Music is everywhere. It plays in restaurants, in stores, on the radio, in movies, on streaming services. But have you ever stopped to wonder—who gets paid when that song plays? Who makes sure that the songwriter, the composer, the people who actually created that music, see a dime from it? Because, for a long time, they didn’t.
That’s why Performing Rights Organizations—PROs—came into existence. The first PRO, SACEM, was founded in France in 1851 when a group of composers demanded payment from a café owner who was making money from their music. That moment sparked a revolution. Then came ASCAP in 1914 in the U.S., making sure songwriters were compensated in the booming radio industry. And from there, PROs spread across the world, evolving with the industry, ensuring that music creators are never left behind.
Because without them, where would we be? A world where music is everywhere—but the people who bring it to life get nothing. And that? That just wouldn’t be right.
Before them, musicians had almost no control over how their work was used. Imagine writing a song, pouring your soul into it, and then walking into a packed café only to hear your own music playing—and not seeing a single cent from it. It wasn’t fair. Artists were being exploited, their work filling the air while someone else made money off it.
So, PROs stepped in. Their job? To make sure that whenever a song is played in a commercial setting, the people who created it get their fair share. They license businesses—radio stations, TV networks, streaming platforms, restaurants, concert venues—and track when and where music is played. Then, they distribute the royalties to the rightful owners. Because let’s be realistic—no single artist has the time or resources to chase down every bar or radio station that plays their song.
It’s not just about fairness—it’s about protecting the very foundation of music. Copyright laws exist to give creators the right to control their work, and PROs help enforce that right. Without them, music would be a free-for-all, where businesses profit off songs without paying a penny to the people who made them.
Over time, music consumption has changed—moving from live performances to radio, then to television, and now to digital streaming. And PROs have adapted right alongside it, making sure artists still get paid, no matter how the world listens to their music.
The first PRO, SACEM, was founded in France in 1851 when a group of composers demanded payment from a café owner who was making money from their music. That moment sparked a revolution. Then came ASCAP in 1914 in the U.S., making sure songwriters were compensated in the booming radio industry. And from there, PROs spread across the world, evolving with the industry, ensuring that music creators are never left behind.
Because without them, where would we be? A world where music is everywhere—but the people who bring it to life get nothing. And that? That just wouldn’t be right.
What Are The Major PROs Around the Globe
Every time a song plays, someone, somewhere, is making money off of it. And that’s where PROs come in. Their job is simple: collect royalties from businesses that use music and distribute that money to the people who created it. Depending on where you are in the world, different PROs handle this. In the U.S., you’ve got ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and the newer, private group, GMR. Over in the UK, it’s PRS for Music. Canada? SOCAN’s got it covered.
Europe is filled with PROs, each serving their own country. SACEM in France, GEMA in Germany, SIAE in Italy, BUMA/STEMRA in the Netherlands, SGAE in Spain. And let’s not forget TONO in Norway, STIM in Sweden, and KODA in Denmark.
Down in Australia and New Zealand, there’s APRA AMCOS. Latin America has its own set of PROs—SAYCO in Colombia, SCD in Chile, ABRAMUS in Brazil, APDAYC in Peru, and SADAIC in Argentina. And in Asia? JASRAC in Japan, MCSC in China, and KOMCA in South Korea.
Each of these organizations plays a vital role in making sure music creators don’t just create—they get compensated. Because at the end of the day, music isn’t free. It’s the product of hard work, passion, and creativity. And without PROs, a lot of the people behind the music we love would be left out in the cold.
So the next time you hear a song playing in your favorite café, just remember—someone’s making sure the artist behind it gets what they deserve.
How Do PROs Collect Money?
Alright, so you’re a songwriter. You pour your heart into a song, someone records it, and suddenly—it’s everywhere. On the radio, in a coffee shop, blasting through a stadium before a big game. People are vibing, businesses are making money, but… are you getting paid?
That’s where Performing Rights Organizations—PROs—come in. Their whole job? To make sure the people who create music actually see some money when their work is used. But how do they do that?
