PRO (Performance Rights Organization)
Organizations that collect and distribute performance royalties to songwriters and publishers.
Definition
Performance Rights Organizations (PROs) are entities that license public performances of musical compositions and collect/distribute royalties to songwriters and publishers. In the US, the major PROs are ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC (plus GMR). Each country typically has one or more PROs that reciprocate with international organizations.
PROs issue licenses to businesses, broadcasters, and venues that use music publicly, monitor usage, and distribute collected fees to members based on tracked performances. Songwriters and publishers must affiliate with a PRO to collect performance royalties.
Why It Matters
PROs are essential infrastructure for songwriters to get paid. Without PRO affiliation and work registration, songwriters miss performance royalties from radio, TV, streaming, and public performances. Choosing a PRO and maintaining accurate registrations is fundamental music business management.
Understanding PRO operations helps songwriters maximize their royalty collections and identify when payments seem incorrect.
Examples in Practice
A songwriter affiliates with BMI and registers all works, establishing the foundation for collecting performance royalties throughout their career.
A publisher monitors PRO statements to catch registration errors that were causing missing payments, recovering significant back royalties.
A venue's PRO licenses enable legal live music while ensuring performing songwriters are compensated for public performances of their work.