What’s the Purpose of a Performance Rights Organization (PRO)?

So you’ve written the next big hit – congrats! Now imagine your song playing on the radio, streamed on Spotify, performed at a local venue, or even blasting in some grimy dive bar’s jukebox. Royalties must be raining down on you, right? Cue the awkward silence. If you aren’t signed up with a Performance Rights Organization (and no, “being a pro musician” doesn’t count), you might not see a dime of those public performance earnings. The purpose of a PRO is essentially to be your music’s personal bill collector – making sure you get paid whenever your song is performed in public. In this blog, we’ll break down exactly what PROs do, why every U.S. artist (global readers, you too) needs one, and how to avoid losing money and legal rights by ignoring this un-glamorous but crucial part of the music business. (Yes, dealing with PROs is about as exciting as reading stereo instructions, but stick with us – we’ll sprinkle in some sarcasm to keep you awake.)

What Is a Performance Rights Organization?

Performance Rights Organization (PRO): A fancy term for “those folks who hunt down your song’s money.” In plainer English, a PRO is a company that collects and distributes royalties on behalf of songwriters and music publishers whenever music is performed publicly. “Performed publicly” means any situation beyond you singing in your shower: if your song is played on the radio, streamed online, performed live at a venue, broadcast on TV, or piped into your local Starbucks, it generates a performance royalty. The PRO’s purpose is to ensure you (the songwriter/composer) and your publisher get paid those royalties, because let’s face it – tracking every individual bar, radio station, and streaming service that uses your music is not a fun DIY project.

Think of a PRO as your song’s money detective. They issue licenses to music users (radio stations, TV networks, streaming platforms, restaurants, concert halls – basically anyone using music in public) which grant legal permission to play all the music in the PRO’s catalog. Rather than each songwriter negotiating with each radio station (chaos!), the PRO sells blanket licenses to these businesses. The business pays a fee (like a subscription) to the PRO, and that money goes into the giant royalty pot. The PRO then tracks usage of music (through radio charts, digital tracking, venue setlists, etc.), figures out whose songs got played, and pays out royalties to the affiliated songwriters and publishers accordingly. It’s a bit like magic, except with more spreadsheets – the coffee shop or radio station writes one check to BMI/ASCAP/SESAC, and those organizations somehow calculate how to split it among thousands of creators. (As one industry CEO wryly noted, PROs charge venues a fee and then “somehow figure out” whose music was played to pay the right people (Disc Makers, 2024).) In short, a PRO’s job is to make sure song creators get paid when their work is used, which is the whole point of the public performance right in copyright law.

How Do PROs Work (and Do They Really Catch Every Play)?

PROs operate on a complex system of licensing and monitoring – part diligent tracking, part educated guesswork. Here’s a quick rundown of how they work for different scenarios that earn performance royalties:

• Radio Airplay (Terrestrial & Satellite): Radio stations log playlist data or report spins, and PROs use this data to allocate royalties. If your song hit local radio, your PRO will collect fees from the station and pay you for those spins. (Yes, getting on that small-town rock station at 2am on Tuesday does earn you a few cents – don’t spend it all in one place.)

• Live Performances (Concerts & Venues): Venues pay annual license fees to PROs so they can host live music or even just play background tunes. Big venues send setlists to PROs, and you can even self-report your setlists for gigs at small venues to get paid (more on this later). So when you shred your original song at The Rusty Nail Pub, the pub’s blanket license with, say, ASCAP means you’re owed a performance royalty for that performance. (If you don’t register your setlist, that royalty is basically a donation to the PRO’s black box – oops.)

• Streaming Services (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.): Every time your song streams, it generates two royalties: one for the sound recording (paid to you or your label via your distributor) and one for the underlying composition (the song itself). PROs collect the latter – the performance royalty for the composition – from streaming platforms. So those Spotify plays do put a few micro-pennies into your PRO account for you as a songwriter (while your distributor handles the artist/recording pennies).

• TV, Film, and Commercials: When your song is broadcast on TV or used in a film, it’s not just the upfront sync fee at play – every broadcast triggers performance royalties. Networks and cinemas pay PROs, which then pay the songwriters. Ever wonder why you still get checks years later for that indie song you had on an MTV reality show? That’s the PRO tracking each airing.

• Background Music in Businesses: From the mall to the gym to that dentist’s office torturing you with light rock – businesses often use background music services and pay PRO fees. PROs then allocate royalties (largely based on sampled data and radio parallels) to songs that are likely getting played. It’s imperfect (your emo punk track might subsidize Ed Sheeran’s muzak collection if data suggests Ed gets more play in dentist offices), but PROs try to make it fair through statistical distribution.

