Research on professional audio organizations including the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the 3 Performance Rights Organizations. What they do, and how it effects those in the audio industry.

1. The RIAA & The Three Major
Performance Rights Organizations
(P.R.O)

2. RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
OF AMERICA (RIAA)
A TRADE ORGANIZATION THAT SUPPORTS AND PROMOTES
THE CREATIVE AND FINANCIAL VITALITY OF THE MAJOR
MUSIC COMPANIES.

3. WHAT THEY DO
• WORK TO PROTECT INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY AND FIRST AMENDMENT
RIGHTS OF ARTISTS AND MUSIC LABELS.
• CERTIFY GOLD, PLATINUM, MULTI-
PLATINUM, DIAMOND & LOS PREMIOS DE
ORO Y PLATINO SALES AND STREAMING
AWARDS.

4. WHO DOES THE RIAA WORK WITH?
• THE RIAA OPERATES WITH ALL MAJOR
RECORD LABELS (SONY MUSIC
ENTERTAINMENT, UNIVERSAL MUSIC
GROUP, WARNER MUSIC GROUP)
• THEY WORK WITH ASCAP, BMI, SESAC
Fun Fact: 85% of legitimate recorded music in the us, both produced and sold,
is created, manufactured, or distributed by a RIAA member

5. •THEY LICENSE, COLLECT AND DISTRIBUTE PUBLIC PERFORMANCE ROYALTIES
FOR SONGWRITERS AND PUBLISHERS. THIS INCLUDES WHEN MUSIC IS:
•BROADCAST ON THE RADIO(TERRESTRIAL OR SATELLITE)
•BROADCAST ON THE RADIO USED ON TV OR MOVIES (INCLUDING
COMMERCIALS)
•PERFORMED OR STREAMED LIVE (LIKE IN BARS, RESTAURANTS,
PERFORMANCE VENUES)
•STREAMED OVER DIGITAL SERVICES (SUCH AS SPOTIFY OR
PANDORA)
How the PRO’s do it

6. •THE PRO WILL ENSURE ALL VENUES HAVE A LICENSE TO PLAY MUSIC,
COLLECT PUBLIC PERFORMANCE ROYALTIES FROM ALL, TRACK WHO
HASN’T PAID UP AND THEN DETERMINE THE COMPOSER, PUBLISHER,
AND SONGWRITER TO PAY FOR EACH INSTANCE, THEY COMPILE A LIST
OF WHAT MUSIC WAS PLAYED WHERE AND INCLUDES THIS
INFORMATION WITH EVERY PAYMENT TO EACH ARTIST IT REPRESENTS.
•THE MAIN PROS IN THE U.S. INCLUDE ASCAP, BMI, AND SESAC.

7. BMI
BROADCAST MUSIC, INC.
• A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT REPRESENTS OVER 12 MILLION MUSICAL WORKS FROM OVER 750,000 ARTISTS.
• MEMBERSHIPIS FREE FOR SONGWRITERS. FOR PUBLISHERS, THERE’S A $150 FEE FOR INDIVIDUALS AND $250 FOR COMPANIES.
• 2016 DISTRIBUTION: $931 MILLION (FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30)
• ADDITIONAL BENEFITS:
• DISCOUNTED REGISTRATION FOR BILLBOARD LATIN CONFERENCE OFFERED TO BMI AFFILIATES
• LARAS OFFERS MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT TO BMI AFFILIATES
• NXNE OFFERS SPECIAL DISCOUNT TO BMI AFFILIATES
• VIDEO GAMES LIVE OFFERS SPECIAL DISCOUNT TO BMI AFFILIATES FOR LA SHOW
• BILLBOARD TOURING CONFERENCE AND AWARDS OFFERS DISCOUNTED REGISTRATION TO BMI AFFILIATES
• ARTISTSHARE FOR SONGWRITERS
• FANBRIDGE
• MUSICIAN’S ATLAS
• MUZLINK
• SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME
• THE PRODUCTION MARKETPLACE

