How to Register Your Music With ASCAP or BMI (And Why It Matters)

You distributed your music. It's on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube — the streams are rolling in. But if you haven't registered with a PRO (Performing Rights Organization), you're leaving money on the table every single day.

Radio plays. Sync placements. Live venue performances. Streaming performance royalties. None of that gets paid to you unless you're registered. It's not automatic. It's not handled by your distributor. It's a separate step most independent artists skip entirely.

This post tells you exactly what to do about it — and why you need to do it before your next release drops.

TL;DR

• Register with ASCAP or BMI to collect performance royalties (radio, TV, streaming, live)
• ASCAP costs $50 one-time. BMI is free. Both pay similar rates. Pick one and commit.
• Register your works using your ISRC codes — TRUE VISION includes ISRCs with every release automatically
• Do this BEFORE you distribute. Royalties don't backfill well.
• TRUE VISION handles mechanical royalties. ASCAP/BMI handles performance royalties. Together = full royalty stack.

What Is a PRO and Why Do You Need One?

A Performing Rights Organization (PRO) is the body that collects public performance royalties on your behalf. When your song plays on the radio, gets licensed for a TV show, streams on Spotify, or plays at a bar or venue — money is owed to the songwriter and publisher. PROs are the ones who track that activity and send you the check.

The three main PROs in the US are ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC. They're the middlemen between the businesses that use your music and you — but in the best possible way.

What PROs collect: radio airplay, TV sync performances, streaming performance royalties, live venue performances, background music in businesses.

What PROs do NOT collect: mechanical royalties. Mechanical royalties cover reproductions — digital streams, downloads, physical copies. That's handled separately through publishers, Songtrust, Harry Fox Agency, or your distributor. We'll cover that below.

ASCAP vs BMI: The Real Comparison

Most independent artists agonize over this decision longer than they need to. Here's the actual breakdown:

ASCAP is a member-owned cooperative. Songwriters pay a one-time $50 membership fee. Publisher accounts are free. ASCAP is run by and for its members — it's been around since 1914.

BMI is a for-profit corporation (owned by iHeartMedia and MRC). Both songwriter and publisher accounts are completely free to join. BMI has been around since 1940 and represents over 1.4 million songwriters.

SESAC is invite-only with no public application process. Skip it for now unless you get approached directly.

The bottom line: both ASCAP and BMI pay roughly the same rates. The $50 ASCAP fee is the only meaningful practical difference for an independent artist just starting out.

You cannot be registered as a songwriter with both ASCAP and BMI simultaneously. Pick one and commit. Your publishing entity can technically be affiliated with a different PRO than your songwriter account, but for most indie artists that's unnecessary complexity. Choose a PRO, get registered, and start collecting.

How to Register With ASCAP (Step by Step)

Step 1: Go to ascap.com and click "Join ASCAP."

Step 2: Create a songwriter account. If you've already set up your own publishing company (LLC, sole prop, etc.), you can also create a publisher account — it's free.

Step 3: Pay the one-time $50 songwriter membership fee. This is the only cost you'll ever pay ASCAP as a songwriter.

Step 4: Register your works. In your ASCAP dashboard, go to My Catalog → Add Works. For each song you want to register, enter:

• Song title
• Co-writers (and their ASCAP IDs if they're members)
• Publisher information
• ISRC code — this is critical

Your ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is the unique ID tied to your specific recording. ASCAP uses it to match streaming data to your account. Without the right ISRC, royalties can't find you. TRUE VISION assigns ISRCs automatically with every single release — no extra step required on your end.

How to Register With BMI (Step by Step)

Step 1: Go to bmi.com and click "Become a BMI Affiliate."

Step 2: Create a songwriter account. It's completely free — no fee, no membership cost.

Step 3: Register your works. In your BMI dashboard, go to My Catalog → Add Work. Same info applies:

• Song title
• Co-writers
• Publisher info
• ISRC code (same requirement as ASCAP — this is how royalties find you)

The process is nearly identical between the two. The main difference is the upfront cost: BMI is free, ASCAP is $50 one-time.

When to Register: Do This Before You Distribute

The timing matters more than most artists realize. Register with your PRO before you distribute your music. Royalties don't backfill automatically. If your song has been live for six months without PRO registration, you've likely missed those performance royalties permanently.

If your music is already out there unregistered, don't wait another day — register now and start collecting from this point forward. Some PROs allow you to claim royalties up to a certain look-back period, but it's inconsistent and depends on whether the data was logged at all.