Now, here’s the kicker: Do PROs catch every usage of your song? Not exactly. They employ high-tech monitoring for major sources (digital logs, audio fingerprinting, charts) and statistical sampling for the zillions of smaller ones. This means they estimate in many cases, especially for general “background” usage at bars, retail, etc. The reality is that PROs prioritize accuracy for big usages (radio hits, top streaming tracks), and use proxy data for the little stuff. In other words, they make an educated guess. As a result, big-name writers often get a slight extra sprinkle of royalties from those guesses, and smaller indie writers might not get fully credited for every coffee shop. It’s not a perfect system – in fact, PROs openly acknowledge that royalties are distributed based on market share and sampling. So if you’re an independent artist, you could be missing out on some money simply because your plays fly under the radar.

Before you flip a table in frustration, know that PROs do offer tools for indie artists to get paid more accurately. Both ASCAP and BMI have programs (ASCAP OnStage and BMI Live) where you can submit your live performance setlists for any gig you play, ensuring you receive royalties for those performances. It requires a bit of effort (yes, you have to log in and actually report your songs – adulting is hard), but it’s literally money on the table for shows you’re already doing. So while PROs cast a wide net, you share some responsibility to reel in the more elusive royalties by registering your works and reporting performances.

Why You Need a PRO (Don’t Be the Artist Who Leaves Money Behind)

If the sections above haven’t convinced you yet, let’s spell it out: Every artist-songwriter in the U.S. needs to affiliate with a PRO. This isn’t just an optional industry formality – it’s the only practical way to get paid for the public use of your music. The alternative is lost revenue and lost rights. Here’s why:

• Unclaimed Royalties = Free Money for Someone Else: When a song is played publicly and the songwriter isn’t registered with a PRO, the venue or service still pays licensing fees… but the songwriter’s share has nowhere to go. That money doesn’t magically sit in a vault with your name on it. After a time, unclaimed royalties often get swallowed back into a general pool and are distributed to other writers (usually the top earners) as “bonus” money. Yup – skip signing up for a PRO, and you might as well write a check to your favorite superstar. PRO insiders have noted that significant royalties from un-affiliated songwriters ultimately get distributed to the big guys by market share. In plain terms: not joining a PRO is like leaving your tip on the table for the next rich guy to pocket. Every time your song plays on the radio or at a club and you’re not registered, Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” might get a tiny extra micro-payment that belonged to you. (Okay, maybe not literally Ed every time, but you get the picture – it sure isn’t going to you.)

• Most U.S. Artists Aren’t Affiliated (Don’t Be That Statistic): Shockingly, a huge chunk of independent musicians never bother to join a PRO. A recent U.S. Copyright Office report found that “45–60% of local creatives are not affiliated with any PRO at all” (U.S. Copyright Office, 2022). And in one study of small venues, 94% of the songs performed were written by the artists on stage – many of whom weren’t PRO members (U.S. Copyright Office, 2022). Translation: local bands are rocking original music, the venue is dutifully paying license fees to PROs, and half those artists won’t see a penny because they never signed up. The PRO isn’t going to chase you down and force you to take your money – you have to take the basic step of joining. If you ignore this, you’re effectively volunteering to not get paid for your own work. (Sarcastic slow clap for that business plan.)

• Legal Protection and Proof of Ownership: Beyond the money, affiliating with a PRO adds a layer of official recognition and protection for your songs. It’s not the same as a copyright registration (that you do with the U.S. Copyright Office to officially register your work), but it complements it. By registering your songs with a PRO’s database, you create a public record of your claim as the songwriter/composer. If some rando tries to steal or miscredit your work, you’ve got the PRO data as backup. PRO membership also means you’ll be in the network of international agreements – if your music gets played overseas, your PRO works with societies around the world to grab those royalties and bring them back to you. Without a PRO, good luck chasing a club in Paris or a radio station in Sydney for your cash – it’s not gonna happen. In short, PROs help secure your rights and earnings globally, acting as a watchdog so you don’t have to.

