ASCAP vs BMI? Cage match!
Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2017 2:14 pm
ASCAP or BMI? I'm ASCAP but reconsidering. Your experience or opinion pro and con?
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Re: ASCAP vs BMI? Cage match!
Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2017 4:21 am
ASCAP here since 1998. I haven't had any issues with it. Pretty simple online process for registering titles, etc.
Re: ASCAP vs BMI? Cage match!
Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2017 6:20 am
From what I hear they all even out in the end—distribution rates can sometimes vary, but seems they're pretty similar overall.
I'm with BMI—no complaints.
One (minor) thing I've noticed is that it's cheaper to set up a publishing account with ASCAP ($50) than it is with BMI ($150), if that's something you plan on doing... but I'm not sure that's enough of a big deal to affect a decision between the two.
I'm with BMI—no complaints.
One (minor) thing I've noticed is that it's cheaper to set up a publishing account with ASCAP ($50) than it is with BMI ($150), if that's something you plan on doing... but I'm not sure that's enough of a big deal to affect a decision between the two.
Re: ASCAP vs BMI? Cage match!
Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2017 11:26 am
Joining BMI as a songwriter is free, ASCAP has a 1 time fee of $50. I've been with ASCAP since 2000. They have some members bonuses you can check out on their website. And yes as Anna says the publishing is $50 vs $150 for BMI..so looks like ASCAP would be less for both!
Best,
Linda C
Best,
Linda C
Re: ASCAP vs BMI? Cage match!
Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2017 12:54 pm
Services, service charges, workshops. I'm not sure you can determine which one would pay you more as you can't be in both at the same time.
If you just google "BMI workshops" and "ASCAP workshops", it appears that BMI skews Nashville, Austin City Limits, Bluegrass, while ASCAP skews more NYC, LA, Film, Theater, animation
If you never used any of the services or plan to attend any workshops, I guess it doesn't really matter as much.
For example: Royalty assignment
Ascap: $75-$250
https://www.ascap.com/~/media/2a87adade ... d987b0.pdf
BMI: "A $500 processing fee will be deducted from the first royalties payable under the assignment. The fee is $250 if the entity to which you are assigning your royalties is a corporation, LLC or trust solely owned by you. The fee is waived if the form is submitted with an application for BMI affiliation or with the submission of a BMI Estate Questionnaire for a deceased affiliate."
https://www.bmi.com/pdfs/royalty_assignment_form.pdf
Marriage dissolution. ASCAP is $250. BMI??. So what if you were getting divorced, and the judge ordered a royalty assignment to your ex-spouse?
It's almost like you are comparing banks. 
But then again, if you were hooked up through a workshop and scored on a high paying project,lol, maybe it negates some of that? If you chose the one with the right workshop,lol!
It's too individual circumstance imo to have a cage match. You could always wait around for a SESAC invitation,lol!
https://www.sesac.com/WritersPublishers/affiliate.aspx
If you just google "BMI workshops" and "ASCAP workshops", it appears that BMI skews Nashville, Austin City Limits, Bluegrass, while ASCAP skews more NYC, LA, Film, Theater, animation
If you never used any of the services or plan to attend any workshops, I guess it doesn't really matter as much.
For example: Royalty assignment
Ascap: $75-$250
https://www.ascap.com/~/media/2a87adade ... d987b0.pdf
BMI: "A $500 processing fee will be deducted from the first royalties payable under the assignment. The fee is $250 if the entity to which you are assigning your royalties is a corporation, LLC or trust solely owned by you. The fee is waived if the form is submitted with an application for BMI affiliation or with the submission of a BMI Estate Questionnaire for a deceased affiliate."
https://www.bmi.com/pdfs/royalty_assignment_form.pdf
Marriage dissolution. ASCAP is $250. BMI??. So what if you were getting divorced, and the judge ordered a royalty assignment to your ex-spouse?
It's almost like you are comparing banks. But then again, if you were hooked up through a workshop and scored on a high paying project,lol, maybe it negates some of that? If you chose the one with the right workshop,lol! It's too individual circumstance imo to have a cage match. You could always wait around for a SESAC invitation,lol!
https://www.sesac.com/WritersPublishers/affiliate.aspx
Re: ASCAP vs BMI? Cage match!
Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2017 7:18 am
I believe the big difference is that ASCAP shows you cue sheets and BMI doesn't.
That surely seems like a deal maker or breaker to me.
That surely seems like a deal maker or breaker to me.
Re: ASCAP vs BMI? Cage match!
Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2017 12:35 pm
And several years back ASCAP cut one of its background use rates to a fraction of what it was previously.
Background vocal I believe.
Background vocal I believe.
Re: ASCAP vs BMI? Cage match!
Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 12:55 pm
In BMI's favor, you can collect the publisher's share if you're entitled to it without paying anything extra or setting up another account. A $50 difference. That being said, I'm with ASCAP and have no complaints
Re: ASCAP vs BMI? Cage match!
Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 4:22 pm
Question about ASCAP. Do they pay royalties on recordings and/or live performances of public domain and/or cover music? I'm not sure how BMI works on that. (I've been with BMI for years, but have made no royalties from them. Yet.) They only recently started covering live performances, which is something I know ASCAP has probably always done. I probably won't switch (too much trouble, plus there's the whole issue of trying to reassign music already under their aegis), but I am curious. Thanks.
Merry
Merry