Resources
Getting paid
Performing rights organizations, SoundExchange, The MLC, and publishing administration — what each official site says it collects, and any published fees.
Official collection organizations and administrators
7 organizations verified November 14, 2026.
| Organization | Website | Official page | Published cost | Notes & source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASCAP U.S. performing rights organization Performance royalties for musical works | ascap.com | Official page | Official page: “Joining ASCAP as a writer member is free. If you join as a writer and publisher at the same time, we’ll waive your publisher application fee, too!” That waiver is described as “a temporary policy.” | ASCAP’s official “Join ASCAP for Free” page describes ASCAP as America’s only PRO operating on a not-for-profit basis and says it pays royalties when your music is played publicly by businesses it licenses. Register works after you join (official “Registering Your Music” help). Recheck the current joining FAQ before you apply. Source: official page · Verified Nov 14, 2026 |
| BMI U.S. performing rights organization Performance royalties for musical works | bmi.com | Official page | Official Join page: songwriter/composer application requires a valid email (applicants under 18 need a custodial trust bank account at a U.S. bank). Publisher online affiliation requires proposed company names, “a credit card issued by a U.S. bank for payment of a one-time processing fee,” and a valid email. A dollar amount for that fee is not stated on the Join page we retrieved. | BMI’s official Join page is the path for songwriters, composers, and U.S. publishers. We do not list a membership price that is not published on that page. Recheck https://www.bmi.com/join before you apply. BMI Online applications have announced scheduled maintenance November 17, 2026, 8:30–11:30 p.m. Central Standard Time (as published on that page). Source: official page · Verified Nov 14, 2026 |
| SESAC U.S. performing rights organization Performance royalties for musical works (invitation only) | sesac.com | Official page | Invitation only — official FAQ: SESAC “does not accept unsolicited submission.” | Official SESAC FAQ: “How Do I Become an Affiliate? SESAC is an invitation-only company, so the best route is to have your representative(s) (lawyer, manager, agent, etc.) contact us on your behalf. SESAC does not accept unsolicited submission.” Source: official page · Verified Nov 14, 2026 |
| SoundExchange U.S. collective management organization Digital performance royalties for sound recordings | soundexchange.com | Official page | No membership price was published on the official homepage and FAQ pages we retrieved. Register on the official site to collect royalties that may already be waiting. | Official FAQ: SoundExchange “collects digital performance royalties for sound recordings in the United States.” Featured-performer royalties are paid to the featured performers on a track (or companies wholly owned by them, or other parties listed in that FAQ). Non-featured (session) royalties are described as being covered by organizations such as the AFM and SAG-AFTRA. This is separate from ASCAP/BMI/SESAC, which collect for the underlying musical work. Source: official page · Verified Nov 14, 2026 |
| The MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective) U.S. collective (digital mechanicals) U.S. digital audio mechanical royalties for musical works | themlc.com | Official page | Official Get Started page: “Connecting with The MLC is free and easy!” and “CONNECTING WITH THE MLC IS FREE AND EASY.” | The MLC’s official site says anyone entitled to receive U.S. digital audio mechanical royalties should become a member, then register songs in the Member Hub. This covers interactive streaming mechanicals in the U.S., which are separate from performance royalties collected by a PRO and from SoundExchange sound-recording royalties. Source: official page · Verified Nov 14, 2026 |
| Songtrust Publishing administration Collects performance and mechanical royalties for songwriters | songtrust.com | Official page | Official pricing page: “$100 We charge a flat, one-time fee per songwriter.” Administration fee “15% for performance royalties and 20% for non-performance (worldwide mechanical royalties) collected on your behalf. You keep the rest.” Official page also: “Keep Your Rights” — Songtrust “leaves copyright ownership and creative control where it belongs — with you.” A one-year post-term collection period is described if you cancel. | Copied from Songtrust’s official pricing page. Recheck that page before you pay. Official contact email published in the site footer of that page: hello@songtrust.com. Source: official page · Verified Nov 14, 2026 |
| TuneCore Publishing Publishing administration Publishing royalty collection offered by TuneCore | tunecore.com | Official page | Official page: “$75 one-time fee” and “Keep 100% of Your Copyrights.” The same page markets “Collect up to 20% more*” from streams — that figure is described as additional publishing income, not as TuneCore’s commission. An administration-percentage was not clearly published in the text we could copy from this page, so none is listed here. | Copied from TuneCore’s official Music Publishing Administration page. Recheck that page for current fees and any commission terms before you enroll. Source: official page · Verified Nov 14, 2026 |
About this list
Official contacts only, verified November 14, 2026 (America/Chicago). Every website, submission page, email, mailing address, and published price was copied from the organization’s official site. If a field is blank, it was not published on the official page we cite.
Policies change. Open the official link and re-check before you send music or a package. Rap Therapy is not affiliated with these organizations and cannot submit, follow up, or negotiate on your behalf.
These organizations collect different kinds of money. A PRO (ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC) collects public-performance royalties for the song. SoundExchange collects certain digital performance royalties for the sound recording. The MLC collects U.S. digital mechanical royalties for the song. Publishing administrators help register and collect across societies, for a published fee. Joining one does not replace the others.