• It’s Basically Free Insurance for Songwriters: ASCAP and BMI (the two big U.S. PROs open to all) cost at most a one-time ~$50 sign-up fee (and BMI actually lets songwriters join for no cost as of this writing). In return, you get potentially hundreds or thousands of dollars over time that you’d otherwise miss. Even SESAC and GMR (invite-only PROs) don’t charge writers fees. So there’s zero excuse not to join one. It’s like finding out about an easy rebate program for money you’re owed – would you deliberately not mail in a rebate for free cash? Of course not! (Unless you enjoy being a starving artist for the aesthetic.)

Bottom line: Not affiliating with a PRO is an amateur mistake that can haunt you. Every day you delay joining is potentially money lost and performances that won’t be tracked in your favor. Do you really want to be the artist who had a viral hit on TikTok but saw none of the radio/TV royalties because you “never got around to” signing up for BMI or ASCAP? Didn’t think so. Handling your PRO affiliation is part of growing up in the music industry – consider it the “eat your vegetables” moment of your music career. It’s not sexy or fun, but it will keep your career healthy in the long run.

Meet the Major PROs (and What Makes Them Different)

In the United States, there are a few big players in the PRO game. They all do the same basic job (collect your performance royalties), but they have different histories, policies, and vibes. Here’s the rundown:

• ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers): Founded in 1914, ASCAP is run by its members and famously operates as the only U.S. PRO that’s completely not-for-profit. It’s basically owned by the songwriters and publishers it pays – which sounds very feel-good and indeed means ~88¢ of every $1 they collect goes back to members (ASCAP, 2023). ASCAP represents a huge repertoire (over 12 million works) and 900k+ writers. It costs a one-time $50 to join as a writer (pro tip: they’ve run promotions making it free at times, so keep an eye out). One cool thing: ASCAP contracts are only 1 year at a time, so you can switch PROs relatively easily if you feel the urge. They also offer perks like workshops, networking events, and even insurance discounts for members. Many legendary songwriters and pop stars are Team ASCAP (think Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Ne-Yo, and a ton of composers). ASCAP prides itself on advocacy too – they love reminding folks that they’ve been championing music creators for over a century.

• BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.): Founded in 1939 as a challenger to ASCAP’s then-exclusive club, BMI is now the largest U.S. PRO with over 1.4 million songwriters/composers and 20+ million musical works in its catalogue (BMI, 2026). Historically BMI was a nonprofit similar to ASCAP, but plot twist: in 2023 BMI decided to convert to a for-profit model and even sold itself to a private equity firm for a reported $1.7 billion (Pitchfork, 2023). (Yes, the idea of “selling” a PRO was a shocker – songwriter groups freaked out, worried that a for-profit BMI might favor big earners even more. BMI has sworn they’ll continue to serve all members fairly, mission unchanged. We shall see.) For writers, BMI has been attractive because it’s free to join as a songwriter (they make their money by taking a cut of royalties, not upfront fees). BMI has a slightly longer lock-in (writers sign for 2-year terms). They boast a diverse roster across genres – country, hip-hop, rock, you name it. If you hear about an up-and-coming indie band getting invited to play a BMI stage at SXSW or Lollapalooza, that’s BMI flexing its support for emerging talent. They also have programs like BMI Live where you get paid for small gigs (again, use it!). Fun fact: BMI was the first PRO to represent early blues, jazz, and country songwriters who were ignored by others back in the day – it has “inclusive” roots. Today, BMI and ASCAP are the Coke vs. Pepsi of PROs – both huge, similar payouts, slightly different flavor and corporate structure.

• SESAC (originally the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers): SESAC is the exclusive nightclub of PROs. It’s invitation-only – you can’t just sign up unless they want you. With only ~30,000 members, SESAC is much smaller than ASCAP/BMI, but they attract folks by offering a more personalized experience (and potentially some negotiated better rates for top earners). SESAC is for-profit and has been owned by private equity (Blackstone) since 2017, so they operate more like a business catering to their curated roster. They tend to sign established hitmakers or promising songwriters/producers. If you get an invite, it might mean you’re really doing something right. SESAC’s exclusivity aside, they do the same job of collecting performance royalties. They’ve also expanded into areas like issuing mechanical licenses through the Harry Fox Agency acquisition. Big names like Adele, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, and Mariah Carey have been SESAC members. One notable difference: because SESAC isn’t under the same government consent decrees as ASCAP/BMI, they have a bit more flexibility in how they operate and negotiate rates (this is a whole nerdy legal topic – we’ll spare you). For most indie artists, SESAC isn’t on the table unless you catch their attention, so file it under “nice to have if invited.”

