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Mechanical & Performance
Public Performance Royalties
Royalties earned whenever a musical work is performed, broadcast, streamed, or played publicly, split 50/50 between writer and publisher shares.
The Performance Right
Under 17 U.S.C. § 106(4), copyright owners of musical works hold the exclusive right to perform their work publicly. This triggers the payment of Public Performance Royalties whenever a composition is performed in public.
Trigger Events Performance royalties are generated by: - Terrestrial Radio & TV Broadcasts: AM/FM radio play, television commercials, shows, and movies. - Physical Venues: Restaurants, bars, live music venues, hotels, fitness centers, and stadiums. - Digital Services: Interactive streams (Spotify, Apple Music), non-interactive web radio (Pandora), and digital video services (YouTube).
Administration and Collection Because it is impossible for individual songwriters to monitor every radio station, bar, and streaming platform worldwide, they affiliate with Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR in the United States, or PRS in the UK.
These PROs issue blanket licenses to venues, broadcasters, and DSPs, collect the fees, and distribute them to writers and publishers.
Legal Citations & Known Aliases
17 U.S.C. § 106(4)performance moneyradio royaltiesvenue royaltiesPRO
Related Legal Concepts & Standards
17 U.S.C. § 106 - Exclusive Rights in Copyrighted Works
The bedrock of copyright law granting six exclusive statutory monopolies to owners, defining the entire licensing ecosystem.
The Split-Income Performance Architecture
Performance royalties are split strictly 50/50 between the unassignable Writer's Share and the Publisher's Share.
ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers)
The oldest Performing Rights Organization in the U.S., owned and run by its writer and publisher members.
BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.)
The largest Performing Rights Organization in the U.S., founded by broadcasters and currently operating as a commercial enterprise.
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