In order to fully appreciate the important role that the antitrust consent decrees governing the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) play in maintaining a fair and efficient music licensing system, it’s essential to understand the basic operations of a performing rights organization — also known as a “PRO.”
Fundamentally, PROs serve as middlemen between thousands of small and large businesses located throughout the U.S. and representatives of the songwriting community. They collect licensing fees from businesses that play music in their establishments, over the airwaves and the internet, and distribute those royalties to music publishers and their songwriter affiliates.
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