Do I need a PRO? If so, ASCAP or BMI?

[Feenix]

Hello all. I'm new to the forum and I'm pitching songs through Taxi. Do I need a PRO? If so, what do YOU use and why? Any advice is most appreciated. Thanks!

[TerrellBurt]

Definitely check out the video on this page at http://forthdistrict.com/mic-monday-w-n ... auren-art/. This is Platinum songwriter Natalie Lauren (Iggy Azalea, Lecrae, Kiki Palmer, etc) and she touches on PROs.

But if you are a songwriter or composer looking to get compensated for your work, then you definitely want to sign up with a PRO asap. I'm with BMI. No specific reason why I chose them, I was just referred to them a few years ago when I was deciding which PRO to go with.

[Russell Landwehr]

I waited to sign with a PRO until I had a Library ready to contract my music... it put me a little behind and (in my opinion) made me look bush-league.
In hindsight, it would have been best to affiliate much earlier so that everything was in place when "it" happened.

I went with BMI.
In my researches, here is what I found.

For TV cue sheets, ASCAP gets the info out much sooner.
But, if you place anything direct to supervisor where you get the publishing royalties, BMI seems the way to go since you can collect the publishing royalties as an "excess writer's clearance" instead of the way ASCAP does it by charging you an additional fee to register as a Publisher.

Other than that, the only real difference I could see was that affiliating with ASCAP seems more like joining a Union, and affiliating with BMI is more like kissing "the man's" ass.

(yeah, I puckered up)

Regards
Russell Landwehr

[nutotech]

Better weigh in on ASCAP's behalf. Up until last year I was primarily writing for radio ID's, jingles and production libraries. Chose ASCAP b/c they pay (now: paid) on Radio ID's commercials and jingles. BMI only pays for :30 of music in the clear.

That being said: I have a buy-out deal with a library where the owner "writes" everything but pays us PRO royalties. (Know it's a little squirrelly but it works.) This library primarily places with reality TV and some up-the-food-chain cable shows. I see a LOT more money via his BMI royalties than I do from ASCAP TV placements.

As Russell stated: Yes, ASCAP is very quick in providing info and payments. And in fairness, the "Union" vibe has diminished and the folks in the NYC office seem much friendlier since Paul Williams has been President. From what I hear from my BMI writer pals, they are a much more amiable bunch.

And yes, as a writer-publisher with ASCAP I'm charged $50 year for the publishing company. But I've been blessed for years with the radio royalties so I can't bitch.

[Dwayne Russell]

If you are going to collect royalties you need one.