How to Register with a PRO (Performance Rights Organization)

Performance royalties represent ~14% of your total streaming income. These payments flow directly to you from your PRO and cannot be touched by labels even if you're unrecouped.

Why You Need This

Without a PRO registration, you are losing roughly $140 for every $1,000 your music earns on Spotify. Distributors (DistroKid, TuneCore) DO NOT collect this money.

Which PRO Should You Join?

In the USA, you have two main options for open registration:

ASCAP

✅ Cost: $50 one-time
✅ Type: Nonprofit
✅ Owned by: Songwriters & Publishers
⚠️ Fees: $50 for writer + $50 for publisher

Join ASCAP →

BMI

✅ Cost: FREE
✅ Type: For-profit (as of 2024)
✅ Access: Open to all
⚠️ Note: Recently changed ownership structure

Join BMI →

Critical: Register as BOTH Songwriter AND Publisher

This is the most common mistake independent artists make. Performance royalties are split 50/50:

Writer's Share (50%): Goes to the songwriter.
Publisher's Share (50%): Goes to the publisher.

If you are self-published (meaning you don't have a publishing deal), YOU are the publisher. You must register a "vanity publishing company" with your PRO to collect that second 50%.

Warning: If you only register as a writer, you are leaving half of your performance royalties uncollected.

Step-by-Step Registration Guide

1. Choose Your Name

If registering as a publisher, you need a unique name (e.g., "YourName Music" or "SkyHigh Publishing"). Search the PRO's database to ensure it's available.

2. Fill Out the Application

You'll need your SSN (for tax purposes) and contact info. The process takes about 15 minutes.

3. Register Your Songs

Once your account is active (can take 1-2 weeks), login and "Register a Work". You'll need:

Song Title
Co-writers (if any) and their share %
ISRC code (optional but recommended - get this from DistroKid/TuneCore)

Calculate Your Missing Royalties

See exactly how much money you're leaving on the table right now.

Open Calculator