Performance Rights Organizations: What Songwriters Need to Know

Have you ever wondered how songwriters and music publishers collect royalties when their compositions are publicly performed? Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) play an important role in licensing public performances of musical compositions and distributing applicable performance royalties to songwriters, composers, publishers, and other composition rights holders.

PROs are a critical part of the music publishing ecosystem. Understanding how they operate can help songwriters and composers properly register their works and collect applicable performance royalties.

In this article, we’ll break down what PROs do, how they work, and who can benefit from partnering with one of these organizations. Let’s dive in.

What Are Performance Rights?

Performance rights generally give copyright owners of musical compositions the exclusive right to authorize certain public performances of their works. Public performances may include eligible uses on radio, television, streaming services, live venues, restaurants, stores, and other public settings.

Public performance is different from private listening. Playing music privately at home generally does not require a public-performance license. However, businesses, broadcasters, venues, digital services, and other music users may need appropriate licenses when musical compositions are publicly performed or transmitted.

What Are Performance Rights Organizations?

Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) license public performances of musical compositions within their repertoires, collect applicable license fees, and distribute performance royalties to affiliated songwriters, composers, publishers, and other eligible rights holders. PROs serve as intermediaries between composition rights holders and businesses, broadcasters, venues, digital services, and others that publicly perform or transmit musical compositions.

PROs may:

• License public performances of compositions to businesses, venues, broadcasters, digital services, and other music users
• Monitor and process performance and usage information from various sources
• Collect applicable license fees
• Calculate and distribute performance royalties according to their respective distribution policies
• Work with affiliated organizations in other territories to facilitate international royalty collection

What Are the Major PROs in the US?

There are three major PROs operating within the US, each with specific rules, regulations, fees, and joining procedures. Follow the link to learn more about each organization.

• American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP)
• Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
• Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC)

What About SoundExchange?

SoundExchange is different from traditional performing rights organizations such as ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC. In the United States, SoundExchange collects and distributes statutory digital performance royalties for sound recordings used by eligible non-interactive digital services, including satellite radio, internet radio, and certain webcasters. These royalties are paid to featured recording artists and sound-recording copyright owners rather than to songwriters and publishers for the underlying musical composition.

How Can Songwriters Join a PRO?

Songwriters and composers should research the performing rights organizations available to them based on their territory, eligibility, catalog, and professional needs. Affiliation requirements, fees, membership rules, and registration procedures vary among organizations.

While joining procedures vary among different organizations, this is the basic process:

1. Research available PROs: In the United States, songwriters may consider organizations such as ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC, subject to each organization’s eligibility and affiliation requirements.
2. Register online: Most PROs allow you to sign up and pay fees (if required) directly, quickly, and easily through their websites. Once approved, you will receive a unique Interested Party Information (IPI) number used to track your songs.
3. Provide details: You’ll need to share personal data and banking information with the PRO to facilitate royalty distribution.
4. Register your music: Register your compositions and provide accurate songwriter, publisher, ownership, and other applicable information to help eligible performances be properly identified and matched.

Who Should Join a PRO?

Songwriters, composers, and other composition rights holders whose music may be publicly performed should consider whether affiliation with an appropriate PRO can help them administer and collect applicable performance royalties. This includes:

• Songwriters and composers: Writers whose compositions are publicly performed may benefit from affiliation with an appropriate PRO.
• Singer-songwriters and performing songwriters: Artists who write or co-write the compositions they perform may generate publishing performance royalties in addition to revenue associated with their sound recordings.
• Producers and composers: Producers who have songwriting ownership and composers whose works are publicly performed may also be eligible for applicable performance royalties.

Publishing and Performance Rights Organizations

Working with a music publisher or publishing administrator can help songwriters manage composition registrations and performance royalty administration across multiple territories.

Songwriters commonly affiliate with an appropriate PRO as writers, while publishers and publishing administrators may maintain their own affiliations with PROs and collection societies. Depending on the publishing agreement, the publisher or administrator may register compositions, maintain ownership and metadata information, monitor royalty activity, and collect applicable publisher-side royalties on behalf of the rights holder.

For songwriters with music generating revenue internationally, professional publishing administration can help coordinate registrations and collections across multiple organizations and territories.

Final Word

Performing Rights Organizations are an important part of the music publishing ecosystem. By licensing public performances, processing usage information, and distributing applicable performance royalties, PROs help connect songwriters, composers, publishers, and other composition rights holders with revenue generated from public uses of their works.

Understanding how PROs operate — and making sure compositions are accurately registered — can be an important step toward effective music publishing administration and royalty collection.

Sugo Music Group has been helping artists, songwriters, publishers, and rights holders publish and distribute music worldwide for over 40 years. Sugo provides worldwide publishing administration, including composition registrations, performance and mechanical royalty administration, collection-society relationships, and applicable licensing opportunities.

Learn more about Sugo Music Group Publishing →

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