth quarter of 2025. The company has maintained relatively consistent quarterly expenditures over the past year, spending $380,000 in the first quarter of 2026 and generating $1,940,000 in total lobbying revenue over the past 12 months.

Broader Context

The filing listed the issue code copyright, patent, and trademark with specific focus on:

  • Support for policies that promote strong and effective copyright protection in the U.S. and abroad, including in trade policy and emerging technologies
  • Support for policies that ensure fair compensation and rate standards for rightsholders across all music distribution platforms
  • Support of efforts to streamline the music licensing system so that it operates more efficiently and fairly for all stakeholders
  • Support for efforts to modernize the U.S. Copyright Office
  • Support for efforts to update the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)
  • Support for policies that encourage Internet "intermediaries" (including ISPs, search engines, digital commerce platforms, domain registrars/registries, and advertisers) to take steps to curb music piracy
  • Discussion of global IP issues, scope of copyright, and digital trade
  • Support for the American Music Fairness Act (H.R. 861/S 326)
  • Discussion of the impact of artificial intelligence on the music industry, and support for responsible AI development, including legislation such as the TRAIN Act (S 2455), No Fakes Act (H.R. 2794/S 1367), and the AI Accountability and Personal Data Protection Act (S 2367)

The company continues to rely on Lisette Morton, a Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Governmental Affairs, to lead its Washington efforts.

The Bottom Line

Sony Music's quarter two 2026 lobbying report reveals steady spending.

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