They're P.R.O.'s....an acronym for "Performance Rights Organization". A lot of people mistake ASCAP and BMI as being publishing companies.. someone will ask "What publishing do you have?" and they'll say "ASCAP".. if you say that in front of the wrong person, your opportunity just went out the window. Music publishers are completely separate entities and play the same role as you the artist. Both sign up to get royalties collected and distributed. Below are the most common P.R.O.'s to become familiar with.
ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a membership association of more than 400,000 U.S. composers, songwriters, lyricists, and music publishers of every kind of music. Through agreements with affiliated international societies, ASCAP also represents hundreds of thousands of music creators worldwide. ASCAP is the only U.S. performing rights organization created and controlled by composers, songwriters and music publishers, with a Board of Directors elected by and from the membership.
ASCAP protects the rights of its members by licensing and distributing royalties for the non-dramatic public performances of their copyrighted works. ASCAP's licensees encompass all who want to perform copyrighted music publicly. ASCAP makes giving and obtaining permission to perform music simple for both creators and users of music.
BMI
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) collects license fees on behalf of the more than 475,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers it represents and distributes those fees as royalties to members whose works have been publicly performed.
As a performing right organization, or PRO, BMI issues licenses to various users of music, including television and radio stations and networks; new media, including Internet services and websites and mobile technology businesses such as ringtone and ringback providers; satellite audio services like XM and Sirius; nightclubs, discos, hotels, bars, restaurants and other businesses; digital jukeboxes; and live concert venues.
BMI currently represents some more than 6.5 million compositions — a number that is constantly growing. As a result, BMI has, over the years, implemented a number of technological innovations in its continuing effort to gather the most accurate information available about where, when and how its members’ compositions are played or performed, as well as ensuring that royalty payments are made in as precise and timely a manner as possible.
SESAC
SESAC was founded in 1930 to serve European composers not adequately represented in the United States. Though the company name was once an acronym, today it is simply SESAC and not an abbreviation of anything.
With an international reach and a vast repertory that spans virtually every genre of music, SESAC is the fastest growing and most technologically adept of the nation’s performing rights companies.
SESAC will represent the right for your music to be played in public. Songwriters and publishers are paid royalties based upon how much their songs are played. The system required to compute compensation is based on many factors, including state-of-the-art monitoring, computer database information and broadcast logs. Unlike ASCAP and BMI, SESAC utilizes a selective process when affiliating songwriters and publishers, resulting in a roster of affiliates who have personal relationships with the SESAC staff. In short, SESAC’s creative staff provides affiliated songwriters and publishers with a level of service and attention unparalleled in the industry.
SESAC’s corporate headquarters in the heart of Nashville’s Music Row houses all of the company’s divisions, from creative to licensing to administration. The company also has offices in New York, London, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Miami.
SoundExchange - an independent, nonprofit performance rights organization.
SoundExchange is the non-profit performance rights organization that collects statutory royalties from satellite radio (such as SIRIUS XM), internet radio, cable TV music channels and similar platforms for streaming sound recordings. The Copyright Royalty Board, which is appointed by The U.S. Library of Congress, has entrusted SoundExchange as the sole entity in the United States to collect and distribute these digital performance royalties on behalf of featured recording artists, master rights owners (like record labels), and independent artists who record and own their masters.
Now that you're familiar with PRO's, sign up with Soundexchange AND either ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC and you're well on your way to collecting those royalty checks! Happy Recording
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