How to Register Your Songs With ASCAP or BMI (Step-by-Step)

You've written a song and joined ASCAP or BMI. Now what? The missing step that costs indie songwriters thousands of dollars every year is song registration. Here's how to do it correctly.

Why Registration Matters

Your PRO membership gives you a writer's account, but it doesn't automatically register every song you write. You have to register each song individually. Until a song is registered, royalties for that song are either unmatched (sitting uncollected) or potentially paid to the wrong person.

The good news: registration is free for members and takes about 5-10 minutes per song.

What You Need Before You Register

Gather this information before you start:

• Song title: The official release title (not a working title if you've finalized it)
• Co-writer information: Full legal name, PRO affiliation, and IPI/CAE number for every co-writer
• Publishing information: The name of each writer's publishing entity (or self-publishing designation) and their publisher IPI number
• Percentage splits: Exactly what % of the composition each writer and publisher owns (must total 100%)
• ISWC: If you already have one. If not, your PRO will assign one upon registration.
• ISRC: The recording's unique code, assigned by your distributor. Helps the PRO match the registration to specific recordings.

If you have a signed split sheet, all of this information is already captured there. This is one of the reasons you fill out a split sheet before releasing the song — so you have everything you need ready to register.

How to Register a Song With ASCAP

1. Log into your ASCAP account at ascap.com
2. Navigate to "Register Works" in your account dashboard
3. Click "Register a New Work"
4. Enter the song title
5. Under "Writers," add yourself — your name and IPI number should pre-fill from your account. Enter your percentage share of the composition.
6. Add each co-writer by searching for their name or IPI number. Enter their share percentage.
7. Under "Publishers," enter each writer's publishing entity name and publisher IPI. For self-published writers, enter their publishing name or use "self-administered."
8. Add any ISRC or ISWC if available
9. Submit the registration

ASCAP will process the registration and you'll receive a confirmation. The ISWC will be assigned if the song doesn't already have one.

How to Register a Song With BMI

1. Log into your BMI account at bmi.com
2. Go to "Repertoire" in your account dashboard
3. Click "Register a New Work"
4. Enter the song title and other basic information (genre, language, duration)
5. Add writers: enter each writer's name and BMI/ASCAP/SESAC affiliation. Enter their composition share percentage. BMI requires each writer's IPI number.
6. Add publishers for each writer: the publishing entity name and publisher IPI.
7. Add recording information: artist name, ISRC if available, album title if applicable
8. Submit the registration

BMI typically processes registrations quickly and you'll receive confirmation by email.

What If a Co-Writer Is With a Different PRO?

This is very common. If you're ASCAP and your co-writer is BMI, register the song with your own PRO (ASCAP). Your co-writer registers the same song with their PRO (BMI). Each PRO will collect the correct portion of royalties for their respective members based on the splits you've both registered.

The split percentages you register must match what's on the signed split sheet. If you register 60/40 with ASCAP and your co-writer registers 50/50 with BMI, there will be a conflict. Use your signed split sheet as the source of truth and make sure everyone registers the same percentages.

What Happens After Registration?

Once registered, your PRO will begin tracking performances of the song and crediting your account with the appropriate royalties when the song is played:

• Radio (broadcast and digital)
• TV and film
• Live venues (clubs, concert halls, arenas)
• Streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music, etc. — different royalty type, often called "performing right" royalties in the context of the audio stream)
• Commercial background music services

Royalties typically pay out quarterly, with a 6-12 month lag between the performance and payment date.

Register the Song — But Document the Splits First

You can't register a song correctly with your PRO if you don't have the split percentages documented and agreed upon. Get a signed split sheet before you register with your PRO — it's the authoritative record of who owns what percentage.

Generate a custom split sheet PDF with all the fields you need for PRO registration (IPI numbers, PRO affiliations, ISRC, ISWC, publishing entities) at musicsplitsheets.com — $3, instant download.