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.

What You Will Learn

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

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 Three 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
• Publisher: $50 one-time fee

How ASCAP collects royalties: ASCAP licenses businesses and broadcasters, uses survey and census data to track performances, and distributes royalties quarterly to its members.

Royalty distribution frequency: Quarterly (four times per year)

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.

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.

Membership fees:

• Songwriter/composer: Free to join
• Publisher: $150 one-time fee

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

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.

SESAC

SESAC is the smallest of the three 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.

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.

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:

| Feature | ASCAP | BMI |

|---|---|---|

| Writer membership fee | Free | Free |

| Publisher membership fee | $50 one-time | $150 one-time |

| Ownership structure | Member-owned nonprofit | For-profit (artist-friendly) |

| Distribution frequency | Quarterly | Quarterly |

| Royalty calculation | Survey + census blend | Census + sampling blend |

| Genre strengths | Pop, rock, classical | Country, gospel, Latin, jazz |

| International agreements | 100+ countries | 100+ countries |

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.

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, but they require separate applications.

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.

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.

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.

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 (one-time $150 fee) and link it to your songwriter account.

Step-by-Step: Registering Individual Songs (Applies to Both ASCAP and BMI)

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, 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, 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.

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.

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)
• Canada: SOCAN (socan.com)
• Australia: APRA AMCOS (apraamcos.com.au)
• Germany: GEMA (gema.de)
• France: SACEM (sacem.fr)
• Sweden: STIM (stim.se)
• Japan: JASRAC (jasrac.or.jp)

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.

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 (typically the end of your current membership year). 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.

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.

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.