A little side note: You may have noticed I have something of a sarcastic streak in me
at this point.
These organizations, called Copyright Collective Organizations or Performing Rights
Organizations (PRO), send you or your publisher a check each quarter with royalties for
your song(s) air-play. How nice is that? Walk out to the mailbox one fine, sunny day and
find a hefty check. It’s only going to be hefty, though, if your song is killer and gets a ton
of air-play. And, as always, there’s a catch. Should you join one of these organizations? If
so, when should you join? Plus they have requirements. There are always requirements.
Theirs are: 1. There is money to collect for your musical works and, more importantly; 2.
That you meet their requirements to receive money after you join.
Moses Avalon makes some good points in his article, Why You Should Think Twice
Before Joining ASCAP, BMI Or SESAC. Avalon says, “So, unless one of the PRO’s offers
you a financial incentive to join, you should wait until you have written music that fills at
least one of the following criteria:
[
- It was recorded by a significant artist and the album or single is to be released in the
next few months. - It was placed in a movie soundtrack that is about to be broadcast on a major TV net-
work in the next few months. - It was used as a theme for a series that is about to be broadcast on a significant TV net-
work–in the next few months.