What Is a PRO in Music? (And Why Not Having One Is Costing You Money Every Month)
If you've been researching music royalties, you've probably seen the acronym "PRO" come up. It stands for Performing Rights Organisation. This page explains exactly what a PRO does, which one you should join, and whether beat producers actually need one.
Short answer: yes, beat producers need a PRO. Here's why.
This is part of The Complete Guide to Music Publishing for Beat Producers
What Does a PRO Do?
A PRO is an organisation that collects performance royalties on behalf of songwriters and publishers.
Every time your music is publicly performed - streamed on Spotify, played on a radio station, broadcast on TV, or performed at a live venue - a performance royalty is generated. That royalty belongs to you as the songwriter. But there's no practical way for you to track every instance of your music being used across every platform, venue, and broadcaster in the world.
That's what a PRO does. It:
- Collects blanket licensing fees from streaming platforms, radio stations, TV broadcasters, bars, restaurants, and any other business that plays music publicly
- Tracks which songs are being played and how often
- Distributes the collected royalties back to registered songwriters and publishers
Without a PRO, your performance royalties go uncollected.
Are PROs the Same as Distributors?
No. These are completely different things.
Your Distributor
Gets your music onto streaming platforms and collects master royalties - your cut of streaming revenue as the owner of the sound recording.
Your PRO
Collects performance royalties on your composition - the underlying melody, harmony, and arrangement you created as the songwriter.
A single Spotify stream generates both types of royalties. Your distributor collects one. Your PRO collects the other. You need both.
The Major PROs by Country
| PRO | Country | Cost to Join | Notable Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASCAP | United States | Free for writers, and for writer + publisher joining together. US$50 for a publisher joining on its own. | Non-profit, member-controlled, open to all |
| BMI | United States | Free for songwriters | Largest repertoire (17M+ works), founded by radio broadcasters |
| SESAC | United States | Invitation only | Smaller, faster payments, selective |
| APRA AMCOS | Australia / NZ | Free | Handles both performance and mechanical royalties |
| PRS for Music | United Kingdom | £100 one-time for writers (£30 if under 25), charged in British pounds. MCPS is a separate £100. | Handles performance royalties; MCPS handles mechanicals |
| SOCAN | Canada | Free | Handles performance royalties for Canadian songwriters |
ASCAP describes the writer and combined writer + publisher fee waiver as temporary. A publisher joining on its own pays a US$50 one-time application fee. Writer membership is for life, with no annual fee. MCPS is a separate membership costing a further £100 one-time for writers. Publisher companies pay £400 one-time for PRS, plus £400 for a separate MCPS membership. They must represent at least 15 works by at least two different writers.
Membership fees checked October 6th, 2026. Sources: ASCAP membership FAQ, PRS and MCPS membership fees, PRS publisher eligibility.
Note: SoundExchange is sometimes mentioned alongside PROs, but it's a different organisation. SoundExchange collects performance royalties specifically for recorded performances on digital radio (Pandora, SiriusXM) - not for composition rights. You may want to register with SoundExchange separately.
Most countries have at least one PRO. PROs have reciprocal agreements with each other, meaning if you're registered in Australia and your music is streamed in Germany, GEMA (the German PRO) collects on your behalf and remits back to APRA AMCOS, which pays you.
Which PRO Should I Choose?
Are you based in the US?
Choose between ASCAP or BMI. Both are solid. BMI is free to join for songwriters. ASCAP is free to join as a songwriter, and free for a songwriter and publisher joining at the same time. ASCAP describes the writer and combined writer + publisher fee waiver as temporary. A publisher joining on its own pays a US$50 one-time application fee.
Based in Australia or New Zealand?
Register with APRA AMCOS. It handles both performance and mechanical royalties in one organisation. Free to join.
Based in the UK?
Register with PRS for Music for performance royalties. Also register with MCPS (same group, separate registration) to capture mechanical royalties.
Based in Canada?
Register with SOCAN for performance royalties.
Another country?
Search for your local PRO. Most countries have at least one. PROs have reciprocal agreements worldwide, so registering with your local PRO gives you global coverage.
Do Beat Producers Specifically Need a PRO?
Yes - for two reasons.
Reason 1: You're a songwriter
When you create a beat, you are creating a composition - a melody, a chord structure, a rhythmic arrangement. That composition is a copyrighted work, and you are its songwriter. Every time it's streamed or broadcast, you are owed a performance royalty.
In hip-hop and trap specifically, the beat often contains the primary melodic hook of the song. Producers in these genres have a strong claim to songwriting credits and the performance royalties that come with them.
Reason 2: You're leaving half your royalties on the table
PROs split performance royalties into a writer's share (50%) and a publisher's share (50%). Without being registered as both a songwriter and a publisher, you're missing the publisher's share entirely.
Learn more about how splits work.
How to Join a PRO as a Beat Producer
If you're in the US:
- 1Choose between ASCAP and BMI (either works - don't overthink it)
- 2Register as a songwriter on their website
- 3Also register as a publisher (create a publishing entity name - it can be anything, e.g. "Nuxe Music Publishing")
- 4Start registering your individual beats/compositions in their system
- 5Each registration requires: song title, ISRC code, your IPI/CAE number, co-writer details and splits
If you're in Australia:
- 1Register with APRA AMCOS at apraamcos.com.au
- 2Register as both songwriter and publisher
- 3Register your compositions
If you're in the UK:
- 1Register with PRS for Music at prsformusic.com
- 2Also register with MCPS to capture mechanical royalties (same group, separate registration)
What a PRO Doesn't Do
Understanding the limits of what a PRO covers helps you make sure you're not missing anything:
A PRO does NOT collect:
- Mechanical royalties from streaming (in the US - this is the MLC's job)
- Master recording royalties (that's your distributor)
- YouTube Content ID revenue (that's a separate system)
- Sync licensing fees (negotiated separately per placement)
To be fully set up as an independent producer collecting all available income streams, you need:
- A distributor (master royalties + streaming distribution)
- A PRO membership (performance royalties)
- A publishing administrator or MLC registration (mechanical royalties - US)
- A publishing entity registration (to collect publisher's share)
- Content ID setup (YouTube revenue)
This is a lot of separate systems. Dreamhause is built to consolidate the distribution and publishing registration side into one process.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Bottom Line for Beat Producers
If you make beats and release music (or license beats that get released), you need:
- 1A PRO membership (to collect performance royalties)
- 2A publisher registration (to collect the publisher's share)
- 3A publishing administrator (to collect mechanical royalties and handle international collection)
Dreamhause handles the publishing administration and distribution side of this, so you can focus on making beats rather than managing royalty systems.