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Do I need to register as a publisher with Ascap?

Author

Sarah Oconnor

Updated on February 18, 2026

Do I need to register as a publisher with Ascap?

When ASCAP distributes royalties for a performance of your music, 50% goes to the writer(s), and 50% to the publisher(s). If you want to access your publisher's share, you will need to set up a publishing company with ASCAP.

Keeping this in view, should I join Ascap as a writer or publisher?

Consider joining as a publisher member, too. Unless you've assigned your publishing rights to someone else, you are your own publisher! Joining as an ASCAP publisher will ensure that you don't miss out on any of the ASCAP income you deserve.

Secondly, can I be a writer with BMI and a publisher with Ascap? Yes, a BMI writer can have an ASCAP publishing entity.

In this manner, how do I register as Ascap publisher?

Applications for ASCAP writer and publisher memberships can be obtained on our website (www.ascap.com) by clicking the "join" button. this will display a link for the writer and publisher applications. the processing fee for each application is $50.

Can you sign up for both BMI and Ascap?

When you register with a PRO, you enter into a term deal. So this means you can't register those same songs with another PRO while you're under contract. The contract with ASCAP is a standard one-year deal that renews automatically. The contract with BMI is a two-year standard deal.

Can I be my own music publisher?

Self-publishing means that you're not only registered as a writer but also set up a body to serve as your publisher. When self-publishing your music, you hold all the rights, IP, publisher's credit, and songwriter's credit. You get all the royalties and full control of the compositional copyright.

Should I join BMI or Ascap?

BMI and ASCAP are very similar in how they collect and payout performance royalties, and have similar perks and benefits, but the lack of signup fees and faster payouts can make BMI a slightly smarter choice for songwriters.

Should I join BMI as a songwriter or publisher?

Joining BMI is an important early step in an aspiring songwriter, composer and/or artist's career. If you have written at least one musical composition, either by yourself or with others, and the composition is currently being performed or is likely to be performed soon, you should join BMI.
ASCAP does not register music for the purpose of copyright protection; this is the responsibility of the writer(s) and publisher(s) of any given work. You can register your music for copyright protection through the Library of Congress which can be reached at 202-707-3000 or on the web at

How much is an Ascap license?

However, there is a minimum annual ASCAP license cost of $390, so the fee will never be less than that. You also need to remember that this is only for the use of the ASCAP catalog.

What is the difference between a writer and a publisher Ascap?

« Back to FAQs What is the difference between a songwriter and a publisher? A songwriter or composer is the creator of a work, which is a song, score or other musical composition. A publisher, on the other hand, is an individual or company that owns or administers the copyright of a work.

Does a songwriter need a publisher?

For new writers, it's almost always 100%. If you aren't willing to give that up, there's no need to meet with a publisher. (Note: The Songwriter always keeps the writer's share of a song.

Is Ascap a publishing company?

We are ASCAP.

We are a professional organization of 790,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers, owned and run by its members, and the world leader in performance royalties, advocacy and service for music creators.

Does Ascap or BMI pay more?

Who Pays More - BMI or ASCAP? Some say ASCAP is better for bands and artists, while BMI is better at collecting royalties for production-music broadcast in TV and film.

How can I publish a song?

Publishers acquire songs two primary ways: one-at-a-time—by signing single song agreements, and by signing writers to exclusive publishing agreements, typically referred to as staff writing deals.

What percentage does Ascap take?

Most writers and all publishers are paid on the 100% current performance plan, which means they receive 100% of their royalties in the distribution for all performances in a specific performance quarter. All new writers are automatically paid on a current performance basis.

How much are Ascap and BMI fees?

As a ballpark, in 2018, ASCAP's minimum annual fee is $380 for restaurants and bars and $246 for retail. BMI is in the same range. And then you have SESAC. And GMR.
Your composition is copyrighted automatically when the work is “created,” which the law defines as being “fixed” in a copy or a recording for the first time. The registration of your copyright is recommended, but not required. BMI does not copyright works for you.

Does BMI get YouTube royalties?

No. Performing Rights Organizations like ASCAP and BMI collect performance royalties (paid to songwriters and publishers). They do NOT collect ad revenue for the usage of songs on YouTube. That's where CD Baby's YouTube Monetization Program comes in.

Does BMI pay for Spotify plays?

On songs you write and release. Spotify, Apple Music, Google, Amazon, etc etc pay these mechanical royalties directly to publishers (via collections agencies). Streaming services do NOT pay mechanical royalties to ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, SOCAN or any other PRO.

How does BMI know when your song is played?

BMI uses a mix of station reporting and digital monitoring. They require every station to whom they issue a license to keep a log of the songs they play for a set period each year. BMI combines that data with digital monitoring of radio plays to come up with an idea of whose songs are in heavy rotation.

Does Socan collect from Spotify?

In turn, SOCAN members can get paid more fairly each time their songs are played. A song streamed on Spotify or Deezer, for example, generally pays back a royalty of a fraction of a cent. MediaNet, Mr.

How do you become a BMI publisher?

To qualify for affiliation as a publisher with BMI you must be the publisher or co-publisher of one or more commercially released musical compositions (for example, a song available for sale on CD, DVD, or as a digital download); or music that is being broadcast, or is likely to be broadcast, on radio, television, film

Does BMI collect publishing royalties?

No. Performing Rights Organizations such as ASCAP and BMI collect performance royalties worldwide, but there are many other types of publishing royalties they don't collect. Things your Performing Rights Organization doesn't collect include: All mechanical royalties from Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming sites.

How long does it take to join BMI?

The majority of songs registered online show up in the BMI.com Repertoire and Online Services Catalog application the next day. Titles that do not auto-register require additional processing and may take between 1 - 7 business days to become available.

What is the difference between SoundExchange and BMI?

Don't they cover royalties for me? What is the difference? Answer: The royalties SoundExchange collects and distributes are for the featured artist and the sound recording copyright owner. ASCAP, BMI and SESAC collect and distribute royalties for the songwriter, composer and publisher for the musical composition.

What does BMI do for songwriters?

BMI represents performance rights while Songwriters, Composers and Music Publishers focus on their craft.

How often is BMI royalty?

BMI Live distributions occur quarterly. See the payment distribution schedule.

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