How to Get Paid · Chapter 02 of 9
Performance royalties and PROs
Every time a song is played in public, on the radio, on a streaming service or in a bar, its writers earn a performance royalty. A PRO collects it. You have to join one, then register every song.
Facts last checked
What a PRO collects
A PRO, or performing rights organization, licenses songs to anyone who plays music in public: radio stations (including AM/FM), TV, live venues, bars, shops and streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. It collects the fees and pays them to the songwriters and their publishers.
A PRO collects for the song, never the recording. It doesn’t matter who recorded it: if your song is played, you’re owed.
BMI or ASCAP
In the US, songwriters choose between BMI and ASCAP. A third, SESAC, is invitation-only. Both open ones are free for songwriters and pay quarterly.
| BMI | ASCAP | |
|---|---|---|
| Join as a writer | Free | Free |
| Add a publisher | $175 one time as an individual, $250 for a company or LLC, $500 for a partnership. Optional | Free if you join as writer and publisher together, otherwise $50 one time |
| No publisher? | BMI pays you the publisher’s share too | The publisher half isn’t paid to you |
| Pays | Quarterly, for plays about 6–8 months earlier | Quarterly |
| Smallest payment | $2 by direct deposit, $250 by cheque | $1 by direct deposit, $100 by cheque |
The biggest practical difference is the publisher share. It’s worth its own chapter: the publisher share.
Rules that trip bands up
- One PRO at a time. Each writer belongs to one US PRO as a writer, but bandmates can be at different ones. Each PRO pays its own writer’s share.
- Joining isn’t enough. Register every song you co-wrote, with every writer’s name and share. Use the same numbers as your split sheet.
- Write down your IPI. Your PRO gives you an IPI number when you join, the ID that marks you as a writer. Bandmates need it to register shared songs.
- Choose direct deposit. Small balances paid by cheque can wait years to reach the threshold.
Questions
What is a PRO?
A performing rights organization. It licenses songs to radio, TV, venues, bars and streaming services, collects performance royalties, and pays them to the songwriters and publishers. In the US the open ones are BMI and ASCAP. SESAC is invitation-only.
Does it cost money to join BMI or ASCAP as a songwriter?
No. Both are free for songwriters. Publisher memberships are separate: ASCAP charges $50 one time for a publisher on its own, or nothing if you join as writer and publisher together; BMI charges $175 one time for an individually owned publisher, $250 for a company or LLC and $500 for a partnership.
Can bandmates be in different PROs?
Yes. Each writer belongs to one US PRO at a time, but bandmates can choose different ones. Each PRO pays its own writer’s share of the song.
Is joining a PRO enough to get paid?
No. After joining you have to register every song, with every writer and their share. A song that is not registered is not paid.
How long until a PRO pays?
Both pay quarterly. BMI pays for plays from about 6 to 8 months earlier. With direct deposit, BMI pays from $2 and ASCAP from $1; paper cheques need $250 at BMI and $100 at ASCAP.
Sources
Official pages, all checked on October 28, 2026.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Fees and rules change: check the official site on the day you sign up. For a big deal, such as a sync offer, a label contract or selling a catalogue, pay a music lawyer for an hour.