Myth: ASCAP and BMI Collect All Your Publishing Royalties

“I’m registered with BMI, so my publishing is handled.”

It’s one of the most common — and most expensive — assumptions in indie music.

PROs like ASCAP and BMI are Performing Rights Organizations. They collect a slice of performance royalties. They do not collect your mechanical royalties from Spotify, Apple Music, or the international streaming pipelines that sit outside what your home PRO covers.

Affiliation matters. An IPI number matters. But a PRO affiliation alone is not full publishing collection.

What a publishing admin adds

A publishing administrator registers your works across PROs and mechanical societies so you’re not only covered for one performance channel. That’s how you get at the mechanicals and the residual performance sources your PRO never sees.

Not sure which PRO you need in your territory? Start with the PRO directory.