Registering with a PRO Turns You from a Music Hobbyist to a Professional Songwriter

Whether you’re just scribbling lyrics at home or working on your first recordings, registering with a Performance Rights Organization (PRO) is one of the most important steps you can take as a songwriter.

PROs like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC ensure that whenever your music is performed, streamed, or broadcast, you get paid for your creative work. Even if you haven’t released a single, your songs are still protected and tracked, giving you a professional foundation from day one.

If you play live shows, venues need to have a license from PROs like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC to legally host music, whether it’s covers or your original songs. To make sure you get paid for your performances, it’s important to submit your setlists to your PRO so they know what you played and can distribute your share of the royalties from the fees the venue has already paid.

Here's a breakdown of the different PROs that serve the US national territories:

ASCAP: Easy Entry With Separate Writer & Publisher Accounts

ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) is open to all songwriters, but there are two separate accounts to understand:

Membership Fees:

• Writer membership: $50 one-time fee

• Publisher membership: $50 fee if you want to collect the publisher’s half of your performance royalties

• Registering both: total ~$100

Why Two Accounts Matter: PROs split performance royalties into two equal shares: writer and publisher.

• ASCAP will only pay you the writer’s share unless you also register (or assign) a publishing account.

• Registering both allows you to collect 100% of your performance royalties.

If you want to make songwriting a real career and choose ASCAP, joining as a writer and setting up a publisher registration is essential.

BMI: Free for Songwriters with Optional Publishing Registration

BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) is also open to all U.S. songwriters and has a simpler structure:

Writer & Publisher Fees:

• Songwriter membership: free

• Publisher membership (optional): $150 one-time fee for an individual (or $250 for a company/LLC)

How Publisher Works: Unlike ASCAP, BMI will pay both the writer and publisher share even if you only register as a songwriter, as long as you’re the same person.

This makes BMI particularly friendly for DIY songwriters and beginners who want to collect all performance royalties without extra paperwork.

SESAC: Invitation Only

• SESAC is invite-only, you cannot simply sign up online; you must be invited to join by SESAC or a music industry representative. There is no upfront membership fee once you’re accepted, but SESAC’s selective membership makes it a great option once you’re building momentum and gaining industry traction.

Quick Side‑by‑Side

Feature	SESAC	ASCAP	BMI
Open Membership	Invitation only	Open to all	Open to all
Writer Fee	Free if invited	$50	Free
Publisher Fee	Free if invited	$50	$150 (individual)
Collect 100% without Publisher Account?	Yes	No — must register publisher	Yes — writer collects both shares
Typical Contract Length	Varies	~1 year renewable	~2 years

What This Means for You

• ASCAP is accessible, but to collect every dollar you should register both writer and publisher accounts.

• BMI lets you collect full royalties without a separate publisher account, perfect for emerging songwriters.

• SESAC is best once you’re industry-ready, but not ideal for up-and-coming artists.

No matter which PRO you choose, registering with one is a critical step in turning your songwriting from a hobby into a professional career. Which is why Songland requires our members to be registered with a PRO in order to join our songwriter co-writes. Registering with a PRO is more than just paperwork, it proves that you take your music seriously. It gives you credibility, access to royalties, and the foundation to collaborate confidently with other artists and producers.

If you’re serious about your music, signing up with a PRO is step one toward a sustainable career.