What Is the Short Answer?
If you write your own music, yes. Registering with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) is how you collect performance royalties, which are payments owed whenever your songs are played on radio, television, streaming services, live venues, or in public spaces like restaurants and retail stores.
Your distributor collects royalties for your sound recordings. Your PRO collects royalties for your compositions. These are separate revenue streams, and missing PRO registration means leaving money uncollected.
If you only perform covers or other people's songs, you do not need a PRO, as the original songwriters receive those performance royalties.
What PROs Collect
PROs license music to broadcasters and venues, collect fees, and distribute royalties to songwriters and publishers. The performances that generate royalties include:
- AM/FM and satellite radio plays
- Television broadcasts (shows, commercials, sports)
- Interactive streaming (Spotify, Apple Music)
- Live concerts and festivals
- Background music in bars, restaurants, gyms, and stores
When Spotify plays your song, two royalty types are generated: recording royalties (to your distributor) and performance royalties (to your PRO). You need both registrations to capture everything.
Note Performance royalties represent roughly 5-6% of streaming revenue in addition to what your distributor collects. For artists with radio play, TV placements, or live performance credits, this share grows substantially.
How Do ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC Compare?
| Factor | ASCAP | BMI | SESAC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Songwriter Fee | Free | Free | Free (invitation only) |
| Publisher Fee | $50 one-time | $150-$250 one-time | N/A (invitation only) |
| Catalog Size | 18+ million works | 20+ million works | ~1 million works |
| Contract Length | 1 year | 2 years | Varies |
| Payment Timing | ~6.5 months after quarter | ~5.5 months after quarter | Monthly radio option |
| Membership | Open enrollment | Open enrollment | Invitation only |
| Ownership | Member-owned nonprofit | For-profit (sold 2022) | For-profit |
For most independent songwriters, ASCAP and BMI are functionally equivalent. Both have open enrollment, similar payout timelines, and reciprocal agreements with international collection societies. SESAC's invitation requirement puts it out of reach for most emerging artists.
What Does PRO Registration Cost?
ASCAP. Joining as a songwriter is free. If you register as both writer and publisher at the same time, the $50 publisher fee is waived. No annual dues.
BMI. Joining as a songwriter is free. Publishers pay $150 (individual) or $250 (company). No annual dues.
SESAC. No membership fee, but you cannot apply. SESAC scouts and invites artists based on commercial potential.
Can You Only Join One PRO?
Yes. You must affiliate exclusively with one PRO for your entire catalog. You cannot register some songs with ASCAP and others with BMI.
However, if you form a publishing company, that entity can affiliate with a different PRO than you as a writer. This matters mainly for publishing companies representing multiple writers across PROs.
Do You Need a Publisher Account?
This depends on your PRO:
BMI. No. BMI pays both writer and publisher shares to the songwriter on self-published works. You do not need a separate publisher entity.
ASCAP. Yes. ASCAP only pays the publisher share to a registered publishing entity. If you control your own publishing and want both shares, you must register a publishing company with ASCAP.
Setting up a personal publishing entity costs $50 with ASCAP (waived if you join as writer and publisher together) or $150 with BMI. The entity can be as simple as "[Your Name] Publishing."
Warning If you're with ASCAP and only register as a songwriter, you forfeit 50% of your performance royalties because ASCAP won't pay the publisher share without a publisher on record.
What Happens Without PRO Registration
Without a PRO affiliation, your songs are not in any PRO database. When radio stations, TV networks, and streaming services report what they played, your compositions are unmatched. Several consequences follow:
Royalties go unclaimed. Your earnings sit in escrow or get redistributed to other songwriters after a holding period (typically 2-3 years).
No retroactive collection. Most PROs cannot backdate royalty claims. Money earned before registration is often unrecoverable.
International royalties disappear. PROs have reciprocal agreements worldwide. Without a US PRO membership, foreign performances of your music generate royalties you will never receive.
Can You Switch PROs?
Yes, but it requires planning. Each PRO has specific resignation windows:
ASCAP. Submit a resignation request through your member portal during the designated window (typically 3-6 months before your term ends).
BMI. Send a certified letter within a one-month window every two years. Outside this window, you cannot resign.
Switching PROs can delay royalties for 12-18 months as your catalog transfers between databases. Most industry professionals advise choosing carefully upfront rather than switching later.
How Should You Choose a PRO?
For most independent songwriters in the US, the practical decision is ASCAP or BMI. Consider these factors:
Contract flexibility. ASCAP's one-year terms offer more flexibility than BMI's two-year commitment.
Publisher registration. If you want both writer and publisher shares, ASCAP's free bundled registration is more economical than BMI's $150 publisher fee.
Interface preference. Both have online portals for registration and tracking. Try browsing their member interfaces before committing.
Collaborator alignment. If you frequently co-write with artists on a specific PRO, joining the same one simplifies split registration.
Neither PRO pays substantially better than the other for similar performances. The decision rarely affects your lifetime earnings.
What Is the Bottom Line?
If you write songs and want to collect all the royalties you earn, PRO registration is mandatory, not optional. Your distributor handles recording royalties. Your PRO handles performance royalties. Skipping this step means leaving 5-6% of streaming revenue uncollected, plus all radio, TV, and live performance royalties.
Registration takes about 15 minutes. Choose ASCAP or BMI, register as both writer and publisher (especially for ASCAP), and add your songs to the database. Once complete, performance royalties flow automatically for the life of your catalog.