Every time your song is played on the radio, streamed on Spotify, performed at a venue, or used in a TV show, someone owes you a royalty. Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) are the entities that track those plays and make sure you actually get paid.
What Does a PRO Do?
A PRO licenses music on behalf of its songwriter and publisher members, collects fees from anyone who publicly performs or broadcasts their music, and distributes those fees as royalties to the appropriate rights holders.
"Public performance" is a broad term under copyright law. It includes:
- Radio broadcast (AM, FM, and online radio)
- Television (network, cable, streaming services)
- Live venue performances (clubs, concert halls, stadiums)
- Background music in businesses (restaurants, retail stores, gyms)
- Streaming platforms (the performance right on audio streams)
- Digital radio services (Pandora, SiriusXM — though note: SoundExchange, not PROs, handles digital performance royalties for recordings)
Businesses that play music publicly must obtain a blanket license from the PROs, which covers the use of their entire repertoire. A restaurant pays ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC annual fees and in return can play any song in those organizations' catalogs without additional licensing fees.
What Royalties Do PROs Collect?
PROs specifically collect performance royalties for the composition (the song — the lyrics and melody). These are different from other royalty types:
- Performance royalties (PRO): Paid when a song is publicly performed or broadcast. Split between the songwriter (writer's share) and the music publisher (publisher's share).
- Mechanical royalties: Paid when a song is reproduced — streamed, downloaded, or physically sold. Collected separately through mechanical licensing agencies (HFA, MLC in the US).
- Sync licensing fees: Paid when the composition is licensed for use in film, TV, advertising. Negotiated directly or through a publisher/licensing agent.
- Master recording royalties: Paid to the owner of the recording (not the song). Collected by SoundExchange for digital radio, and through distribution for streams/downloads. PROs do not collect these.
The Writer's Share vs. the Publisher's Share
Performance royalties are split into two halves:
- Writer's share (50%): Goes to the songwriter(s). PROs pay this directly to the registered writer.
- Publisher's share (50%): Goes to the music publisher. If you're self-published, you can register a publishing entity with your PRO to collect the publisher's share yourself. Without a publishing entity, this share may sit uncollected or be absorbed by the PRO.
This is why many independent artists register a simple publishing company (e.g., "[Artist Name] Music") with their PRO — to collect both halves of the performance royalties for their own songs.
The Main PROs in the US
- ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers): Member-owned, non-profit. $50 one-time songwriter fee. Open to all songwriters who have written at least one song.
- BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.): Private company. Free for songwriters, $150 one-time for publishers. Open to all songwriters.
- SESAC: Invitation-only. Typically for established songwriters with significant performance activity.
- Global Music Rights (GMR): Boutique PRO, invitation-only, focuses on high-volume catalog.
For most independent artists, the choice is between ASCAP and BMI. Both collect effectively and cover all genres. Read our full comparison: ASCAP vs BMI vs SESAC.
International PROs
Every country has its own PRO or collecting society. The major ones:
- SOCAN — Canada
- PRS for Music — United Kingdom
- APRA AMCOS — Australia/New Zealand
- GEMA — Germany
- SACEM — France
- SIAE — Italy
US PROs have reciprocal agreements with most international societies, meaning they'll collect foreign performance royalties on behalf of their members and funnel them back. This means you don't need to join every country's PRO separately — your US PRO membership covers international collection.
How to Join a PRO
Both ASCAP and BMI have online registration:
- ASCAP: ascap.com — $50 one-time writer application fee. Takes about 10 minutes.
- BMI: bmi.com — Free for songwriters. Takes about 10 minutes.
Register before you release music. Royalties from performances that happen before your registration typically can't be collected retroactively.
How PRO Membership Connects to Split Sheets
Every co-writer on a split sheet should list their PRO affiliation and IPI/CAE number. This is what allows collecting societies to correctly route royalties to each writer's account after the song is registered.
When you register a song with your PRO, you include all co-writers, their shares, and their PRO affiliations. The split sheet is the source document that has all of this information — which is why filling it out before registration saves time and prevents errors.
Generate a split sheet with proper PRO fields at musicsplitsheets.com — $3 for a custom PDF covering ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, SOCAN, PRS, APRA, and other PROs, with IPI number fields, ISRC, ISWC, and 6 signature blocks.