# Performing rights organization

Also known as: PRO, Performance rights organization, Performing rights society

> A performing rights organization (PRO) licenses the public performance of musical compositions — on radio, television, streaming services and in venues — and distributes the fees as royalties to songwriters and publishers. In the United States the PROs are ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR; most other countries have a single national society, such as PRS for Music in the UK or SOCAN in Canada.

Source: https://wiki.snvrkotics.com/performing-rights-organization · Category: Royalties and collection · Last reviewed: 2026-10-02 · License: CC BY 4.0

## Key facts

- **Licenses:** Public performance of compositions
- **Pays:** Songwriters (writer's share) and publishers (publisher's share)
- **US PROs:** ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR
- **International body:** [CISAC](https://www.cisac.org/)
- **Work identifier:** [ISWC](https://wiki.snvrkotics.com/iswc)

## How a PRO works

A PRO grants **blanket licenses** to broadcasters, streaming services and venues, allowing them to perform every work in its repertoire for a fee. It then works out, from usage reports and surveys, which works were performed and pays the money out to the registered writers and publishers, minus its operating costs.[1][2]

The writer's share is paid to writers directly, which is why a songwriter joins a PRO even when they have a publisher.

## The United States

The United States is unusual in having several competing PROs. **ASCAP** and **BMI** are the largest and operate under consent decrees with the U.S. Department of Justice; **SESAC** and **GMR** (Global Music Rights) are smaller and admit members by invitation. A writer affiliates with one PRO at a time for any given work, and each co-writer of a song may belong to a different one.

## Outside the United States

Most countries have one society covering performance rights, and many also cover mechanical rights — for example GEMA in Germany and SACEM in France. Societies are linked by reciprocal agreements, coordinated through CISAC, under which each collects for the others' members in its own territory and passes the money back.[3]

## What a PRO does not collect

A PRO collects for the **composition's** performance only. It does not collect [mechanical royalties](https://wiki.snvrkotics.com/mechanical-license) in the United States, income from the [master recording](https://wiki.snvrkotics.com/master-recording), digital performance royalties for recordings (collected by [SoundExchange](https://wiki.snvrkotics.com/soundexchange)), or [sync](https://wiki.snvrkotics.com/synchronization-license) fees.

## Questions

### Which PRO should I join?

In the United States most independent songwriters choose between ASCAP and BMI, which both accept applications; SESAC and GMR are by invitation. Compare their terms and payment schedules — the core service is similar.

### Can I belong to two PROs?

Not as a writer for the same works in the same territory. You affiliate with one, though your co-writers may belong to others.

### Does a PRO collect streaming royalties?

It collects the performance royalties streaming services pay for compositions. The mechanical side of a US stream goes through the MLC, and the recording side through the distributor.

## References

1. ASCAP. "ASCAP — American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers." https://www.ascap.com/
2. BMI. "BMI — Broadcast Music, Inc.." https://www.bmi.com/
3. CISAC. "International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers." https://www.cisac.org/

## Related

- [Music publishing](https://wiki.snvrkotics.com/music-publishing): Music publishing is the business of owning or administering song copyrights: registering works, licensing them and collecting songwriters' royalties.
- [International Standard Musical Work Code](https://wiki.snvrkotics.com/iswc): The ISWC is an ISO 15707 identifier for a musical work — the composition itself, independent of any recording of it.
- [Mechanical Licensing Collective](https://wiki.snvrkotics.com/mechanical-licensing-collective): The MLC is the US nonprofit that administers the blanket mechanical license for streaming and download services, created by the Music Modernization Act.
- [SoundExchange](https://wiki.snvrkotics.com/soundexchange): SoundExchange is the US nonprofit that collects and distributes digital performance royalties for sound recordings under the statutory license.
- [Music royalties](https://wiki.snvrkotics.com/music-royalties): Music royalties are payments to rights holders each time a song or recording is sold, streamed, performed, licensed or broadcast.

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Cite as: "Performing rights organization." SNVRKOTICS Wiki, 2026-10-02. https://wiki.snvrkotics.com/performing-rights-organization