The music of grassroots artists is no longer confined to dive bars and late-night rotations on college radio. Today, the digitalization of the contemporary music industry provides grassroots artists with unprecedented access to a global music ecosystem. Nevertheless, talent agency statutes drafted in a pre-Internet music industry impede grassroots artists from reaping the benefits of modern technologies. Due to the inflexibility of these statutes, grassroots artists become lost in a music industry oversaturated with content because their advisors are prohibited from providing meaningful support. This chapter proposes legislators include “grassroots exceptions” in state-level talent agency statutes that would conditionally allow advisors of grassroots artists to procure certain types of employment. These exceptions would allow grassroots artists to efficiently participate in emerging music markets, as well as ensure that these statutes purporting to protect artists are equally promoting the interests of all artists.