• GMR (Global Music Rights): If SESAC is an exclusive nightclub, GMR is a VIP after-party where only the ultra-cool kids get in. GMR was founded in 2013 by music industry mogul Irving Azoff as a boutique PRO. It’s also invite-only and for-profit. GMR’s strategy was to woo a small roster of massive hitmakers (think Pharrell Williams, Drake, Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon’s catalog, etc.) and negotiate higher royalty rates for them. GMR basically said, “Hey top songwriters, ditch your old PROs and join us, we’ll fight to get you more money per spin.” This caused a lot of drama (radio broadcasters were not thrilled to suddenly negotiate with a new PRO asking for higher fees for the likes of the Eagles’ catalog). GMR remains tiny in membership but represents some huge song catalogs. If you ever find yourself writing multiple #1 hits, you might get a call from GMR. For everyone else, GMR isn’t something you can apply to – but it’s part of the U.S. PRO landscape and worth mentioning, because its existence is pushing the industry on how royalties are valued. (Also, if you cover a GMR song live or play it on the radio, yes, the venue/station needs a GMR license on top of ASCAP/BMI/SESAC – the pie got split into more pieces.)

• AllTrack: Quick shout-out to a newer player – AllTrack launched around 2018 as a fully open (no invite needed) PRO catering to independent artists globally. They position themselves as modern and artist-friendly, claiming to pay all artists the same rate per performance (no favoritism or bonus pools for the superstars). AllTrack also lets you register live performances worldwide and even some mechanical royalty collection through one platform. It’s smaller and not as widely known yet, but it’s an interesting option if you’re an indie songwriter looking for a more transparent approach. AllTrack is like the startup trying to disrupt the old guard. Time will tell if it gains significant market share, but it’s nice to see innovation in this space.

Which PRO is right for you? Honestly, for most U.S. songwriters, ASCAP vs. BMI is the main decision, and they are very similar in what you’ll earn. Both pay quarterly, both have huge repertoires, both will get you paid reliably. It’s not unheard of for writers to agonize over this choice – but the truth is, it’s like choosing between Coke and Pepsi (and some songwriters have opinions as heated as Cola Wars). Small differences: ASCAP’s not-for-profit status vs BMI’s new for-profit direction, contract lengths, membership cost (BMI free vs ASCAP $50), and some minor perks. Some say ASCAP’s international partnerships are a tad stronger; others like BMI’s genre diversity and showcases. In the end, just pick one and run with it. You can switch later if you’re truly unsatisfied (especially easier if you start with ASCAP’s 1-year term). The worst choice is indecision or not joining at all. If by some stroke of luck you get invited to SESAC or GMR, you’ll cross that bridge when you come to it – those invites usually mean you have serious heat in your career, at which point you’ll have lawyers/teams advising you anyway.

One thing to note: All PROs in the U.S. take a small cut of the royalties they collect – that’s how they fund operations. Typically it’s in the ballpark of 10–15%. (For example, ASCAP says they return about 88–90% of collections to members, keeping the rest for overhead.) BMI and others are similar (they’ll never give 100% because they have to pay staff, build fancy tracking systems, and Mike O’Neill likes a well-tailored suit). This fee is standard and saves you the impossible task of collecting worldwide royalties yourself, so we consider it money well spent. Just don’t be shocked that if your song earned $1000 in license fees, you might see $850-$900 after the PRO’s admin cut.

Beyond PROs: Other Royalties & Common Misconceptions

It’s easy to get confused about what PROs do versus what they don’t do. (There are more types of music royalties than Marvel movies – and that’s saying something.) Let’s clear up a few things so you’re not that artist posting on Reddit, “DistroKid says they paid me, do I still need ASCAP???”

1. PROs vs. SoundExchange: A lot of folks mix these up, so let’s set it straight. SoundExchange is NOT a PRO – it’s a separate organization that collects digital performance royalties for sound recordings (not compositions). Huh? Okay: when your recorded song is played on non-interactive digital platforms (think Pandora radio, Sirius XM, web radio), U.S. law requires a royalty to be paid to the performers and the master recording owner. SoundExchange is the agency that collects those royalties and pays out 50% to the featured artist (you, if you’re the artist), 45% to the master owner (often a label), and 5% to background musicians/vocalists. This is entirely for the recording side of a song, not the songwriting. PROs, on the other hand, collect for the songwriting side of public performances. So if your track is on Pandora, SoundExchange will pay the artist/label, and ASCAP/BMI will pay the songwriter/publisher. In many indie cases, you are both the artist and songwriter, but you still have to sign up separately with SoundExchange to get those artist royalties. Key point: Having a PRO doesn’t mean SoundExchange magically sends you money, or vice versa – you need to register with both to cover all bases. (SoundExchange distributed nearly $947 million in digital performance royalties in 2020 alone (LawyerDrummer, 2021), so there’s significant money there – don’t leave it unclaimed.)

