Recording industry: New California gig economy bill will make us move away

California AB-5, which has already been passed by the Senate and verbally supported by the Governor, seeks to give regular employee benefits to individual contractors, like Uber drivers. It essentially turns freelance workers into actual employees of the companies. The music industry will be directly affected by the bill in the sense that independent artists and labels will have to treat any other industry professionals they collaborate with, such as recording studio engineers and roadies, as employees, so they are threatening to move from California if the Governor signs the bill - “Get ready Nashville and New York — it looks like you’re about to have your own recorded-music boom,” reads a joint statement from the Recording Industry Association of America, A2IM and the Music Artists Coalition. Forbes...