How to Register Your Music with a PRO: Step by Step

Here is a number worth knowing: ASCAP and BMI together distribute over $2.5 billion in performance royalties every year. A meaningful portion of that money never gets claimed because the songwriter never registered their songs.

If you have released music without joining a PRO and registering your works, you are not getting paid for public performances of those songs. That includes radio airplay, streaming on business platforms like Spotify through restaurant speakers, live performances at licensed venues, and television broadcasts. Every one of those generates a royalty that belongs to you, and every day you are not registered is a day that royalty goes uncollected.

PROs can only pay you if you are a member and your songs are in their system. Most royalties are not retroactive. Register a song six months after its release and you forfeit everything it generated in that window. An indie artist with a few thousand streams per month on Spotify might not care about that gap. An artist with a sync placement or regional radio play can lose hundreds or thousands of dollars.

This guide covers exactly how to join a PRO, register your works correctly, and make sure you are collecting the full performance royalty on everything you release from here forward.

Quick-Reference Comparison Table

For most independent artists, the choice comes down to ASCAP or BMI. SESAC and GMR are invitation-only and not starting points for new songwriters.

What You Will Learn

• What a PRO actually does and how it collects your royalties
• The difference between ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR
• Step-by-step registration instructions for each
• What information you need to register your songs
• How and when royalties are distributed
• Common mistakes to avoid when registering

What a PRO Does

A Performing Rights Organization licenses the public performance of music on behalf of songwriters and publishers. When a business plays music publicly (a radio station broadcasting, a restaurant playing background music, a concert venue, a streaming service), they pay licensing fees to the PROs. The PROs then distribute those fees as royalties to the songwriters and publishers whose music was performed.

PROs handle two types of royalties:

Writer royalties: Paid to the songwriter or composer. This is the share attributable to the creative work of writing the song.

Publisher royalties: Paid to the music publisher, which is the entity that holds the publishing rights to the composition. If you are an independent artist, you can register as both the writer and the publisher of your own songs, collecting both shares.

PROs do not handle master recording royalties (those go to SoundExchange for digital streaming) or mechanical royalties (those go to a separate mechanical rights organization or are collected by your distributor). They handle specifically the public performance of the composition.

For a broader picture of all the royalty types musicians should be collecting, see our guide to all the music royalties you should be collecting.

How Much Can You Actually Earn From PRO Royalties?

The range is wide, so here are concrete examples to calibrate expectations.

A song that gets licensed for a national television commercial earns somewhere between $15,000 and $50,000 in synchronization fees upfront, plus ongoing performance royalties every time the ad airs. Those performance royalties flow through your PRO.

A song added to a mid-size Spotify editorial playlist with 500,000 followers might generate 200,000 streams over two months. The streaming service pays your PRO a blanket license fee. After ASCAP or BMI processes those performances, the per-stream rate for streaming performance royalties is roughly $0.0005 to $0.001, which means that 200,000-stream run might add $100 to $200 in PRO royalties on top of your master recording payout from your distributor.

Radio airplay pays more per spin. A song in regular rotation on a regional radio station can generate $500 to $2,000 per quarter in performance royalties, depending on the station's market size and how ASCAP or BMI weights the performance data.

None of those numbers reach your account if you are not registered.

The Four Major US PROs

ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers)

ASCAP is a member-owned cooperative founded in 1914. It represents over 1 million songwriters, composers, and publishers.

Membership fees:

• Songwriter/composer: Free to join (the $50 writer fee has been suspended since February 2023)
• Publisher: $50 one-time fee (waived if you join as writer and publisher together)

How ASCAP collects royalties: ASCAP licenses businesses and broadcasters, uses survey and census data to track performances, and distributes royalties quarterly to its members. ASCAP distributed over $1.759 billion to members in 2025.

Royalty distribution frequency: Quarterly on a rolling monthly cycle. ASCAP pays approximately 90 cents per dollar collected to its members.

Notable strengths: ASCAP has strong international reciprocal agreements with PROs in over 100 countries, which means if your music is performed internationally, ASCAP collects and passes through those royalties. It is also a member-owned organization, which means members vote on governance decisions. The one-year contract term makes it easier to switch PROs if needed.

BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.)

BMI was founded in 1939 and represents over 1.4 million songwriters, composers, and publishers. It is one of the world's largest PROs.

