What is a Performing Rights Organization (PRO)?

They make sure you get paid when your song is used publicly.

Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) collect royalties on behalf of songwriters and music publishers when a song is publicly broadcasted or performed. Public performances can include plays on the radio and television, and in clubs, restaurants, concert venues, and other public spaces. PROs collect fees from these establishments and pay them out to their members.

Many territories have one or more PRO responsible for collecting performance royalties within that territory, from MACP in Malaysia to CASH in Hong Kong. When you join Songtrust, we register your songs directly with PROs around the world and collect your royalties directly from the countries in which they were generated. This gets you paid quicker, and produces more detailed royalty statements.

You must be a member of a PRO (or CMO) to work with Songtrust. To help make this process as seamless as possible, we have created a Collection Society Database that includes the PROs or CMOs in each country and territory with their corresponding information.

Please note: PROs do NOT collect mechanical royalties generated from sales and/or streams. You must be registered with a mechanical collection society, such as The Mechanical Licensing Collective in the U.S., to monitor them properly.

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