8. SESAC
SOCIETY OF EUROPEAN STAGE AUTHORS AND COMPOSERS
• SESAC IS THE ONLY FOR-PROFIT PRIVATE COMPANY AMONG THE "BIG THREE" PROS. BASED OUT OF NASHVILLE, SESAC
SERVES AROUND 400,000 MUSICAL WORKS FROM OVER 30,000 AFFILIATED WRITERS.
• SESAC PAYS ITS MEMBERS QUARTERLY ROYALTY CHECKS EXACTLY LIKE BMI AND ASCAP. BUT, MEMBERS OF SESAC HAVE THE
OPTION TO RECEIVE MONTHLY RADIO ROYALTY PAYMENTS AS WELL.
• ANOTHER MAJOR DIFFERENCE IS SESAC IS NOT OPEN TO JUST ANYONE. TO GAIN MEMBERSHIP, ARTISTS ARE INVITED TO JOIN.
• THERE IS NO COST TO JOIN SESAC.
• 2016 DISTRIBUTION: $400 MILLION TO $500 MILLION (BILLBOARDESTIMATE)
• ADDITIONAL BENEFITS:
• SESAC DIRECT DEPOSIT
• SESAC OFFERS SPECIAL DISCOUNT AT POPMARKET
• 10% OFF AT SPRINT
• 10% OFF AT BERKLEEMUSIC.COM
• 15% OFF OF THE FIRST YEAR OF SONGTRUST
• DISCOUNTED NERO MULTIMEDIA SUITE 10
• Discount Airport Parking
• Discounted rate on CMA’s Sterling Individual membership
• Free 3-month Musician’s Atlas online account
• 20% discount on Legacy Learning Systems
• Discount subscriptions for Billboard Publications
• Special organizational rate at The Hollywood Reporter
• 33% discount to American Songwriter Magazine

9. ASCAP
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF COMPOSERS, AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS
• THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF COMPOSERS, AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS (ASCAP) IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION. IT IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT'S CONTROLLED
ENTIRELY BY THE COMPOSERS, WRITERS, AND MUSIC PUBLISHERS THAT MAKE UP ITS MEMBERSHIP. LAUNCHED IN 1914, ASCAP IS THE OLDEST OF THE "BIG THREE"
BY ABOUT 16 YEARS. IT REPRESENTS MORE THAN 10 MILLION WORKS FROM OVER 550,000 MEMBERS.
• MEMBERSHIP IS $50 FOR BOTH SONGWRITERS AND PUBLISHERS.
• 2016 DISTRIBUTION: $918 MILLION
• ADDITIONAL BENEFITS:
• DISCOUNT ON MEMBERSHIP TO THE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME
• MEMBERSHIP IN THE U.S. ALLIANCE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
• DISCOUNTS ON HEALTH, DENTAL, INSTRUMENT AND LIFE INSURANCE VIA ITS MUSICPRO PROGRAM
• DISCOUNT ON ASCAP WEB TOOLS, A SET OF INTERNET-BASED MARKETING AND SALES TOOLS DEVELOPED BY NIMBIT, INC. FOR ASCAP MEMBERS
• DISCOUNTS ON MUSIC-RELATED RETAIL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
• HOTEL AND RENTAL CAR DISCOUNTS
• ANNUAL ASCAP "I CREATE MUSIC" EXPO

10. WHAT IS A P.R.O & WHY IS IT
IMPORTANT?
• PROS OBSERVE & KEEP TRACK OF BOTH
MULTIPLE MEDIA PURCHASING VENUES &
SALES AS WELL AS STREAMING PLAYS
ALONG SIDE UNDERGOING SEVERAL
DETAILED TASKS 365 DAYS OUT OF THE
YEAR ON A DAILY BASIS TO ENSURE THEIR
MEMBERS, (ARTIST, MUSICIANS,
COMPOSERS, SONG WRITERS, ETC..) GET
PAID FOR THERE WORK.

11. WHICH ONE IS FOR YOU?
• DEPENDING ON WHAT AN ARTIST NEEDS FROM THEIR PRO, ANY OF THE "BIG THREE" ARE GREAT OPTIONS.
• THE COSTS ARE LARGELY THE SAME (KEEP IN MIND THAT IN ADDITION TO MEMBERSHIP FEES, ALL PROS
ALSO TAKE AN ESTIMATED 11-13% FEE FROM COLLECTED ROYALTIES TO COVER ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
AND EXPENSES). SO IT USUALLY COMES DOWN TO SIDE BENEFITS, CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND PERSONAL
PREFERENCE.
• ONCE YOU CHOOSE A PRO AND BEGIN COLLECTING QUARTERLY PUBLIC PERFORMANCE ROYALTY CHECKS.

12. THANK YOU