How to Join ASCAP or BMI: A Step-by-Step Guide
By Written by Peter McVeigh
What each one asks for, what it costs, how to set up your publisher share, and what to do after you're accepted.
You pick one PRO as a writer, gather your details, apply online, and then register your songs once you're accepted. Joining alone doesn't get you paid. Registering each song is what connects the money to you.
I checked the details in this guide on 4 November 2026. Fees and rules change, so check each organization's own page before you rely on them.
First, choose one
ASCAP and BMI do the same core job. As a writer you can only be with one at a time, so check the terms, and ask any regular co-writers what they use. Co-writers can be with different PROs, and each registers their own share.
What to compare: ASCAP: BMI
Structure: Says it's a not-for-profit, member-governed PRO: Check its current ownership and terms
Writer cost: Free: Free
Self-publisher cost: Free if you join as writer and publisher together: $175 as an individual
Agreement length: Check when you apply: Initial period, then automatic two-year terms
Direct deposit minimum: Check when you apply: $2 per quarter
How to join ASCAP
ASCAP's online application is at ascap.com/join. It says writers must have written or co-written at least one work available to the public.
Step 1: Gather your information. ASCAP has an application checklist. Different details are needed for writer and publisher applications. Its publisher guide lists a mailing address, an email address and a US tax ID.
Step 2: Pick your application. If you self-publish, choose Writer & Publisher, because you collect both shares and it's free when done together.
Step 3: Fill in General details. If you're adding a publisher, you'll need a company name. Names have to be unique, so have a few ideas ready.
Step 4: Complete Royalties. This covers how you'll be paid.
Step 5: Verify your identity. ASCAP now requires this to protect royalties. A manager can't apply for a writer. The writer has to submit it.
Step 6: Add any required documents, create your account and submit.
Which publisher type?
ASCAP says if you don't have a corporation or fictitious business name, choose Individual/Sole Proprietor, which uses your Social Security Number.
How to join BMI
Start at bmi.com/join and choose Songwriter or Composer, or Publisher.
Step 1: Check you qualify. BMI says you must have written at least one composition, and it must be performed now or likely to be performed soon. That can be live or recorded.
Step 2: Read the writer agreement. BMI links to it from the join page. Its writer kit describes an initial period followed by automatic two-year renewals, with written notice needed three to six months before a term ends.
Step 3: Complete the application online. BMI's page lists a valid email address as a requirement. Applicants under 18 need a custodial trust account at a US bank.
Step 4: Wait for approval. You'll get a "Welcome to BMI" email with instructions for creating your Online Services account.
Step 5: Add your payment details and register your works. The writer kit says previously released or performed works should be registered within ten days of signing.
Do you need a BMI publishing company straight away?
No. BMI says you don't need one to get started. But it also means the publisher share may need collecting another way, so think about it before you've got income waiting.
Once you're in, register every song
You'll need your song title as released, every writer and publisher, and the agreed percentage shares. Agree those splits in writing before you register.
ASCAP's help page says to wait five business days after election before registering works. It also makes clear that it doesn't register copyright, which is separate.
When do you get paid?
BMI pays in February, May, August and November. Its minimums are $2 by direct deposit, and $250 by check, reduced to $25 in August. Balances below that are held for a rolling 12 quarters. BMI's writer kit warns first-quarter US performances may take eight to nine months to pay. So set up direct deposit and expect a delay.
If you're outside the US
You usually don't need this guide. If you already belong to PRS or another society, it collects from the US through its agreements with other societies, and BMI's rule excludes members of other PROs. ASCAP's help page does describe non-US applicants using a W-8BEN form, so check with both societies before changing anything.
That's my own setup. I'm based in Belfast and I use ASCAP to collect my US royalties via PRS.
What I've seen of ASCAP and BMI in Nashville
I've spent time with both organizations in person. In 2014, I travelled to Nashville with the Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival. The festival set up a meeting at ASCAP's offices, where I showcased my material and got feedback from Steve Bloch. Steve is a veteran Nashville music publisher, consultant and song plugger, the founder of Southern Cow Music and Writer Zone Music, and a Creative Consultant for Demolition Music Publishing.
Steve gave me great feedback on a series of songs. He talked about making them more personal yet general, and about making sure my specifics weren't taking people out of the story. I've used that advice at times. I've also gone against it, and found that something very specific and personal to me sometimes connects more than the general approach. Good feedback doesn't have to be a rule. It gives you another way to hear your own song, and you still get to decide.
In 2024, I went back and brought 12 students with me for three weeks. Nashville Sister Cities set up a tour of BMI's buildings and a chat.
My own US royalties come through ASCAP, via PRS. That isn't a reason for you to choose it, though. I've visited both, so compare the terms and fees, and pick the one that suits you.
What to do next
Step 1: Choose a PRO and apply.
Step 2: Set up your publisher side if you self-publish.
Step 3: Register every released song with agreed splits.
Step 4: Join The MLC and SoundExchange, covered in the next two guides.
Sources
ASCAP, Join: https://ome.ascap.com/en
ASCAP, Membership help: https://www.ascap.com/help/my-ascap-membership
ASCAP, Join as a publisher: https://www.ascap.com/help/my-ascap-membership/join-as-publisher
BMI, Join: https://www.bmi.com/join
BMI, How do I join?: https://www.bmi.com/faq/entry/how-do-i-join-bmi
BMI, Joining FAQ: https://www.bmi.com/faq/category/joining
BMI, Writer kit: https://cdn.bmi.com/forms/affiliation/bmi_writer_kit.pdf
BMI, Royalty Policy Manual: https://www.bmi.com/creators/royalty/general_information
Disclaimer
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Application screens and fees change.