2. PROs vs. Mechanical Royalties (MLC, Publishing Admin, etc.): Performance royalties are just one slice of the pie. Mechanical royalties are another slice – these are earned when your song is reproduced, like in a download or a physical CD/vinyl, and also every time it’s streamed (yes, streaming generates a mechanical royalty for the composition, separate from the performance royalty – thanks, complicated copyright law!). PROs do not collect mechanicals in the U.S. Historically, mechanical royalties from CDs, downloads, etc., were collected by agencies like the Harry Fox Agency or by publishers. Today, for streaming, the U.S. has the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), a new organization (established by law in 2021) that collects the mechanical royalties from interactive streaming services and pays songwriters/publishers. If you are an independent songwriter with no publisher, you need to sign up with the MLC to get your U.S. mechanicals from Spotify, Apple Music, etc. (or use a publishing admin like Songtrust or your distributor’s publishing collection service). Many artists don’t realize this – they sign up for ASCAP/BMI and think “cool, I’m covered,” but then miss out on the mechanicals. As publishing experts often point out, your PRO royalties and mechanical royalties are two different revenue streams (Songtrust, 2023). A complete strategy means handling both. For example, if your song got 1 million streams, you have a PRO check waiting (performance) and an MLC/publishing check waiting (mechanical). Don’t neglect one!

3. PROs vs. Sync Licensing: When your song is used in a movie, TV show, ad, video game, etc., typically you (or your publisher) negotiate a sync license for upfront money. That sync fee is separate from performance royalties. But after the show airs, the performance royalties for the broadcast are handled by PROs. So, PROs won’t get you the initial juicy $50,000 fee for landing your song in a Netflix series – that you or your agent handle – but they will keep paying you every time that episode streams or re-runs with your music (sweet!). In short, PROs deal with after-the-fact performance payments, not the one-time licensing fees.

4. “My distributor/publisher will handle it, right?” – Partly. Music distributors like TuneCore, DistroKid, CD Baby, etc., do not collect PRO royalties. They focus on the recording revenue (sales, streaming $$ for the master). Some distributors have add-on services: e.g., CD Baby Pro or TuneCore Publishing will, for an extra cut, affiliate you with a PRO and collect your publishing royalties including mechanicals. But if you’re using a basic distribution plan, nothing you get from your distributor includes your performance royalties. The same goes for record labels – a label deals with sound recording income, not your songwriter income. Unless you have a music publisher or administrator actively collecting for you, you’re on your own to register with a PRO. Publishers themselves usually require that you’re with a PRO so they can get the publisher share of performance royalties. If you sign a publishing deal, they’ll often help get you set up with one if you aren’t already. But as an indie, don’t assume your “recording studio hookup” or your “Spotify for Artists” account has this covered. They don’t. You must join a PRO separately.

5. U.S. vs. International: If you’re U.S.-based, you’ll join one U.S. PRO as your home base. Through reciprocal agreements, that PRO will collect from other countries when your songs get played overseas. For example, if your track gets big in the UK, PRS (the UK PRO) will collect the royalties there, then send them to your U.S. PRO (ASCAP/BMI/etc.), which then gives them to you. This system generally works, but it can be slow. Some artists choose to affiliate directly in foreign territories or use a global publishing admin to speed things up. But for most, letting your PRO handle the global collections via their partnerships is fine. Just don’t forget: if you move to another country or primarily work overseas, you might consider affiliating with that country’s PRO instead.

Lastly, let’s debunk a big myth: “Joining a PRO makes no difference if I’m not famous.” False! Even small amounts add up. You might think, “Eh, my streams are low, and I only play small gigs, who cares?” But you’d be surprised. Royalties from a handful of college radio spins, some bar gig setlists, and a few thousand streams could fill your gas tank or pay your D.I.Y. distro fee each year. As your career grows, those numbers only increase. And having your infrastructure in place early is smart. It’s like insurance – you hope for a big payout (i.e., a hit song) but you maintain coverage (PRO membership) regardless. Plus, if you suddenly get a song placement or viral moment, you don’t want to scramble to register then; you want to already be in the system capturing everything from day one.

