ASCAP, BMI, PRS — How PROs Pay Composers

What a PRO does

A Performance Rights Organisation (PRO) is a collecting society that licenses the public performance rights to music on behalf of songwriters, composers, and publishers.

When a license is paid (broadcast radio, streaming, live venue), the PRO distributes the resulting royalty to its members based on usage data. Composers and publishers typically register with one PRO in their home country and rely on reciprocal agreements with foreign PROs to collect performances worldwide.

The big ones

ASCAP

• US
• Founded 1914.
• Member-owned non-profit.
• Composer and publisher members.

BMI

• US
• Founded 1939.
• Competitor to ASCAP.
• Member-owned non-profit.

SESAC

• US
• Smaller, more selective.
• Historically tilts toward publisher members.

PRS for Music

• UK
• Member-owned.
• “PRS for Music” is the public-facing brand; the legal entity is the Performing Right Society.

GEMA

• Germany
• One of the strongest PROs in absolute payout volume.

SACEM

• France
• The largest French-language PRO.

SOCAN

• Canada
• English and French Canada.

APRA AMCOS

• Australia + New Zealand
• Two affiliated bodies in one umbrella.

Reciprocal agreements

Every major PRO has reciprocal agreements with every other. If you’re registered with PRS, your music gets tracked in the US (ASCAP/BMI), Germany (GEMA), etc., and royalties flow back to PRS, who pay you.

If you’re not registered with a PRO, you’re not collecting performance royalties — even when your music is performed.

How registration works

Registration is typically:

1. Apply online through the PRO’s site.
2. Provide identification (legal name, address, banking info for payouts).
3. Join as a writer member (and optionally as a publisher if you own the publishing side).
4. Submit your catalog — title, writer share, publisher share, ISRC, ISWC if available.

Each PRO has its own rules on the split between writer and publisher shares. Most allow 100% writer if you control both halves.

How payouts work

Payouts are typically:

• Quarterly for major PROs.
• Based on usage data the PRO receives from licensees (broadcast radio, streaming services, etc.).
• Distributed after the PRO takes its commission — typically 10–15% of collected royalties.
• Paid via direct deposit to your nominated bank account.

What counts as “performance”

A public performance includes:

• Broadcast radio and TV.
• Streaming (Spotify, Apple Music — though most are mechanical, performance is paid).
• Bars, restaurants, gyms, retail stores playing music.
• Live performance in a venue.

If your music is performed in any of these contexts and you’re registered with a PRO, you’re entitled to a share of the licensing fee.

Where LicenseTrack fits

LicenseTrack is independent of PROs. Its role is upstream — catching usage that bypasses the licensed routes (third-party uploads to YouTube, TikTok uses, etc.). A composer registered with PROs captures the licensed performances; LicenseTrack catches the unlicensed ones.

Internal links

• See how LicenseTrack covers Spotify.
• Read about collecting royalties.
• Catch every match on YouTube.