Music Performing Rights Societies

What is a "performing rights organization"?

Performing rights organizations are businesses designed to represent songwriters and publishers and their right to be compensated for having their music performed in public.
By securing a license, music users (i.e., television and radio stations, auditoriums, restaurants, hotels, theme parks, malls, etc.) can legally play any song in the repertory.

Without a license from a performing rights organization, music users are in danger of copyright infringement.

Music Performing Rights Societies

ASCAP (U.S.) - www.ascap.com

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

BMI (U.S.) - bmi.com

American performing rights organization that represents songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music. Non-profit-making company.

SESAC (U.S.) - sesac.com

SESAC, Inc., is a performing rights organization, with headquarters in Nashville and offices in New York, Los Angeles and London.

APRA (Australia/New Zealand) - www.apra.com.au

The Australian Performing Right Association.

SABAM (Belgium) - www.sabam.be

The Belgian Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers.

SOCAN (Canada) - www.socan.ca

Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada

KODA (Denmark) - www.koda.dk

Danish society that administers Danish and international copyrights for composers, songwriters and music publishers.

STEF (Iceland) - www.stef.is

Iceland

IMRO (Ireland) - www.imro.ie

IMRO is a national organisation that administers the performing right in copyright music in Ireland on behalf of its members - songwriters, composers and music publishers - and on behalf of the members of the international overseas societies that are affiliated to it.

TEOSTO (Finland) - www.teosto.fi

Finnish Composers' Copyright Society.

SACEM (France) - www.sacem.fr

France

GEMA (Germany) - www.gema.de

GEMA is the German "Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte" or society for musical performing and mechanical reproduction rights. GEMA is the oldest and most well-known authors' society in Germany and the most significant in economic terms.

ARTISJUS (Hungary) - www.artisjus.hu

JASRAC (Japan) - www.jasrac.or.jp/ejhp

Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers.

BUMA-STEMRA (Netherlands) - www.bumastemra.nl

Buma/Stemra is de organisatie die in Nederland de belangen van componisten, tekstdichters en muziekuitgevers behartigt. Buma gaat over het openbaar maken van muziek (uitvoeringsrechten). Stemra richt zich op het vastleggen en verveelvoudigen van muziek (mechanische reproductierechten).

TONO (Norway) - www.tono.no

SGAE (Spain) - www.sgae.es

SGAE, Sociedad General de Autores y Editores is a collective management entity devoted to the management and defense of intellectual property rights of its more than 66,000 members (cinema directors, screenwriters, composers of all genres, playwrights, librettist, choreographers, mimes etc.)

SUISA (Switzerland) - www.suisa.ch

The Swiss Society for the Rights of Authors of Musical Works.

COTT (Trinidad & Tobago) - www.cott.org.tt

The Copyright Music Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago represents composers, songwriters, lyricists, and music publishers.

MCPS-PRS Alliance (U.K.) - www.mcps-prs-alliance.co.uk

The Performing Right Society (PRS) is a non-profit making membership organisation of composers, songwriters, authors and publishers of music of all styles - including classical, pop, jazz and music for films, adverts and TV. The essential function of PRS is to collect and distribute music royalties on behalf of its members.
The Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society (MCPS), established in 1924, is a not-for-profit organisation which currently represents over 18,000 composers, songwriters and music publishers.
The MCPS-PRS Alliance manages common activities, services both societies and is jointly owned by them.