How to Maximize Your Royalties with Your PRO

Joining a PRO is step one. But just like signing up for a gym won’t get you abs (we wish), signing up for a PRO won’t automatically guarantee you every penny unless you put in a little work. Here are some pro tips (pun intended) to squeeze the most juice out of your performance royalties:

• Register Every Composition: The minute you release a new song (or even before release), log in to your PRO account and register the work. This includes listing all co-writers, their share splits, and whether you have a publisher. If you don’t register the song, the PRO might collect money for it (via blanket licenses) but have no clue who to pay – that money can languish in limbo or default to others. You’d be amazed how many songwriters leave songs unregistered and then wonder why they didn’t get paid for that college radio hit they wrote. Take the ten minutes and do it – it’s literally inputting song title, songwriter names, maybe your IPI number (a unique identifier you get when you join a PRO) and a few details. Procrastinating on song registrations is like forgetting to submit an invoice for a completed job. No registration = no paycheck.

• Use Live Performance Submission Programs: We mentioned this earlier but it’s worth its own bullet. If you perform live, submit your setlists to your PRO! ASCAP OnStage and BMI Live are there for you to claim money from your gigs. Even small shows can pay a modest royalty. It might be $5, it might be $150 – it depends on venue size, ticket sales, etc., but it’s your money. Got a residency playing your original songs at the local brewery every Thursday? That could add up to a nice chunk each quarter. The PROs won’t automatically know you played; you have to tell them. Luckily, the process is straightforward online: list the venue, date, and songs performed. It’s almost fun – like submitting a setlist and then a few months later getting a “gig bonus” check. Don’t leave this free cash on the table. Many indie artists performing in bars or small clubs completely miss this, effectively subsidizing the big artists who do report. You gig – you log it. Make it a habit.

• Keep Your Info Updated: Moved to a new address? New bank account? Make sure your PRO profile is up to date so you actually receive payments. Also, if you get a publisher or admin deal, update your affiliations so that the publisher share goes to the right place. PROs can only pay you if they know where to find you. The world is littered with tales of “missing royalties” that were sitting unclaimed because someone didn’t update an address or never cashed an old paper check. In the digital age, set direct deposit and be done with it.

• Take Advantage of Member Resources: PROs often provide workshops, writer camps, showcases, and networking events. ASCAP has its annual EXPO (now called ASCAP Experience) where members get discounted access to learn and mingle. BMI hosts showcases at festivals and writer rounds. These organizations aren’t just bureaucratic money-handlers; they do invest in their communities. As an affiliated writer, you can tap into those programs. Who knows – you might meet a co-writer or industry contact at a PRO event that propels your career (and leads to more royalties!). It’s happened.

• Consider a Publishing Administrator for Global & Mechanical Collections: If you’re at a point where your music is getting significant use (or you just want every cent possible), look into hiring or signing with a publishing administrator. Companies like Songtrust, Sentric, CD Baby Pro, etc., will (for a fee or percentage) register your works worldwide, collect international royalties directly, collect mechanicals, and basically maximize all the revenue streams that a PRO alone might miss. Songtrust famously markets that “your PRO alone isn’t enough” (Songtrust, 2023) – and they’re not wrong, especially for global collections. A publishing admin can register your song in dozens of countries’ societies, rather than relying only on ASCAP/BMI reciprocal deals, which can be slower or incomplete. They also register with MLC, HFA, and others for mechanicals on your behalf. This is like hiring a nerdy accountant to hunt down every last royalty dollar. It can be worth it if you have a growing catalog, international listeners, or just don’t have the bandwidth to DIY every registration. Just remember, these services complement your PRO, they don’t replace it – you still need to be with a PRO first; the admin then works in tandem.

• Monitor Your Royalty Statements: When you start getting royalty statements (usually quarterly), read them. Yes, they look like phone books filled with tiny numbers and codes. But they can tell you interesting info: which songs are earning, from which regions, which uses (radio, TV, streaming). It’s like a report card for your songs. If something you expected to see isn’t there (e.g., your song was on a major TV show in Q1 but you don’t see a payout by Q3), you might follow up with your PRO to inquire. Mistakes happen, data gets missed, but PROs have research departments to investigate missing performances if you alert them. Treat your royalties like a business – audit yourself. Plus, seeing a line that says your song got 47 spins on Radio Outer Mongolia Network (or whatever) is weirdly satisfying.