First things first—licenses. If a business plays music in public, they need permission. Radio stations, TV networks, streaming services, bars, restaurants, nightclubs, even gyms and retail stores—all of them need a performance license. It’s basically their way of saying, “Hey, we’re gonna play music, and we’re gonna do it legally.” The cost? That depends. A giant stadium blasting music at a packed concert? That’ll be more expensive than a small café playing a Spotify playlist in the background.
Now, getting businesses to pay is just part of the job. Next, PROs have to figure out what music is actually being played. And they’ve got different ways of tracking that.
Radio and TV? They use automated monitoring systems and music recognition software to log every song that airs.
Streaming services? Places like Spotify and YouTube provide detailed reports on song plays.
Live performances? Concert venues have to submit setlists so songwriters get paid when their songs are performed on stage.
Bars, restaurants, and other businesses? Some self-report their playlists, but PROs also use sampling and tech to track what’s being played.
Alright, so the businesses are licensed, the music has been tracked. What’s next? Money collection. PROs take all the fees from those licenses and start distributing them. The more a song is played, the more money its creators make.
And finally—the payout. The money goes to the songwriters, the composers, the publishers—the people who actually wrote the song. Notice I didn’t say the performers? That’s right—if you’re the one singing on the record but didn’t write the song, PROs aren’t paying you. This money goes to the creators behind the scenes. And if a song has multiple writers? They split the royalties based on their ownership percentage, usually 50/50 between the writer and the publisher.
So why does any of this matter? Because without PROs, music creators would be stuck chasing down every business that plays their song, hoping to get paid. And let’s be real—that’s impossible. These organizations make sure that businesses pay their fair share and that music creators get what they deserve.
It’s a massive, complicated system, but at the end of the day, it’s about one thing—respecting the people who make the music we love.
The Challenges Ahead
The industry is shifting, technology is evolving, and if PROs don’t adapt? They might just get left behind.
Let’s start with the biggest issue—streaming. Services like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube have completely changed how we listen to music. Sounds great, right? Well, not if you’re a songwriter. Unlike radio or live performances, streaming pays fractions of a cent per play. You could have millions of streams and still not make enough to pay rent. And PROs? They’re struggling to negotiate fair rates with these tech giants that have all the power.
And then there’s the global problem. Music is more international than ever, yet PROs still operate on country-based models. A song played worldwide? It could take multiple organizations to track and collect the royalties. That means delays, lost money, and a system that just isn’t keeping up. To make things even more complicated, new private companies like Global Music Rights (GMR) are stepping in, offering direct and exclusive deals to songwriters—challenging the way PROs have always worked.
And let’s talk about transparency. If you’re a songwriter, do you actually know how much money you’re owed? Or why it takes months—sometimes years—to get paid? Exactly. Some PROs still use outdated tracking methods, which means a lot of money goes missing, and artists are left wondering if they’ll ever see it. Songwriters are demanding more clarity and accountability.
But here’s where things get really wild—Artificial Intelligence. AI-generated music is here, and it’s not going anywhere. But if an AI composes a song, who gets the royalties? If businesses start playing music created entirely by machines, do PROs even have a role in that world? And let’s not forget AI’s ability to clone voices and mimic artists. How do you protect human creators when AI can replace them? PROs are scrambling to figure it out.
Meanwhile, there’s the digital copyright battle. Millions of new songs are uploaded to TikTok, YouTube, and streaming platforms every single day. How do you track unauthorized use? How do you make sure every artist gets paid when content spreads at the speed of the internet? Some platforms don’t compensate songwriters properly, and others don’t remove unlicensed music fast enough. PROs have to fight harder than ever to protect copyright in this chaotic digital landscape.
And then there’s direct licensing. Some artists are cutting out PROs altogether, making their own deals with streaming services, or using blockchain technology to track royalties. NFTs, smart contracts—these could completely change how royalties are managed. If songwriters can handle their own payments, then… what happens to PROs? Do we even need them?
Here’s the bottom line—PROs either evolve, or they become obsolete. They need to push for higher streaming payouts, fix transparency issues, adapt to AI and blockchain, and rethink how they operate in a global digital market. If they don’t? Songwriters and composers—the people who actually create the music—will be the ones left behind. And that? That would be a disaster.
