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ASCAP vs BMI: US Performance Rights Organisations Compared

If your music is played in the United States — on radio, TV, in venues, or on streaming services — a US Performance Rights Organisation (PRO) collects your performance royalties. The two giants are ASCAP and BMI, and together they license over 90% of licensable US songs. You can only join one of them as a writer, so the choice matters. The good news: they do the same core job, and neither is clearly "better" for everyone.

The basics

ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) was founded in 1914 and is a not-for-profit, member-owned organisation. BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) was founded in 1939 by broadcasters as a lower-cost alternative and has operated for-profit since 2022. ASCAP represents over 1.1 million creators and more than 20 million works; BMI represents over 1.5 million creators and over 25 million works. Both issue blanket licences to venues, broadcasters, and platforms, and both split performance royalties 50/50 between writer and publisher shares.

Cost, contract, and payout

Writer membership is currently free at both organisations, though publisher affiliation fees differ — ASCAP charges a one-time fee (reported at $50) for a publisher-only application, while BMI's publisher fee is reported in the $150–$250 range. Always confirm current fees on the official sites before joining, as they change. Contract terms differ: ASCAP's writer agreement runs one year and renews automatically, while BMI's runs two years. Payout timing also differs slightly — BMI tends to pay roughly a month sooner than ASCAP, though both pay months after the performance quarter. ASCAP reports returning roughly 90 cents of every dollar collected; BMI has targeted paying out around 85% since its for-profit conversion. Treat these as reported figures, not guarantees.

How to choose

For most new songwriters, the practical differences are small. Pick based on contract flexibility (ASCAP's one-year term), payout speed (BMI's slight edge), or where your peers and collaborators are — co-writers do not need to be with the same PRO, but having your catalog in one place simplifies administration. What matters far more than which PRO you pick is registering every song with correct splits and publisher information. An unregistered song earns nothing at either organisation.

What about SESAC and SoundExchange?

SESAC is a smaller, invitation-only US PRO offering personalised service. SoundExchange is not a PRO at all — it collects digital performance royalties for sound recordings (the neighbouring-rights side), not compositions. Many US-earning artists need both a PRO and SoundExchange. They cover different rights.

Earning in the US? Distribute with TIR and register with a PRO to collect performance royalties →