• Don’t Double-Register or Split Yourself: A quick gotcha – you can only affiliate with one PRO at a time as a writer in a given territory. Don’t try to join multiple (BMI and ASCAP and AllTrack, etc.) thinking you’ll get more money. You won’t; it actually causes conflicts because each PRO will only pay writers exclusively affiliated with them. However, you can affiliate as a publisher with multiple PROs if you form a publishing company for yourself – that’s a more advanced topic, mostly relevant if you have your own publishing entity and writers signed to you. For most, just stick to one PRO for your writer share. If you change, you have to resign from one and move your catalog, which takes time. So choose wisely and commit (at least for the short term).

In summary, maximize your PRO relationship by being proactive. Register works, report performances, stay organized. It’s a bit of administrative work, yes – likely not why you got into music. But would you rather do a few boring tasks and get paid, or maintain your “artiste” cred and live on ramen while donating royalties to others? Thought so. Handle your PRO business, then get back to rocking the recording studio [Recording page placeholder] or killing it on stage – with the peace of mind that your royalties are rolling in while you do.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Sleep on PROs – They’re Your Song’s BFF (Bank Friend Forever)

We get it: performance rights organizations aren’t the sexiest topic. They’re kind of bureaucratic, somewhat complex, and nobody writes hit songs about ASCAP (to our knowledge). But for U.S.-based music artists – and indeed artists around the world – PROs are an absolute must. They exist for one very simple reason: to protect your right to get paid for your music. As a global audience reading this, note that nearly every country has its own PRO or “collective management society” doing the same job. The names differ (PRS in the UK, SOCAN in Canada, APRA in Australia, etc.), but the mission is the same: songwriters deserve compensation when their music is used, no matter where or how.

Ignoring this aspect of the industry is, frankly, a rookie mistake that can haunt you later. You don’t want to realize years down the line that your songs were getting play and you missed out on thousands of dollars because you didn’t check a simple box in your career to-do list. Every revenue stream counts in today’s music business – and performance royalties can be a significant one, especially as your success grows. Even if you’re just starting out, setting up your PRO affiliation is setting the foundation for future earnings and asserting your rights.

On the flip side, over-reliance on a PRO without understanding its limits can hurt you too. We’ve shown that a PRO alone isn’t the be-all end-all – you have to cover mechanicals, perhaps SoundExchange, etc., to really collect everything you’re owed. But those are relatively easy add-ons once your PRO is in place. Think of your PRO as the central pillar of your royalty collection, with other pieces like the MLC or SoundExchange as additional pillars supporting the whole structure. Omit the central pillar, and the whole thing wobbles.

In a sarcastically professional tone (our specialty), let’s put it this way: You wouldn’t play a gig and then refuse the paycheck, would you? Not joining a PRO is basically refusing a whole category of paychecks for your music. Don’t be that proud, naïve artist who says “I do it just for the art, man” and then cries broke when the streaming checks aren’t cutting it. There’s money out there with your name on it – but you have to claim it. A PRO helps you claim it, and does the heavy lifting to chase down them coins scattered across bars, radios, and servers worldwide.

Lastly, beyond the money, there’s a principle: joining a PRO means you stand with a community of creators valuing their work. It sends a message that music has worth, that songwriters should be respected and paid. Performance rights organizations, for all their flaws and quirks, were born out of songwriters banding together to demand fair treatment (historical note: ASCAP was literally founded because composers in 1914 got fed up with venues playing their songs without paying – some things never change). By engaging with your PRO, you’re continuing that legacy of not letting music be a free-for-all for businesses while creators starve.

So, what’s the purpose of a PRO? It’s to ensure your passion and craft can sustain you, by capturing the value your music creates out in the world and bringing it back to you. It’s there so you can focus on writing bangers and honing your performance, while they focus on the boring legal mumbo-jumbo of who owes what. It’s your tag-team partner in the ring of the music industry – working backstage so you can shine on stage.

Every U.S. artist – whether you’re recording your first demo in a tiny music studio [Mixing and mastering page placeholder] or performing to sold-out arenas – needs to understand PROs and get on board with one. Otherwise, you’re literally playing yourself (and not in the good, DJ Khaled way). Don’t let ignorance or procrastination steal money and protections that belong to you. Sign up, stay informed, and then get back to doing what you love with confidence. Your future self (and bank account) will thank you, and you’ll be a fully-fledged music pro (the kind that actually gets paid, which is the best kind of professional to be).

• What is a Performance Rights Organization (PRO)?