Ownership change: BMI was historically a nonprofit organization. In 2022, BMI announced it was switching to a for-profit business model. In November 2023, an investor group led by New Mountain Capital agreed to acquire BMI, and the deal closed in the first quarter of 2024. BMI is now a for-profit company owned by New Mountain Capital, with CapitalG (Alphabet's investment arm) holding a minority stake. BMI's consent decree with the US Department of Justice remains in place. BMI distributed approximately $1.5 billion to affiliates in 2025.

Membership fees:

• Songwriter/composer: Free to join
• Publisher: $175 one-time for individuals, $250 for corporations or LLCs, $500 for partnerships

How BMI collects royalties: Similar to ASCAP, BMI licenses businesses and broadcasters and uses a combination of census reporting (every play counted) and statistical sampling to track performances and calculate distributions.

Royalty distribution frequency: Quarterly (February, May, August, November). BMI's stated target is to distribute 85% of collected revenue to affiliates.

Notable strengths: BMI is particularly strong in country music, gospel, Latin, and jazz. Its free songwriter membership makes it a common first choice for new artists. The two-year contract term is slightly longer than ASCAP's one-year term.

SESAC

SESAC is the smallest of the four major US PROs and operates by invitation only. Artists must apply and be accepted rather than simply joining.

Membership fees: Not publicly disclosed. Membership is selective.

How SESAC collects royalties: SESAC focuses on census-based performance tracking (every play counted rather than sampled) and is known for relatively higher per-play royalty rates in some areas due to its smaller, more curated roster.

Notable strengths: SESAC has a reputation for higher royalty rates per performance and more personalized service. It is a good option if you are invited, but it is not a starting point for most independent artists.

GMR (Global Music Rights)

GMR is the fourth US PRO, founded in 2013 by Irving Azoff. It is a for-profit, invitation-only organization that represents a curated roster of prominent songwriters and composers.

Membership fees: Not publicly disclosed. Membership is by invitation only.

How GMR collects royalties: GMR licenses public performances of its affiliates' compositions and focuses on higher per-performance rates through selective licensing. It is known for aggressive rate negotiation and a smaller, more curated catalog.

Notable strengths: GMR is designed for established songwriters with significant performance activity. It is not accessible to most independent artists starting out, but it is worth knowing about as your career grows and you have options.

Note: You can only be a member of one US PRO at a time as a writer. If you want to switch PROs, you must formally leave your current PRO before joining another. Publisher affiliations follow the same rule.

Songview: Unified Copyright Data Across All Four PROs

In September 2025, all four major US PROs (ASCAP, BMI, GMR, and SESAC) announced a landmark expansion of Songview, the public performance copyright data platform originally launched by ASCAP and BMI in December 2020.

Songview now provides access to ownership and administration data for over 38 million musical works from all four PROs in a single searchable database. The platform is free and publicly accessible through ASCAP and BMI's websites.

For songwriters, this means you can search for any work across all four PROs to verify registration status, check ownership shares, and ensure your works are correctly registered. This is particularly useful when co-writing with songwriters at different PROs, as you can confirm that all parties have registered the work correctly.

ASCAP vs BMI: Which Should You Choose?

For most independent artists starting out, the practical differences are small. Here is a side-by-side comparison to help you decide:

The honest answer: pick one and register. The royalty difference between the two for most independent artists is negligible at the start. Genre fit matters slightly if you are deep in country or Latin music (BMI has stronger relationships there). If you are a songwriter across genres, either works. If cost matters, both are free for writers. If you value flexibility to switch, ASCAP's one-year contract makes that easier.

Step-by-Step: How to Join ASCAP

Step 1: Go to ascap.com and click "Join ASCAP."

Step 2: Choose your membership type. Select Writer if you are registering as a songwriter or composer. Select Publisher if you are setting up a publishing entity for your songs. You can register as both, and the publisher fee is waived if you join as writer and publisher at the same time.

Step 3: Complete the writer application. Provide your legal name, date of birth, address, and Social Security number (or tax identification number). ASCAP uses this for tax reporting on your royalty distributions.

Step 4: Choose a payment method. ASCAP distributes royalties electronically (direct deposit or check). Set up your preferred method during registration. Direct deposit is recommended for faster payment.

Step 5: Submit the application. Songwriter membership is free. Your account is typically activated within a few business days.

Step 6: Register your songs. After your account is active, log in and navigate to the Works Registration section. For each song, you will need:

• Song title
• Alternate titles (if any)
• Your ASCAP member name as it appears in your account
• ISWC code (if already assigned; ASCAP can assign one during registration)
• Co-writers and their PRO affiliations and percentage shares
• Publisher name and their ASCAP publisher account (if you have a publisher entity registered separately)
• ISRC code of the recording (your distributor provides this)

Step 7: Submit the work registration. Allow several weeks for the work to appear in the ASCAP repertory and become searchable on Songview.

