PRO
A PRO (Performing Rights Organization) is a body that collects and distributes performance royalties to songwriters, composers, and music publishers whenever their compositions are publicly performed or broadcast.
A Performance Rights Organization (PRO) collects and distributes performance royalties on behalf of songwriters and publishers.
A Performing Rights Organization (PRO) licenses the public performance of musical compositions, collects fees from businesses that use music (radio, TV, venues, streaming services), and distributes those fees as performance royalties to affiliated songwriters and publishers.
Because individual rights holders cannot realistically track and collect payment for every public use of their songs, PROs issue blanket licenses that let businesses legally use their entire catalog for a single fee. PROs then use monitoring, reporting, and sampling to determine usage and allocate royalties accordingly.
In the US, the three major PROs are ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC (invitation-only). International counterparts include PRS for Music (UK), SOCAN (Canada), APRA AMCOS (Australia/New Zealand), and GEMA (Germany), among others. Each country typically has its own PROs, which have reciprocal agreements to pass international royalties back to a songwriter’s home PRO.
Every songwriter should affiliate with exactly one PRO and register all compositions (including ISWC codes, co-writer splits, and publisher information). Failure to register works correctly can result in lost royalties, often permanently.
melabel covers distribution and recording-side royalties, but you still need a PRO to collect composition-side performance royalties generated whenever your music is streamed, broadcast, or performed publicly.