What do you know about ASCAP?

 

ASCAP stands for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. It is a major organization in the music industry.

Here is a summary of what ASCAP is and what it does:

1. Primary Function: Performance Rights Organization (PRO)

 * Role: ASCAP is a not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that operates as a central agency to license and collect royalties for the public performance of its members' musical works.

 * What is a "Public Performance?" This includes music played on:

   * Radio (AM/FM, satellite, streaming)

   * Television and film

   * Digital streaming services

   * Commercial venues (bars, restaurants, gyms, theme parks, concert halls, etc.)

2. Mission and Royalties

 * Core Purpose: Its mission is to ensure that music creators are fairly compensated when their music is used publicly.

 * Mechanism: ASCAP collects licensing fees from businesses and services that use music and then distributes those funds back to its members (songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers) as performance royalties.

 * Not-for-Profit Status: It is the only PRO in the U.S. that operates on a not-for-profit basis, meaning that nearly 90 cents of every dollar it collects goes back to its members after operating expenses.

3. Key Facts

 * Founded: February 13, 1914, making it the first PRO in the United States.

 * Founders: A group of prominent figures including Irving Berlin, Victor Herbert, and Glen MacDonough.

 * Membership: It represents over one million music creator members across all genres.

 * Scope: It licenses a massive catalog of songs and scores and maintains reciprocal agreements with foreign PROs to collect international royalties for its members.

 * Distinction: ASCAP handles public performance rights only. It does not handle mechanical royalties (royalties for reproduction/downloads) or other rights like print/adaptation.

4. Benefits for Members

Beyond collecting royalties, ASCAP provides its members with a variety of resources:

 * Advocacy: It actively advocates for music creators' rights and copyright protection in the digital age.

 * Education: It offers career development, workshops, and educational programs (like the "I Create Music" EXPO).

 * Wellness Program: It provides discounts and resources related to mental health, physical fitness, and overall creator well-being.

 * Discounts: Members receive discounts on various products and services related to music creation, instrument insurance, and travel.

 * ASCAP OnStage: A program that allows members to submit set lists from live performances at licensed venues to ensure they get paid for those plays.

Note:

If you're not clicking those colored texts, kindly Know you're missing something important 😃...

What do you think about this video?

We want to hear from you all.

Drop your comments

Upload Your Song