The cleanest move: set up your PRO account, then submit your music to TRUE VISION for distribution. By the time your release is live, you're already registered and ready to collect.

The ISRC: The Backbone of Royalty Tracking

Every song you release needs an ISRC — a unique 12-character code assigned to a specific recording. It looks like this: USRC17607839.

PROs use ISRCs to match streams, plays, and performances back to the right songwriter. Streaming platforms embed ISRCs in their reporting data. When Spotify reports 50,000 streams of your track to ASCAP, ASCAP cross-references the ISRC to figure out who to pay.

Without an ISRC, your royalties go into a black hole. The PRO has no way to connect the activity to your account.

TRUE VISION automatically assigns ISRCs to every track you distribute. You don't need to buy them separately or register them manually. When you go to add your works to ASCAP or BMI, your ISRC is already waiting in your TRUE VISION dashboard. That's one fewer step between you and getting paid. Check out our fee calculator to see what your royalty potential looks like at different stream counts.

What About Mechanical Royalties?

Here's where artists get confused — and it's worth clearing up once and for all.

Performance royalties (what PROs collect) cover public broadcasts and performances: radio, TV, streaming services, live venues, background music in businesses. Your PRO membership covers this side of the equation.

Mechanical royalties cover reproductions: every time your song is streamed, downloaded, or pressed onto a physical medium, a mechanical royalty is generated. For digital streaming, these mechanical royalties flow through your music distributor — not your PRO.

When you distribute through TRUE VISION, mechanical royalties from Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and every other platform you're on are tracked and paid out directly through your dashboard. No W-2 required. No record label taking a cut. Just your money, coming to you.

Want the full picture on music royalties without a record label? We broke it all down.

TRUE VISION + PRO Registration = Your Full Royalty Stack

Here's what the complete setup looks like:

1. Distribute through TRUE VISION ($9.99/month flat) → your music goes to 150+ platforms, ISRCs are assigned automatically, and mechanical royalties flow directly to you
2. Register with ASCAP or BMI (your one manual step) → performance royalties from streaming, radio, TV, and live play route to you

That's it. Two pieces. Together they cover every royalty type you're owed as an independent artist.

If you're trying to figure out how to distribute music independently in 2026, this PRO registration step is the piece most guides forget to mention. TRUE VISION handles everything on the distribution side — but registering with a PRO is the one action only you can take.

Compare how TRUE VISION stacks up against other distributors in our music distribution comparison — spoiler: the flat fee + no W-2 structure hits different when you're actually collecting royalties.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I be on both ASCAP and BMI? No. As a songwriter, you must choose one PRO. You cannot collect performance royalties through both simultaneously. Your publishing entity can technically affiliate with a different PRO than your songwriter account, but this is rarely necessary for independent artists.

How long until I start getting paid? ASCAP and BMI both pay quarterly. Your first royalty check can realistically take 9–18 months after you register and your works start generating reportable activity. Register early and be patient — the money accumulates behind the scenes.

Do I need a publisher to register? No. You can register as a songwriter only. If you want to collect both the songwriter share and the publisher share of performance royalties, you can set up your own publishing entity (even as a sole proprietor) and register it with the same PRO. That doubles the royalty rate you're entitled to.

What if I have co-writers? Each co-writer must be registered with a PRO independently — they don't have to use the same one as you. When you register a work, you enter each co-writer's information and the agreed-upon split percentages. The PRO pays each writer and publisher according to those splits.

Does TRUE VISION register my music with ASCAP or BMI for me? No — and any distributor that claims to do this for you should be read carefully. PRO registration is a direct relationship between you (the rights holder) and the PRO. TRUE VISION handles distribution, ISRC assignment, and mechanical royalty collection. ASCAP/BMI registration is the one step you do manually — and this post is the guide to do it right.

Start Collecting Every Royalty You're Owed

You've already done the hard work — you made the music. Registering with a PRO takes less than an hour and it unlocks royalties that are already being generated every time your music plays anywhere in the world.

Register before your next drop. Use your ISRC from TRUE VISION when you add your works. Then let the royalties stack.

Ready to lock in the distribution side of your royalty stack?

Start distributing with TRUE VISION →

$9.99/month flat. ISRC included. Distribution to 150+ platforms. W-2-free royalty payouts direct to you. No label. No cuts. Just your music and your money.