Answers/Glossary/PRO (performing rights organization)
Glossary · Royalties
PRO (performing rights organization)
A performing rights organization licenses the public performance of musical compositions and collects performance royalties for songwriters and publishers. The four in the United States are ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR, and a songwriter joins only one at a time.
A performing rights organization exists because no radio station, bar, gym or streaming service could realistically negotiate with every songwriter individually. The PRO aggregates millions of compositions, sells blanket licences to anyone who performs music publicly, monitors or samples what gets played, and distributes the money to writers and publishers by usage.
The United States has four. ASCAP, founded in 1914, is a member-owned non-profit. BMI, founded in 1939, is now a for-profit company. SESAC and GMR are both invitation-only and do not accept open applications.
| PRO | Open to apply? | Writer cost | Publisher cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASCAP | Yes | $50 one-time | $50 one-time |
| BMI | Yes | Free | $175 individual / $250 corporation or LLC / $500 partnership |
| SESAC | Invitation only | Not published | Not published |
| GMR | Invitation only | Not published | Not published |
ASCAP and BMI figures are from their own published pages, retrieved August 2026.
You affiliate with one PRO as a writer, not several — your works are registered in one repertory and the societies reciprocate internationally through their agreements under CISAC. You can, and generally should, also register a publisher entity with the same PRO so that both halves of your performance royalties are payable.
The misunderstanding that costs people real money: a PRO does not collect mechanical royalties and does not collect anything on the sound recording. Streaming mechanicals go through The MLC. The digital performance royalty on recordings goes through SoundExchange. Joining ASCAP or BMI covers one of at least three registrations you need.
Written from my own registrations; confirm current fees at the source before you apply.
Related terms
- ASCAPASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, is a US performing rights organization founded in 1914.
- BMIBMI, Broadcast Music, Inc., is a US performing rights organization founded in 1939 that licenses public performance of…
- Performance royaltyA performance royalty is the money owed when a musical composition is performed publicly — on radio, on television, in a bar, at…
- Writer shareThe writer share is the half of a composition's performance royalties that belongs to the songwriters.
Definitions on this site describe the United States system. I am an artist who has been through this, not a lawyer.
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