NITO Initiatives
NITO advocates on behalf of our individual businesses and the artists we represent, for a healthier and more sustainable music ecosystem for all.
NITO was formed in the crisis of the pandemic. What started as a means of survival turned into the largest direct investment into the arts and arts organizations since the New Deal. NITO’s participation in the Save Our Stages campaign led to nearly a billion dollars for fellow agents and managers in Shuttered Venue Operators Grants.
2026 marks the sixth year since the organization’s founding. As we look at an industry forever in flux and still dealing with the aftermath of a global pandemic, NITO continues to advocate on behalf of our individual businesses and the artists we represent, pursuing a healthier music ecosystem for all.
Ticketing
NITO has been working diligently on ticketing for the past two years, pushing for comprehensive reforms to at the State and Federal levels. We believe in the following as a part of comprehensive legislative packages:
- Itemized all-in ticketing fees
- Fee transparency, where fees are clearly listed separately from the value price
- Reasonable ticket fees, not a $49 fee on a $50 ticket
- Fan-to-fan ticket transferability for reselling at face value and below with no additional fees
- Right for the artist to set terms of resale on their tickets
- Complete ban on speculative ticketing
- A ban on primary ticketing platforms taking place and profiting in secondary market sales
- Ability for artists to access their own ticket buyer data
- Hold bot users accountable and prosecute those breaking the law
- Ban deceptive websites and IP addresses steering ticket buyers to the secondary market
In 2024 we were able to celebrate wins with speculative ticket bans in both Maryland and Minnesota. NITO continues to work as a member of the Fix the Tix Coalition for future reforms in 2025.
PRO Reform
Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) serve a valuable role in collecting royalty payments on behalf of songwriters. However, PROs are counted as expenses for all live shows, adding to the increased expenses of putting on shows, and have no relation to the songs actually played in the set list. The reporting process for live performances and PROs is both cumbersome and outdated, creating a constant headache for artists, their managers and business managers. NITO wishes to change this system, to make it easier for artists to collect the royalties they are owed, ensure transparency in payments and cut down costs for live performances so there is more to share for both artists and venues alike.
Public Performance Royalties for Terrestrial Radio
NITO is dedicated to finally passing the American Music Fairness Act and providing a performance royalty to AM/FM radio broadcasts. “Respect,” as performed by Aretha Franklin, “Georgia on My Mind” by Ray Charles, “Southern Nights” by Glen Campbell and “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston, are examples of incredible works where the performers received no royalties from their AM/FM radio play. Importantly, it is not just these big-name performers, but the backing musicians who are the foundation of these songs, who are similarly left behind. Famed studio musicians like The Wrecking Crew in Los Angeles, The Funk Brothers of Motown in Detroit, and The Swampers from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, who collectively played on hundreds of hit records over the years, received no performance royalty from the millions of plays on terrestrial radio. This was potentially generational levels of wealth denied to these musicians and their families. Hundreds of millions of dollars are withheld every year, both domestically and internationally. It is long overdue that this essential labor force of music makers receive fair and just compensation.
American Music Fairness Act Campaign
Tell Congress to pass the American Music Fairness Act and finally pay musicians fairly for their work. No radio without royalties! Send your letters to congress using the form below.
Sustainability of Touring
We understand the costs of touring for many artists are becoming increasingly unsustainable. There is no one policy fix to this issue, but our organization is working on many fronts to try and ease the burden. Cheaper insurance options, like our partnership with EPIC Insurance, hotel and lodging discounts, resource sharing amongst NITO members, direct artist funding from State and Federal agencies, and working with venues to save on show costs. Similarly, we help support organizations like Backline, MusicCares, and Sweet Relief in their efforts to address the mental and physical toll that touring takes on individual artists, as the financial side is only a part of the equation.
US VISA & Artist Immigration
Our members represent a significant number of foreign artists and rely on their business to operate. NITO joined a large coalition of voices rejecting the rise in US artist visa costs and has voiced concern and outrage at the processing times for visa filers. If our artists’ visas are not ready, they cannot tour. If they cannot tour, our businesses suffer. There is also the rising risk that increased burdens on foreign artists will be reciprocated to American artists trying to tour abroad. Music is the universal language, it is our job to ensure these artists can perform wherever an audience may be, regardless of international borders.