Join a society

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Tell us what you do and where you live. We show which society to join, what it asks for, what it costs and where to apply.

Step 3 · your societies

Songwriter — living in United States

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As a songwriter

Your options in United States

Writers generally join one authors' society for a given territory and right. That society collects your writer share from other countries through its agreements with sister societies, so you don't join a second one for the same rights.

United States has more than one authors' society for these rights. Pick one of them: you join one for your writer share, not both.

ASCAP

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers · United States

Who can join: Songwriters, Publishers
Joining fee: Writers: free. Writer + publisher at the same time: both fees waived (temporary policy since 13 Feb 2023). Publisher only: $50 one-time, non-refundable.
Yearly fee: Not published
Processing time: Answer is immediate on submission. If more documents are needed, send them within 90 business days, and the application is then processed within 10 business days.

Apply online: Yes. All applications are processed online, except minors' applications, which must be printed.
Members from abroad: Yes. You can join without a US Social Security Number or US citizenship, but must mail an original completed W-8BEN with your application number to ASCAP Los Angeles.

Who is eligible

Writers: you wrote or co-wrote music or lyrics for at least one work available to the public (live, CD, streaming, YouTube, download or sheet music).
Publishers: you are actively in the music publishing business and take its financial risk, or you are a writer who has not assigned your publishing rights to anyone else.
Minors can join with a parent or guardian's consent, using printed forms by post. Minor means under 18 (19 in NE/AL, 21 in MS/PR); under 18 outside the US.
Band members each file a separate writer application and must each meet the criteria.

What to have ready0 of 5 ready

Government-issued ID (driver's licence, passport or national/state ID from where you live), front and back, plus a live selfie 'liveness check'.
Publisher: mailing address, email and US tax ID. Sole proprietors can use their SSN.
Corporate publishers (LLC, corp, partnership): a formation document (e.g. articles of incorporation) and a secondary ID such as a bank statement or utility bill.
No SSN or not a US citizen: a completed W-8BEN mailed with your application number.
No music needs to be submitted with the application.

Apply at ASCAP ↗

Sources and notes

You can belong to only one society at a time as a writer for US public performance, but you can be a publisher at several. Switching means contacting your current society.

Self-published writers need an ASCAP publisher membership to collect the publisher share (royalties split 50% writer, 50% publisher).

Without a US-issued Visa/MC/Amex card, publisher applicants pay by form, with an extra $50 fee for check, money order or foreign card.

Each applicant must submit their own writer application; no one can apply on your behalf.

Wait 5 business days after election before registering works. ASCAP pays US direct deposit or mails a check; it does not pay to PayPal or Venmo.

Sources — ASCAP's own pages, read on 2026-10-06. Fees and rules change: the society's site is the reference.

www.ascap.com/about-us/why-join-ascap-general (who can join)
www.ascap.com/help/my-ascap-membership (eligibility, members from abroad, joining fee, documents, online application, application link, processing time, notes)
www.ascap.com/help/join-as-publisher (documents, notes)

BMI

Broadcast Music, Inc. · United States

Who can join: Songwriters, Publishers
Joining fee: Writers: no fee in the listed application requirements. US publishers: a one-time processing fee by US-issued credit card (amount not stated on the join page).
Yearly fee: Not published
Processing time: Your fully signed BMI agreement is emailed within 2 to 4 weeks of affiliation. US royalties for your first quarter may take 8–9 months after that quarter ends.

Apply online: Yes for songwriters and US publishers, at join.bmi.com. Non-US publishers mail the application, two signed agreements, a check and tax forms to BMI in Nashville.
Members from abroad: Foreign residents (not US citizens or green-card holders) must supply a W-8BEN. Residents of treaty countries can get reduced withholding by adding a US ITIN (via IRS form W-7).

Who is eligible

Songwriters and composers: the application requirements listed are a valid email address; applicants under 18 must provide a custodial trust bank account at a US bank.
Classical composers apply by emailing a resume and list of works (with performances and venues) to classical@bmi.com.
Publishers: online affiliation is for US publishers. Non-US publishers mail the paper Publisher Application Form.
The writer application asks for a record release date, film release date or next concert date. No other condition was readable on the loaded pages.

What to have ready0 of 3 ready

Full legal name as on your Social Security card, mailing address, phone, email, date of birth, citizenship and country of tax residence.
Other names you've used as a writer, and any past or current membership of BMI, ASCAP, SESAC or a foreign PRO (with dates).
US persons: SSN on the substitute W-9 in the application. Foreign residents: a W-8BEN, optionally with a US ITIN.

Apply at BMI (writers) ↗

Sources and notes

The writer agreement renews in 2-year terms. To end it, send notice 3 to 6 months before a term ends, by registered, certified or tracked mail.

The publisher agreement renews in 5-year terms, with the same 3–6 month notice window.

Within 10 days of signing, writers must send BMI a work registration for each work. Online Services is used to register works and get paid.

BMI represents its writers abroad through agreements with 90+ sister societies covering almost 200 countries.

Sources — BMI's own pages, read on 2026-10-06. Fees and rules change: the society's site is the reference.

www.bmi.com/forms/affiliation/bmi_writer_kit.pdf (who can join, eligibility, members from abroad, documents, processing time, notes)
www.bmi.com/join (eligibility, joining fee, online application, application link)
www.bmi.com/forms/affiliation/bmi_publisher_kit.pdf (notes)
www.bmi.com/international (notes)

How we chose these

Your home society comes first: it is the one you join for the rights listed. The joining details come from each society's own website, read on the date shown on its card. Countries we haven't checked yet show the society from our worldwide directory, with a link to its site.

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Why join?

Songwriters

Societies pay the writers registered with them. If you write songs and aren't a member of an authors' society, your writer share of radio, TV, live and streaming plays can't reach you. It sits unidentified until it is claimed, or is shared out to others.

Performers

When a recording you are on is broadcast or played in public, performers are owed a share (neighbouring rights). It is paid through performers' societies, and registering is how it finds you.

Producers and publishers

Master owners collect their share of the same plays through producers' societies. Publishers collect the publisher share of the songs through the authors' society. Both collect through a society membership.

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