Do you need a PRO? What a collecting society pays and what it misses
If your songs are played anywhere, yes. A PRO or CMO collects performance royalties for the song, not the recording. Here is what it covers, the one-society rule, and the mistakes that cost independent artists money.
If anyone plays your songs in public, yes. A performing rights organisation (PRO), also called a collecting society or CMO, collects money you cannot realistically collect yourself. Joining is usually cheap and sometimes free.
A PRO pays the songwriters and publishers of a song. It does not pay for the recording. That is the most common misunderstanding, and the reason many artists think they are covered when they are not.
What a PRO does
Radio stations, venues, bars, gyms, shops, TV channels and streaming services all play music they did not write. They cannot ask every songwriter for permission. Instead they pay a society for a blanket licence, and the society pays the writers whose songs were played.
A society collects performance royalties from:
- Radio and TV broadcasts
- Live shows, from festivals to a bar gig, when the setlist is declared
- Public places that play music: shops, restaurants, gyms, hotels
- Streaming services, for the performance part of each stream
What a PRO does not collect
- Master royalties. The money for the recording itself comes through your distributor or label. Neighbouring rights for the recording (radio and public play of the master) go through a separate body, such as PlayRight in Belgium, PPL in the UK or SoundExchange in the US.
- Mechanical royalties, in some countries. In the US, PROs like ASCAP and BMI do not collect mechanicals; the MLC and publishers do. Many European societies, such as SABAM, SACEM and GEMA, collect both.
- Anything for songs it does not know about. Joining is step one. Registering each song is step two.
The writer share and the publisher share
A performance royalty splits into two halves: the writer share and the publisher share.
- The writer share always goes to the songwriters.
- The publisher share goes to the publisher. If you have no publisher, that half can sit unclaimed.
Self-releasing writers without a publishing deal should check how their society handles this. Some let you register as your own publisher. Others pay the full amount to writers without a publisher. Some pay it through a publishing administrator. Ask yours before you assume the publisher half reaches you.
One society, worldwide
You can belong to one society as a writer. That is not a limitation: societies have reciprocal agreements with each other, so your home society collects plays from abroad through its sister societies and pays you.
Registering the same song with two societies causes a conflict. The money is frozen until it is resolved.
Main societies by country
| Country | Society | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | SABAM | Performance and mechanical |
| Netherlands | Buma/Stemra | Performance (Buma) and mechanical (Stemra) |
| France | SACEM | Performance and mechanical |
| Germany | GEMA | Performance and mechanical |
| United Kingdom | PRS for Music | Performance (PRS) and mechanical (MCPS) |
| United States | ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR | Performance only |
| Canada | SOCAN | Performance and reproduction |
| Australia, NZ | APRA AMCOS | Performance and mechanical |
In most countries, pick the society where you live. In the US you choose between ASCAP and BMI; SESAC and GMR are invitation only.
The mistakes that cost money
- Joining but never registering songs. A society pays on works it knows. Register every song with its writers and shares, then search your name in the society's public repertoire to check.
- Splits that do not add up. If co-writers register different shares, the society holds the song until they agree. Settle the split before release with a split sheet.
- Never declaring live shows. Most societies pay for live performances only when you send the setlist.
- Leaving the publisher share unclaimed. No publisher and no plan for that half can mean it never reaches you.
- Thinking the distributor handles it. Distributors collect for the recording. They do not register your songs with a society.
What Aden is for
Aden keeps the facts a society asks for on each track: the writers, their IPI numbers, their society and their shares. Shows keep their setlist, and Aden tracks which ones you still have to declare.
Aden is not a PRO and does not collect royalties. It keeps your songs ready to register, so the registration matches the split you agreed.
FAQ
Do I need a PRO if I only release on Spotify?
Yes. Streams carry a performance part that is paid to songwriters and publishers through societies, not through your distributor. Without a society, that part of each stream does not reach you.
What is the difference between a PRO and a CMO?
Mostly the name. PRO (performing rights organisation) is the common term in the US. CMO (collective management organisation) and collecting society are the terms used in Europe and elsewhere. Many CMOs also collect mechanical royalties.
Can I join more than one PRO?
No, not as a writer for the same territory. Your home society collects worldwide through agreements with other societies. Registering a song with two societies freezes the money until the conflict is resolved.
Does my PRO pay me for the recording?
No. A PRO pays songwriters and publishers for the composition. Money for the recording comes from your distributor or label, and neighbouring rights from bodies like PlayRight, PPL or SoundExchange.
Do I get paid for playing my own songs live?
Usually, yes. Declare the setlist of each show to your society. The venue or promoter pays a licence fee, and the society passes your share on.
Does Aden collect performance royalties?
No. Aden is not a collecting society. It keeps your writers, IPIs, splits and setlists in one place so your registrations and declarations are complete.
Less admin. More music.