  A PRO is an entity that collects and pays out royalties to songwriters and publishers when music is performed publicly (like on radio, TV, streaming, live venues). Think of it as your song’s royalty collection agency.

• Which are the main PROs in the United States?

  The big ones are ASCAP and BMI (open to all songwriters) and SESAC and Global Music Rights (GMR) (invite-only). There’s also a newer PRO called AllTrack catering to indies. ASCAP and BMI dominate the market for most U.S. artists.

• Do I need to join a PRO as an independent artist?

  Absolutely, yes. If you write songs and they get played anywhere publicly, joining a PRO is the only reliable way to get those performance royalties. Without a PRO, you’re leaving money unclaimed.

• How do PROs know when my song is played?

  PROs use a combination of reported data and technology. Major sources (radio stations, TV networks, streaming services) report usage or are monitored digitally. Smaller venues might be sampled via surveys. It’s not 100% precise, but they have systems to estimate and track performances.

• What’s the difference between ASCAP and BMI?

  They are very similar in function. ASCAP is member-owned and not-for-profit; BMI is now for-profit. ASCAP has a $50 writer signup fee (often waived), BMI is free for writers. Contract length with ASCAP is 1 year vs. 2 years with BMI. Both pay quarterly and represent huge catalogs. Either will do the job – it often comes down to personal preference or small perks.

• Can I join more than one PRO at the same time?

  Not as a writer in the same territory. You must choose one PRO for your writer share in a given country. (Your songs, however, can be represented by different PROs in different countries via their reciprocal agreements – but that happens automatically once you pick your home PRO.)

• What about my band – do all members need to join the PRO?

  Only the songwriters/composers of the songs need to join. If multiple band members co-write songs, each writer should affiliate so they can be paid their share. The drummer who doesn’t write, for example, wouldn’t need to join (unless they start co-writing!). Performers get paid via other avenues; PROs are for the authors of the music and lyrics.

• Do PROs collect streaming royalties from Spotify/Apple Music?

  Yes, but only the portion for songwriting (performance royalty for the composition). When your song streams, there’s a performance royalty for the songwriter (collected by PROs) and a mechanical royalty for the songwriter (collected by the MLC/publisher) – plus separate royalties for the recording that go to the artist/label via the distributor. PROs handle the public performance of the song itself on streaming.

• Is SoundExchange a PRO?

  Nope. SoundExchange handles digital performance royalties for sound recordings (paying artists and labels for internet/satellite radio plays). PROs handle performance royalties for compositions (paying songwriters and publishers). Different rights, different organizations – and yes, you likely need to sign up for both if you’re a songwriter who also records your music.

• Will my music distributor (DistroKid, TuneCore, etc.) collect PRO royalties for me?

  No, distributors only collect money for the master recording (sales/streams). They do not touch your songwriter performance royalties. Some offer separate publishing administration services for an extra fee, but your basic distribution will not cover PRO collections. You must register with a PRO independently.

• What’s the “publisher share” vs. “writer share” with PROs?

  Most pay quarterly (four times a year). ASCAP and BMI have set distribution schedules (e.g., ASCAP pays roughly 6-7 months after a quarter in which performance occurred; BMI similar timing). There can be a delay between a performance and the royalty hitting your account, especially for overseas royalties.

• What if my song is played overseas?

  Your U.S. PRO has reciprocal agreements with foreign PROs. So if your song plays in, say, the UK, PRS (UK’s PRO) collects the royalties there and sends them to ASCAP/BMI, which then pays you. It might take a couple of extra quarters to process international royalties, but you’ll get them. You generally do not need to join foreign PROs individually (unless you relocate and become a resident there).

• Do PROs protect my copyright?

  Indirectly. Registering a song with a PRO doesn’t equal legal copyright registration (you do that with the U.S. Copyright Office separately for full protection). However, a PRO registration is a public claim to the work and can serve as supporting evidence of your ownership. It also ensures that if anyone publicly exploits your work (uses it), there’s a mechanism to flag that and get you paid, which is a form of practical protection.

• How do I choose between ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, etc.?

  For most, it’s ASCAP vs. BMI. Both are reputable. If you have friends or collaborators with one, sometimes it’s easier to join the same for networking. If you’re a new writer with no invite to SESAC/GMR, you can eliminate those from consideration. Read up on ASCAP and BMI’s offerings, but don’t overthink it – you can make great money with either. The important part is joining one. SESAC or GMR will approach you if they want you (usually after you’ve had some commercial success). Until then, pick ASCAP or BMI and get to work writing hits!