Pro Music Rights (PMR)

Pro Music Rights (PMR) is a US-based performing rights organization and the fifth PRO to be formed in the United States, after ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR. Now operating under its parent company Music Licensing, Inc. (OTC: SONG), it licenses the public performance rights of songwriters, composers, and music publishers. Its stated licensees include TikTok, iHeart Media, Triller, Napster, 7Digital, and Vevo. It is best suited for songwriters and publishers seeking an alternative to the four established US PROs, though its market share and royalty distributions are a fraction of what ASCAP and BMI collect.

How Pro Music Rights Works

PMR issues blanket licenses to businesses that play music publicly, including radio stations, streaming platforms, television networks, venues, and retail establishments. It collects license fees and distributes them to affiliated songwriters and publishers based on reported usage data. The organization was officially recognized in the Federal Register of the United States in February 2025, confirming its status as a PRO under US copyright law.

PMR went public via a reverse merger with Nuvus Gro Corp (OTC: NUVG) and now trades as Music Licensing, Inc. (OTC: SONG). The company has announced acquisition targets ranging from $36 million to $250 million for 2025, and has reported receiving royalty payments from intellectual property stakes, including a Listerine IP stake. The company also entered a retainer agreement with a PCAOB-registered accounting firm as part of its push for transparency and uplisting to higher trading tiers.

PMR's history includes a settled billion-dollar copyright infringement lawsuit against Spotify in 2021, brought jointly with Sosa Entertainment. In December 2025, PMR and Music Licensing, Inc. announced they were exploring legal action against US Representative Scott Fitzgerald for statements the company characterized as false and defamatory. Also in December 2025, the FTC declined to comment on whether an investigation into PMR and AllTrack (another small US PRO) was underway, as reported by Digital Music News.

The company does not publicly disclose its total annual collections, overhead rate, or number of members in the same structured format as ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC. This makes direct comparisons difficult. Songwriters considering PMR should request specific data on distribution schedules, commission rates, and average per-work payouts before affiliating.

Real-World Example

A songwriter affiliates with PMR and registers 30 songs. One of those songs is played on a TikTok video that receives 2 million views. TikTok holds a PMR blanket license, so PMR collects a fee from TikTok that covers all uses of PMR-affiliated works on the platform.

The songwriter receives a distribution based on PMR's internal calculation of their share of TikTok's license fee relative to all PMR-affiliated works used on the platform. The exact per-stream or per-view rate is not publicly disclosed in the way ASCAP and BMI publish their rate court settlements and distribution formulas.

If the same songwriter had affiliated with ASCAP instead, they would receive a distribution from ASCAP's $1.945 billion 2025 revenue pool, based on ASCAP's publicly documented census-based monitoring and quarterly payment schedule. The songwriter would need to compare PMR's actual payout against what they would have earned from ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, or GMR for the same usage.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

PMR offers an alternative to the four established US PROs, and its TikTok license is a distinguishing feature. If your music is heavily used on TikTok, Triller, or iHeart Media platforms, PMR may collect royalties from those specific licensees.

However, you can only belong to one US PRO at a time for the same catalog of works. Before affiliating with PMR, request concrete data: total annual collections, overhead rate, distribution schedule, average per-work payout, and number of affiliated members. Compare these numbers against ASCAP (free to join, 10% overhead, $1.945 billion in 2025 collections) and BMI (free to join, approximately $1.6 billion in annual collections).

PMR's status as a publicly traded company (OTC: SONG) adds a layer of financial complexity that ASCAP and BMI do not have. The company's acquisition strategy and IP investment activities are separate from its core PRO function of collecting and distributing performance royalties. Make sure you understand how your royalties are handled relative to the company's broader business activities.

The FTC's December 2025 inquiry (though it declined to comment) and PMR's own legal actions against public officials suggest the organization operates in a more adversarial regulatory environment than the established PROs. Monitor these developments before making a long-term affiliation commitment.

Related Resources

• Performing Rights Organizations (PRO) - What a PRO is and how it functions
• Performance Royalties - How performance royalties are generated and collected
• Blanket License - The licensing model used by PMR and other PROs
• PRO Comparison Guide - Detailed comparison of US PROs
• Pro Music Rights Official Website - Visit PMR for membership and licensing information
• Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to estimate your digital earnings