Music and the Law
Is a Performing Rights Organization Right for You?

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composers, lyricists, songwriters, and music publishers. ASCAP was created and is owned by writers and publishers and distributes 86 cents out of every dollar it collects to its members. You can contact member services at 800-95-ASCAP, or e-mail info@ascap.com.

BMI stands for Broadcast Music, Inc. and boasts over 300,000 songwriters, composers, and publishers in all types of music, including pop, rock, country, rap, jazz, blues, latin, and contemporary classical. There is no fee to join as a songwriter, but you must meet the requirement of having written a musical composition that is commercially published, recorded, or “otherwise likely to be performed.” BMI performs lobbying in Washington, DC, to protect the musician and writer by supporting legislation that mandates strict enforcement of the copyright laws. Their Web site is www.bmi.com, and the e-mail address for the New York office is newyork@bmi.com.

SESAC is a more selective organization that serves writers and publishers who have their works performed by radio, television, nightclubs, cable TV, etc. Their Web site is www.sesac.com. The phone number of the New York office is 212-586-3450. SESAC prides itself on the personal relationship it fosters with its affiliates and the ratio of writer to writer representative, which is about 4 representatives to about 8,000 members. This ratio is in stark contrast to BMI, which has about 11 reps for 300,000 members and ASCAP, which has 7 reps for 180,000 members. SESAC is by invitation only and tapes are reviewed only with permission of the writer/publisher relations department.

It is important to investigate all of these organizations to find out which one is right for you. The Web sites are detailed and the BMI site even has a downloadable contract that can be reviewed, signed, and submitted. Although PROs are not an instant link to success, they are an important step toward being considered a serious songwriter who is committed to getting their work published. Most successful publishers will not even meet with a songwriter unless they are referred to them by a PRO.
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