ASCAP vs BMI: Which PRO Should You Join?

ASCAP vs BMI: Which PRO Should You Join?

If your music is being streamed, played on radio, performed live, or used in film and TV, you are owed royalties for it. But those royalties do not find you automatically. You have to register with a Performing Rights Organization to collect them.

In the US, the two main options are ASCAP and BMI. Both do essentially the same job. The differences are in cost, payout speed, contract terms, and who their members tend to be.

This guide breaks down ASCAP vs BMI clearly, covers SESAC as a third option, and ends with a straightforward recommendation based on where you are in your career.

What Is a PRO and Why Does It Matter?

A Performing Rights Organization (PRO) collects public performance royalties on behalf of songwriters and publishers. A public performance includes any situation where your music is played outside a private setting: streaming platforms, radio, TV, live venues, bars, shops, film, and more.

There are two types of royalties most artists need to think about.

Performance royalties go to the songwriter and publisher. PROs like ASCAP and BMI collect these.

Mechanical royalties go to the songwriter when a song is reproduced, whether through streaming, downloads, or physical sales. PROs do not collect these. You need a separate service like a music publisher or a mechanical rights organization like the MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective) for that.

If you are not registered with a PRO, performance royalties generated by your music go uncollected. They do not sit waiting for you. They are simply lost.

ASCAP vs BMI: Quick Comparison

ASCAP

ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) is the oldest PRO in the US, founded in 1914. It represents around 660,000 members and over 10 million works.

Cost: Writers and publishers both pay a one-time $50 registration fee. No recurring charges after that.

Payouts: ASCAP pays out quarterly. Royalties typically arrive around six and a half months after the end of the quarter in which the performance occurred. That lag is worth knowing upfront.

Contract: ASCAP uses a one-year agreement that auto-renews. This is the shortest standard contract of the three main US PROs, which makes it easier to switch if you ever want to.

Organization structure: ASCAP is member-owned and non-profit. Every dollar collected beyond operating costs goes back to members.

Membership benefits: ASCAP runs the annual I Create Music Expo, offers discounts on health and instrument insurance through the MusicPro program, provides access to the USA Alliance Federal Credit Union, and offers various discounts on music industry tools and services.

Royalty split: Like BMI, ASCAP pays 88 cents of every dollar collected directly to members, split equally between the songwriter and publisher shares.

BMI

BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) is the largest PRO in the US by membership, representing over 750,000 creators and more than 12 million works.

Cost: Free for songwriters. Publishers pay $150 for individuals or $250 for companies.

Payouts: BMI pays out quarterly. Royalties typically arrive around five and a half months after the end of the quarter, which is about a month faster than ASCAP.

Contract: BMI uses a two-year contract for writers and a five-year contract for publishers. These are longer commitments than ASCAP, which is worth factoring in if you are early in your career and still figuring things out.

Organization structure: BMI is also non-profit and operates without recurring membership fees for songwriters.

Membership benefits: BMI offers access to conferences including the Billboard Touring Conference and awards, discounted access to NXNE and other industry events, access to the production marketplace, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Royalty split: Same as ASCAP. BMI pays 88 cents of every dollar collected to members, split between songwriter and publisher shares.

SESAC: The Third Option

SESAC is smaller than both ASCAP and BMI, representing around 30,000 affiliated writers and 400,000 works. It operates differently from the other two in a few important ways.

Membership: SESAC is invite-only. You cannot simply sign up. You need to be referred or selected through their A&R process. This makes it inaccessible to most independent artists who are just starting out.

Cost: Free to join if invited.

Payouts: SESAC pays quarterly, but also offers monthly radio royalty payments, which is a meaningful advantage for artists with significant radio play. Payout arrives roughly 90 days after the quarter ends, making it the fastest of the three.

Contract: Three-year agreement for both writers and publishers, auto-renewing.

Notable members: Bob Dylan, Adele, Mariah Carey, Neil Diamond.

For most independent artists, SESAC is not a realistic starting point. It is worth knowing about for later in a career when it might become an option.

ASCAP vs BMI: The Real Differences

Looking past the surface, here is what actually separates ASCAP and BMI for most artists.

Registration cost. BMI is free for songwriters. ASCAP charges a one-time $50 fee. This is not a large amount, but for an artist just starting out, free is still meaningfully different from not free.

