Do I need both BMI and ASCAP?
Music in your business might improve the mood of your consumers and staff. You would have to pay both ASCAP licensure charges and BMI licensing fees if you played a song with an ASCAP streaming license and another song licensed with BMI.
What is the difference between BMI and ASCAP?
Both ASCAP and BMI have a 70/30 split between them, which is similar to the 50/50 split of classical music. The difference is that ASCapanet uses percentages based on total performance royalties (thus 50%), whereas BMI divides them first and distributes 100% of each half to the correctly licensed individuals.
Can you switch from BMI to ASCAP?
The BMI requires a minimum two-year term from your initial affiliation date. ASCAP does not have a minimum period; rather, it has several periods throughout the year where you may terminate your membership.
Perks for joining ASCAP includes:
Access to the Create music expo in Los Angeles
Access to different award shows
The system offers song camps, showcases, workshops, and similar events
Discounts to songwriters who have the Hall of Fame membership discount.
Membership to the US Alliance Federal Credit Unit Membership
Different types of discounts on Federal Credit Union Membership
Hotel and Rental car discount.
Perks of joining BMI :
Offering songwriting camps, workshops, and showcases
Access to different award shows
Chance to perform on BMI-branded stages
Discount for songwriters who belong to the Hall of Fame
Discounts in Billboard, video games like, and Billboard Touring Conference and Awards.
Discounts on music products and services.
Signup fee :
If you are a DIY musician, signing up with BMI may be the right choice for you. But, the best part about ASCAP is that if you pay for something, it offers you more. For songwriters, ASCAP charges a one-time fee of $50 for the application. On the other hand, BMI does not charge any fee.
Terms of agreement :
When you get in touch with a PRO, you have to sign a deal with them. The deal explains that you can't register the same song with another PRO if you are in a contract.
The contract terms for a deal with ASCAP are for a standard one-year and the deal automatically gets renewed after one year. On the other hand, the agreement with BMI is for two years.
Payment conditions :
With both these PROs, it takes a while to get the payment after your song has been played and performed.
The songwriter payment by ASCAP takes almost six months after the quarter in which the song was played. But, on the other hand, the songwriter payment from BMI takes almost 5 months after the song was played.
The minimum amount of payment for ASCAP is $1 if you enroll in the direct deposit mode. If you want to get payment in check, you need to make a payment of $100. In this term, BMI is a bit expensive. The payment minimum for BMI is $2 in case of direct deposit and $250 if you want to get the payment in the cheque.
How are these PROs similar?
Following are the major points that explain the similarity between these platforms:
Both these PROs offer a 50/50 split between the publisher and the songwriter.
The PROs will offer 88% of the collection to the members.
You will receive payment for paying your own songs live
You can also register your performance online
You don't have to pay any recurring membership fee.
You will be eligible to get special deals by joining any of these platforms.
Membership and representation of the song :
The ASCAP platform was formed in 1914 and it has been around for much longer as compared to BMI. But, in terms of membership, BMI has more members
Number of members in ASCAP: 715,000
Number of members in BMI: 900,000
Thus, BMI represents more songs and artists.
Song representation by ASCAP: 11.5 million
Song representation by BMI: 14.0 million