A PRO — performing rights organization — collects performance royalties when your songs play on radio, TV, streaming services, and live venues. ASCAP and BMI are the two big US PROs open to any songwriter (ASCAP charges a one-time $50 writer fee; BMI is free for songwriters). SESAC is invite-only. You can only join one as a writer, so pick once and commit.
Join as both a songwriter AND a publisher — that second affiliation lets you collect the publisher’s 50% share instead of leaving it unclaimed. Then register every song: title, writers, split percentages, and ISWC if you have one. Registration is what connects performances to your bank account; unregistered songs generate royalties that sit in the PRO’s black box until someone claims them.
Don’t Leave Money Unclaimed
Register songs the week they’re finished, not when they blow up. Add your setlists to your PRO after every show — live performances earn royalties too. If you tour internationally, your PRO has reciprocal agreements worldwide, but you can also join a foreign PRO’s system directly. Check your catalog quarterly for missing registrations and file claims on anything unmatched.
A final note on switching: you’re not locked in forever, but moves have timing rules. Both ASCAP and BMI let you resign with written notice, and your catalog transfers on a schedule — royalties already in the pipeline still pay through your old PRO. Time a switch for a quiet period, never mid-release. And if you write with collaborators at different PROs, each writer registers the song at their own PRO with matching splits — the societies settle with each other. The system works fine as long as your paperwork is consistent everywhere it appears.
About the Author – Ruben Burgos: Ruben Burgos brings over 25 years of music expertise and more than 15 years of model guidance to the table. He is the indie major pinnacle to retaining credits for musicians and helping them navigate this wicked industry without the fuckery.