Do ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC collect performer royalties for the public performance of sound recordings?

Do ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC collect performer royalties for the public performance of sound recordings?

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only for radio performances
• D. Only for streaming

Answer: (B)

Public performance rights that ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC handle are tied to the musical work itself—the composition, such as the melody and lyrics. They license and collect royalties for the public performance of the song, paid to the songwriters and publishers who own the rights in the composition. The actual sound recording (the master) has its own set of rights and revenues. In the United States, those performer/recording royalties are handled by SoundExchange for digital performances (and by other mechanisms for terrestrial broadcasts), not by the performing-rights organizations that license the composition. So the statement is false: these organizations do not collect performer royalties for the public performance of sound recordings.

Public performance rights that ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC handle are tied to the musical work itself—the composition, such as the melody and lyrics. They license and collect royalties for the public performance of the song, paid to the songwriters and publishers who own the rights in the composition.

The actual sound recording (the master) has its own set of rights and revenues. In the United States, those performer/recording royalties are handled by SoundExchange for digital performances (and by other mechanisms for terrestrial broadcasts), not by the performing-rights organizations that license the composition.

So the statement is false: these organizations do not collect performer royalties for the public performance of sound recordings.