Payout speed. BMI pays out about a month faster than ASCAP. On a quarterly cycle, that adds up to four fewer weeks of waiting per year. Not life-changing, but real.

Contract length. ASCAP locks you in for one year at a time. BMI asks for a two-year commitment from writers. If you want more flexibility to switch PROs later, ASCAP gives you that option sooner.

Publisher registration. If you are registering as both a songwriter and a publisher (which many independent artists do to collect both royalty streams), ASCAP charges $50 total for both. BMI is free for writers but charges $150 for individual publishers. Depending on your setup, ASCAP can actually be cheaper when you factor in the publisher side. If you are setting up a formal label structure alongside your PRO accounts, the full process is covered in How to Start a Record Label.

Size and catalog. BMI is larger in both membership and catalog. In practice, this does not translate into a meaningfully different royalty collection experience for most artists. Both collect effectively across all major platforms and venues.

Should I Join ASCAP or BMI?

Here is a direct answer based on your situation.

Join BMI if:

You want zero upfront cost as a songwriter. You are in the early stages of your career and want to test the waters before committing to even a small fee. You expect significant radio royalties and want the faster payout timeline to matter sooner.

Join ASCAP if:

You are setting up both songwriter and publisher accounts, since the combined $50 fee is actually cheaper than BMI's $150 publisher fee. You prefer a shorter contract term and want the flexibility to reassess annually. You value the specific benefits ASCAP offers like the I Create Music Expo and the MusicPro insurance program.

The honest answer: For most independent artists, BMI and ASCAP collect royalties at essentially the same rate. The royalty split is identical (88% to members), the platforms they cover are the same, and the core service is the same. The decision usually comes down to cost, contract length, and personal preference.

Pick one. Register today. Do not spend weeks deciding between them when the bigger priority is simply being registered before your next release goes live.

Setting Up Your PRO Account: What You Need

When registering with either ASCAP or BMI, have the following ready.

For your songwriter account: legal name, contact details, and at least one song that has been publicly released or is available to the public.

For your publisher account (if registering one): a publishing company name that is distinct from your artist name and not already in use.

After registering, log your works. Every song needs to be individually registered in the PRO's system with the correct metadata: song title, co-writers and their splits, publisher information, and ISRC code. Songs that are not logged do not generate royalties even if they are being performed.

For live performances, both ASCAP and BMI let you submit setlists online. Log your setlist after every show that includes original music to collect those royalties.

ASCAP vs BMI: FAQ

Can I be a member of both ASCAP and BMI?

No. You can only be a member of one PRO at a time in the US. Registering with both for the same works is not permitted.

Does my PRO collect streaming royalties?

PROs collect the performance royalty side of streaming, which is paid to the songwriter. Streaming also generates mechanical royalties, which are collected by the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) in the US. You need to register with the MLC separately to collect both.

When should I register with a PRO?

Before your next release. Royalties cannot be collected retroactively in most cases. Register now and log your existing catalog as soon as you are set up.

Do I need a PRO if I only release music independently?

Yes. Streaming platforms generate performance royalties that flow through PROs. Without a registration, those royalties go uncollected. This applies to independent releases on Spotify, Apple Music, and every other platform.

Does my distributor handle PRO registration?

No. Your music distributor (DistroKid, RouteNote, etc.) handles getting your music onto streaming platforms and collecting master recording royalties. PRO registration is separate and your responsibility.

Is ASCAP or BMI better for hip hop artists?

Both collect across the same platforms. BMI has historically had a strong presence in hip hop, with members like Kendrick Lamar among its roster. That said, royalty collection is identical in practice for both.

Final Verdict

ASCAP vs BMI is genuinely close. Both are non-profit, both pay 88% of collections to members, both cover the same platforms and venues, and both are widely respected.

BMI is the better starting point for most songwriters because it is free to join and pays out slightly faster.

ASCAP makes sense if you are setting up a publishing entity alongside your songwriter account, or if you prefer a one-year contract over a two-year commitment.

Either way, pick one and register. Every month you are not registered is a month of performance royalties you are not collecting.

Releasing music soon? You may find our guide on free music distribution useful.

Want to see what your streams actually pay? Try our Streaming Royalty Calculator for per-stream payout estimates across Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and more.