Step-by-Step: How to Join BMI

Step 1: Go to bmi.com and click "Become an Affiliate."

Step 2: Choose Songwriter/Composer. Select the option for writers rather than publishers.

Step 3: Complete the online application. Provide your legal name, Social Security number or TIN, address, and contact information.

Step 4: Accept the affiliation agreement. BMI will present its standard affiliation terms for your review and electronic signature. Note that BMI's term is two years.

Step 5: Your account is activated immediately. BMI activates writer accounts upon completion of the online application at no cost.

Step 6: Register your works. Log in to your BMI account and navigate to "My Catalog" then "Add Work." For each song, enter:

• Title
• ISWC code (if you have one)
• Writers (name, IPI number if available, percentage share)
• Publishers (name, IPI number, percentage share)
• Recording information: ISRC code, recording title, recording artist

Step 7: Register your publisher entity separately. If you want to collect both the writer and publisher shares, create a separate publisher account ($175 one-time for individuals) and link it to your songwriter account.

Step-by-Step: Registering Individual Songs (Applies to All PROs)

Regardless of which PRO you belong to, song registration requires the same core information. Prepare the following before you register each song:

Song title: The official release title, exactly as it appears on the recording.

Co-writer information: If the song has multiple writers, you need each writer's name, their PRO affiliation (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR, or international equivalent), and their agreed percentage of the composition. Make sure the percentages add up to 100%.

Publisher information: The name of the publishing entity and its PRO affiliation. If you are self-published, this is your own publishing company registered with the same PRO.

ISRC code: This identifies the specific recording. Your distributor (DistroKid (7% off), TuneCore, CD Baby) provides the ISRC code when you release the song. Include it so performances of this recording are correctly attributed.

ISWC code: The International Standard Musical Work Code identifies the composition. Your PRO can assign one if you do not already have one. Some PROs assign ISWCs automatically during work registration.

When to Register: Timeline and Processing

Register before release, not after. The ideal workflow is:

1. Join your PRO (takes 1-5 business days for account activation)
2. Set up your publisher entity (same time, if applicable)
3. Register each song with your PRO before or immediately after release
4. Register the same songs with the MLC for mechanical royalties (free)

Processing times:

• ASCAP account activation: 1-5 business days
• BMI account activation: Immediate
• Work registration processing: 2-6 weeks before the work appears in the PRO's searchable database
• First royalty distribution: 6-12 months after the performance date, due to processing time for performance reports from licensees

Why timing matters: Most PRO royalties are not retroactive. If your song gets radio play in March but you register it in September, you lose the royalties from March through August. Register every song before it goes public.

Common Registration Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Registering recordings instead of compositions. PROs collect royalties for compositions (the underlying song), not recordings (the specific audio file). Your distributor handles recording royalties. Your PRO handles composition royalties. These are separate registrations with separate organizations.

Mistake 2: Not registering works separately. Each song is a separate work that must be individually registered. Uploading an album to your distributor does not register the compositions with your PRO. You must log in to your PRO account and register each song individually.

Mistake 3: Registering only as a writer, not as a publisher. The performance royalty is split 50% to the writer and 50% to the publisher. If you only register as a writer, you leave 50% of your performance royalties uncollected. Register as both writer and publisher to collect the full 100%.

Mistake 4: Wrong percentage splits. If you co-write a song, make sure all writers register the same agreed-upon split percentages and that they add up to 100%. Mismatched splits between co-writers at different PROs cause processing delays and payment errors.

Mistake 5: Forgetting to register with the MLC. Your PRO handles performance royalties. The MLC handles mechanical royalties from streaming. These are separate organizations and separate registrations. Register with both. The MLC is free.

International PROs for Non-US Artists

If you are based outside the United States, join the PRO in your home country:

• UK: PRS for Music (prsformusic.com) - Joining costs approximately £100 for writers, £400 for publishers
• Canada: SOCAN (socan.com) - Free to join for writers
• Australia: APRA AMCOS (apraamcos.com.au) - Free to join for writers
• Germany: GEMA (gema.de) - One-time fee for membership
• France: SACEM (sacem.fr) - Membership fee applies
• Sweden: STIM (stim.se) - Free to join for writers
• Japan: JASRAC (jasrac.or.jp) - Membership fee applies

These organizations have reciprocal agreements with each other and with US PROs, so international performances of your music are collected and passed through to your home PRO. International collections can take 18 to 24 months to reach your account but represent real money for widely played music.

