PRO

In-Depth Explanation

A PRO (Performance Rights Organization) is an agency that collects performance royalties on behalf of songwriters and music publishers when their music is broadcast on radio, streamed on platforms, or played in public venues. PROs issue blanket licenses to businesses, collect fees, and distribute those fees as performance royalties to the copyright holders of the underlying musical composition.

How PROs Work

When a business plays music publicly (a radio station, a restaurant, a streaming platform, a TV network), copyright law requires them to pay for that use. It would be impossible for a coffee shop to track down every individual songwriter to pay them a fraction of a cent. Instead, the PRO issues a Blanket License to the business, collects an annual fee, and distributes that money to songwriters as Performance Royalties.

PROs monitor public performances through:

• Radio and TV monitoring: Audio recognition systems and cue sheets track when songs are broadcast.
• Streaming reports: Platforms like Spotify and Apple Music submit usage data directly to PROs.
• Live venue setlists: Venues submit setlists, and PROs use sample-based surveys to estimate live performance royalties.

The Four US PROs

The United States is unique because it operates a competitive free market with four PROs. In most countries, only one government-sanctioned PRO exists (PRS in the UK, SOCAN in Canada, SACEM in France, GEMA in Germany).

According to 2026 court filings, the US market share breaks down as follows:

1. ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers): 46.5% market share. A non-profit owned and run by its members. In February 2026, ASCAP announced record-breaking 2025 revenue of $1.945 billion and $1.759 billion in royalty distributions (a 3.7% increase over 2024). ASCAP operates with the lowest overhead rate of any US PRO at 10%, meaning 90 cents of every dollar collected goes back to members. ASCAP is the only US PRO not owned by private equity or outside investors.

2. BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.): 45.4% market share. Originally created by radio broadcasters, BMI operates as a non-profit. In 2025, BMI finalized a multi-year settlement with the Radio Music License Committee (RMLC) that increased its headline rate from 1.78% to 2.14% of station revenue, escalating to 2.20% from 2026 through 2029. This represents the largest rate increase ever negotiated for the radio industry.

3. SESAC (Society of European Stage Authors and Composers): 3.6% market share. A US-based, for-profit PRO. Unlike ASCAP and BMI, which anyone can join, SESAC is invite-only.

4. GMR (Global Music Rights): 4.5% market share. A newer, boutique, for-profit PRO founded by Irving Azoff. It is highly exclusive, representing hitmakers like Drake, Bruce Springsteen, and John Lennon's catalog. GMR negotiates higher rates than the traditional PROs by leveraging its premium catalog.

Browse our comprehensive PRO Directory for a full list of international performing rights organizations.

What a PRO Does NOT Do

A PRO collects performance royalties for the underlying Composition only. It does not collect:

• Mechanical Royalties from Spotify or physical sales (collected by The MLC in the US)
• Neighboring Rights for the performance of the master recording on digital radio (collected by SoundExchange)
• Royalties from YouTube Content ID
• Sync placement fees (handled by a publisher or sync agent)

Real-World Example

A songwriter joins ASCAP in January 2026. She sets up two accounts: a "Writer" account and a "Publisher" account (her vanity publishing company, "Smith Songs"). She registers her new single "Midnight Drive" with ASCAP, listing herself as 100% writer and 100% publisher.

In March, a regional radio station plays "Midnight Drive" 40 times. ASCAP's monitoring system detects the plays. The station pays ASCAP a blanket license fee of $12,000 per year. ASCAP pools all radio revenue and distributes it based on detected airplay.

For those 40 plays, ASCAP calculates a performance royalty of $320. ASCAP splits it 50/50: $160 goes to her Writer account, $160 goes to her Publisher account. Because she owns both accounts, she receives the full $320. ASCAP deducts its 10% operating fee from the collection side, not the distribution side, so she receives 90% of what was collected.

Meanwhile, the same song generates 50,000 streams on Spotify. Spotify reports those streams to ASCAP. The performance royalty for those streams is approximately $22 (performance royalties from streaming are separate from the mechanical royalties that The MLC collects). Again, split 50/50 between Writer and Publisher accounts.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

Joining a PRO is one of the first and most important business steps a songwriter must take. If you write songs and do not belong to a PRO, you are leaving performance royalties uncollected.

Three rules for working with your PRO:

1. Register every song immediately after writing it. Log into your PRO dashboard and enter the title, co-writers, and percentage splits. If a song is not registered, the PRO cannot pay you when it detects performances.
2. Set up both a Writer and Publisher account. If you only have a Writer account, you forfeit the publisher's share (50% of your performance royalties) to the PRO's unclaimed funds. Setting up a vanity publishing company costs nothing and doubles your collection.
3. Pick one PRO and stick with it. You cannot join both ASCAP and BMI simultaneously. Compare their fees, distribution schedules, and tools before choosing. ASCAP charges a one-time $50 fee. BMI is free to join.

Read our guide on How to Register Music with a PRO for step-by-step instructions, compare PROs in our PRO Comparison Guide, or see our full list of Best Royalty Collection Services for 2026.

Related Terms

• Performance Royalties
• Blanket License
• Composition
• SoundExchange
• Publishing Rights