Petition to amend AB 5 for musicians receives overwhelming support

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – A petition to help independent music professionals secure exemptions under Assembly Bill 5 is getting an overwhelming amount of support online.

California’s Assembly Bill 5 is the new gig worker law that is devastating the independent music industry in California.

It requires independent and contract workers to be considered employees of a company, rather than independent workers.

The law is causing a lot of backlash from ride-hailing drivers, translators, computer coders, freelance writers and other gig workers.

Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher authored the bill, and came to KUSI to further explain and respond to critics.

Ari Herstand is an independent musician and blogger, the author of the best-selling book How To Make It in the New Music Business and the founder of the music business advice company Ari’s Take. Forbes calls Ari Herstand “the poster child of DIY music.”

Adrianne Duncan is an independent pianist, singer, songwriter, composer, educator and producer in Los Angeles. She sings with improvisational vocal group Fish to Birds in addition to solo work. She also co-started the Facebook group California Music Professionals United which has more than 1,000 members.

Since AB 5 took effect, Ari and Adrianne said they have seen dozens of performers, mixers, engineers, music teachers, orchestra ensembles, etc. lose jobs and contracts. They were in studio to tell us about how the bill has impacted them.

Over the past month, the petition has grown from 32,000 signatures to almost 170,000 signatures.

To view the petition, visit https://www.change.org/p/help-independent-california-music-professionals-secure-exemption-under-ab5.