What Happens After Registration

Royalty collection begins. Once your song is in the PRO's system, any public performance that is reported to the PRO generates royalties attributed to that work. This includes radio airplay, streaming on business platforms, live performance at licensed venues, and broadcast television.

Royalties are distributed quarterly. Both ASCAP and BMI distribute four times per year. Royalties from performances are typically distributed 6 to 12 months after the performance date due to the time required to process performance reports from thousands of licensees.

Statements are available online. Log in to your PRO account to view your royalty statements, see which works are generating income, and review performance data.

International collections. When your music is performed in another country, the local PRO (PRS in the UK, SOCAN in Canada, GEMA in Germany, etc.) collects on your behalf and passes the royalties to your US PRO through reciprocal agreements. This can take 18 to 24 months to reach your account but represents real money for widely played music.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I be a member of ASCAP and BMI at the same time?

A: No. As a writer, you can only be affiliated with one US PRO at a time. If you co-write a song with a BMI writer while you are an ASCAP member, each writer registers the song with their own PRO and the PROs coordinate the royalty split.

Q: Do I need a publisher entity or can I just register as a writer?

A: You can register only as a writer and collect only the writer's share. To collect the publisher's share (typically 50% of the total performance royalty), you need a separate publishing entity affiliated with the same PRO. For most independent artists, registering both the writer and publisher entity is worth doing to collect the full 100% of performance royalties.

Q: Does registering with a PRO protect my copyright?

A: PRO registration is not copyright registration. Copyright protection exists automatically the moment you create an original work. PRO registration enables royalty collection. Separate copyright registration with the US Copyright Office ($35 to $55 per work online) provides additional legal protections. Both are worth doing for commercially released music.

Q: How much will I actually earn from PRO royalties?

A: This depends entirely on how much your music is performed publicly. A song with significant radio airplay can generate thousands of dollars per quarter. A song that is only streamed privately on personal streaming accounts generates very little because personal streaming is not a "public performance" in the PRO licensing sense. To understand the full picture of what different royalties pay, use our Streaming Royalty Calculator.

Q: What if I already released music without registering?

A: Register now. You cannot collect retroactive royalties for most performance types before your registration date, but you can begin collecting from this point forward. The earlier you register and add your works, the more royalties you preserve.

Q: I co-wrote a song with someone at a different PRO. How does that work?

A: Each co-writer registers the song with their own PRO. When the song is performed publicly, each PRO collects the royalty share for its member. If you are ASCAP and your co-writer is BMI, you register the song in your ASCAP account with your percentage share, and your co-writer registers their share in their BMI account. The PROs handle the coordination. Make sure both registrations list the same agreed-upon split percentages and that they add up to 100%.

Q: Can I switch from ASCAP to BMI after I join?

A: Yes, but it requires formally resigning from your current PRO and waiting out any required notice period. ASCAP has a one-year term, BMI has a two-year term. Your existing registered works stay associated with your publishing history, and you re-register new works with the new organization. Most artists only switch if they have a specific business reason, such as a label deal or publishing deal that requires affiliation with a particular PRO. For most independent artists, the difference in royalties is not significant enough to justify switching.

Q: What is Songview and should I use it?

A: Songview is a free, publicly searchable database that now includes works from all four major US PROs (ASCAP, BMI, GMR, and SESAC). It covers over 38 million musical works. Use it to verify that your songs are correctly registered, check co-writer registrations, and confirm ownership shares. It is available through ASCAP and BMI's websites.

What to Do Next

If you have not joined a PRO yet, do it today. Both ASCAP and BMI registration take under 30 minutes online. Song registration takes another 10 to 15 minutes per track. Every week you delay is a week of untracked performance royalties.

Once you are registered, your immediate priorities are:

Step 1: Register every song you have already released. Start with your most recent releases and work backward.

Step 2: Set up your publisher entity with the same PRO so you collect both the writer's share and the publisher's share of every royalty.

Step 3: Register each new song with your PRO before or immediately after release, every time.

Step 4: Register the same songs with the MLC (free) for mechanical royalties from streaming.

PRO registration is one part of the complete royalty collection picture. Our guide to all the music royalties you should be collecting covers every royalty stream available to independent artists, including mechanical royalties, master royalties, sync fees, and neighboring rights. For artists preparing music for sync licensing, where PRO registration is a prerequisite for professional placement, see our guide to sync licensing. To browse and compare PROs worldwide, visit our PRO Directory.