How to Join ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Inc. (ASCAP) is one of three major music performance rights organizations in the United States. Along with two other major organizations, SESAC and BMI, ASCAP collects and distributes songwriter royalties derived from live performances, radio and television broadcasting, and music performed in nightclubs. Every time a songwriter’s song is played, the songwriter and her music publishing company receive royalties from songs cleared through one of the music broadcast licensing agencies. Almost all popular songs that receive airplay are licensed by SESAC, ASCAP or BMI.
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Things You'll Need
- ASCAP membership application
- Copy of ASCAP Membership Agreement
- ASCAP Application Processing Fee Form
- W-9 IRS tax form
- One-time membership fee
- Clearance forms
- Original song(s)
- Copyright/fees/deposit of copies (recommended)
- Music publisher (recommended)
Instructions
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Prepare a lyric sheet or sheet music that is performance ready (i.e., musicians and singers can perform your song by looking at your sheet music alone).
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Review the ASCAP website. Major benefits of membership include group insurance plans for life, medical and dental coverage. You can also find out ASCAP’s royalty rates that it pays to its members. Royalties are computed using a formula unique to each performance category; type of music (e.g., classical), length and type of performance (e.g., television, radio, or live) and broadcast market size are some of the factors that determine the royalty amount.
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Obtain an ASCAP membership application from ASCAP headquarters or by downloading the form online. You need to provide basic personal information, Social Security number, names of your songs that have been recorded and commercially released, artists who have performed your song, your membership history and contact information for any publishers of your song.
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Complete the ASCAP membership application online or by submitting a hard copy to ASCAP’s membership department. Include a completed W-9 IRS form and payment of ASCAP’s small one-time membership fee.
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Complete an ASCAP clearance form for each composition. Clearance forms solicit information about each song (including musical genre, length of the song, names and contact information for the song’s music publisher(s), pseudonyms (if any) and description of any past live or broadcast performances). After opening your online ASCAP account, you will be able to start receiving royalties.
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Tips & Warnings
Once membership is approved, you can open and access your ASCAP account to find out how much in royalties you have earned. Royalties are usually paid on a quarterly basis.
The three major music performance licensing organizations (BMI, ASCAP and SESAC) prohibit songwriters and publishers from belonging to more than one music performance licensing organization at any time.
