Performance Royalties, Guide
Performance royalties are earned every time your song is performed publicly — on the radio, in a restaurant, at a concert, or streamed on any platform. They're collected by Performance Rights Organizations (PROs) and represent a major income stream for songwriters.
What are performance royalties?
Performance royalties are generated when a musical composition is publicly performed. Under copyright law, a "public performance" includes any performance outside a normal circle of family and friends — which covers an enormous range of uses.
This includes radio airplay (terrestrial, satellite, and internet), television broadcasts, live concerts and festivals, streaming on any platform, background music in businesses, DJ performances, and even hold music on phone systems.
Performance royalties are split into two equal halves: the writer's share (paid directly to the songwriter by the PRO) and the publisher's share (paid to the songwriter's publisher or administrator). This split is fundamental to how the system works.
Performance royalty revenue sources
Digital Streaming
Interactive and non-interactive streaming platforms report plays to PROs, who distribute performance royalties based on total plays and their revenue pool.
Broadcast (TV & Radio)
Traditional radio and television remain major sources. PROs use a combination of direct monitoring (BDS), station logs, and sampling to track airplay.
Live Performance
Venues, concerts, and festivals pay blanket license fees to PROs. Distribution is based on setlists submitted by artists and venues.
General Licensing
Businesses that play music publicly — restaurants, bars, retail stores, gyms, hotels — pay blanket license fees distributed across the PRO's catalog.
US performance rights organizations
In the US, songwriters must register with one PRO to collect performance royalties. You can only be a member of one PRO at a time. Here's how they compare.
ASCAP
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
- Members
- 920,000+
- Join Fee
- Free to join
- Pays
- Quarterly
Largest US PRO. Open membership — any songwriter can join. Distributes royalties quarterly based on survey data, census data from digital platforms, and cue sheets.
BMI
Broadcast Music, Inc.
- Members
- 1,200,000+
- Join Fee
- Free to join
- Pays
- Quarterly
Largest PRO by member count. Similar collection and distribution methods to ASCAP. Uses a combination of census and sample data to determine royalty allocations.
SESAC
Society of European Stage Authors and Composers
- Members
- 30,000+
- Join Fee
- Invitation only
- Pays
- Quarterly
Smallest major US PRO. Selective, invitation-only membership. Known for personalized service and slightly faster payment processing.
GMR
Global Music Rights
- Members
- Select roster
- Join Fee
- Invitation only
- Pays
- Monthly
Newest and smallest US PRO, founded by Irving Azoff. Represents a small but high-profile roster. Pays monthly and claims higher per-play rates.
Writer's share vs. publisher's share
Key takeaway: Even if you have a PRO, you still need a publisher or administrator to collect the publisher's share of performance royalties. Without one, you're only collecting half.
Writer's Share (50%)
- Paid directly to the songwriter by the PRO
- Cannot be assigned or transferred to a publisher
- Requires PRO membership (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, or GMR)
- Always remains 50% regardless of publishing deal
Publisher's Share (50%)
- Paid to the publisher or publishing administrator
- If self-published, you collect this too (with proper setup)
- JukeHouse collects this on your behalf and passes it through
- Without a publisher, this share often goes uncollected
International performance rights organizations
Your songs earn performance royalties in every country where they're played. Each territory has its own PRO that collects locally. Having a publishing administrator ensures you're registered and collecting everywhere.
PRS for Music
Also handles mechanical royalties through MCPS
GEMA
One of the highest-paying PROs globally
SACEM
Covers both performance and mechanical rights
JASRAC
Second-largest music market in the world
APRA AMCOS
Covers the Australasia region
SOCAN
Sole Canadian PRO for performance rights
ECAD / UBC
Largest Latin American music market
KOMCA
Rapidly growing K-pop market
How to maximize your performance royalties
-
1
Register with a PRO
Join ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC to collect your writer's share. This is step one and it's free.
-
2
Get a publishing administrator
Use JukeHouse or similar service to collect the publisher's share — otherwise it sits uncollected.
-
3
Register every song
Each composition must be individually registered with your PRO. Unregistered songs earn nothing.
-
4
Submit setlists for live shows
After every performance, submit your setlist to your PRO. Many songwriters forget this and miss live performance royalties.
-
5
Ensure international coverage
Your US PRO has reciprocal agreements with international PROs, but a publisher ensures faster and more complete global collection.
-
6
Keep metadata accurate
Correct IPI numbers, songwriter splits, and song titles are essential. Errors cause delayed or lost royalties.
Collect every performance royalty you're owed
JukeHouse collects both the writer's and publisher's share of performance royalties from PROs worldwide — plus mechanical royalties, sync fees, and more.