What is a PRO? And what are their purpose?
PRO stands for Performing Rights Organization and are a music entity that licenses music rights and collects performance royalties on behalf of songwriters and publishers. Whom are both the composition rights holders, for the use of their music being performed in public. So when your music has been publishing out into the public domain and song played on radio AM/FM, being streamed online via Spotify or YouTube, played in a venue like a bar or club, or any business establishment such as a gym or barber and even TV shows and commercials, it is required that these businesses must pay a license for the use of your music. Depending on the type of music user, this process can be very different. Radio broadcasters, for example, get blanket licenses, allowing them to play virtually all music in the world based on a flat yearly fee paid to Pros Broadcast logs for radio broadcasters, cue sheets for TV channels, set-lists for live venues, and consumption reports for streaming services.
Most PROs in the world have long-established partnerships between themselves, exchanging royalties and usage reports to connect the airplay in one country to a songwriter in another. So, technically, it’s enough to register and affiliate with a single PRO to get royalties flowing from all over the globe. We help and assist new musicians and all users register with a PRO, registering you as both a writer or an artist/group including your original music content. Helping you publish your own music and as many uploaded songs you have on our platform catalogue for distribution, will all be registered and licensed properly to an assigned PRO. To ensure your music gets performance royalties every time your music is played publicly.
We affiliate our users with one of the United States top performing rights organization; BMI. Claiming over 800k members, BMI ( Broadcast Music, Inc.) is ASCAP’s biggest competitor on the American market. Founded in 1939, throughout the 20th century, BMI has built a reputation as a supporter for all new genres of music — from jazz and rock’n’roll in the 50th. Today, they are the biggest PRO on the market, representing a catalogue of over 15 million compositions. Giving our users an advantage being on US music catalogues and repertoire. An initial step to globalizing your sound and music to the world.
So, any outlet that plays your music publicly will be licensed to do so. Restaurants, music venues, bars, clubs, performance halls, sports arenas, stores and shopping malls, amusement parks, airports, hospitals, and any other public place that plays music must purchase a license from BMI or directly with MEUTONE who represents you as the rights holder to your music, to legally have your music played. That license royalty is then collected by the PRO or us then distributed back to registered MEUTONE members the songs rights holder as a performance royalty.
When you affiliate with MEUTONE and become a member, any live performances you do such as gigs and events where you perform your song on stage, you can register and report those performances with us so we can have them updated with BMI earning you those performance royalties as well. Publish your own music and upload music onto our online platform, we make sure you fully own the rights to your music and all your distributed material and music content is licensed properly and ensure it gets paid full royalties for its usage. As well as you as a registered member with a renowned performing rights organisation BMI, which represents artists such as Patti LaBelle, Selena, Demi Lovato, Lil Wayne, Blueface, Birdman, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Eminem, Rihanna, Shakira, Ed Sheeran, Sam Cooke, Willie Nelson, Fats Domino and Dolly Parton; bands as diverse as Maroon 5, Evanescence, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nickelback, Linkin Park and so many household names. Now becoming an official professional musician/artist making a start and break to your music career, whilst being in full control.
Performance Royalties
A performance also known as a public display, say if you own a business, it would be played hosting your customers making them feel at ease as they shop, whatever your business type and the genre of music within your license, or at a club or local bar where your music will be played in public, technically that is classed as a performance therefore needing a license which grants them permission from the rights holder of any given particular song they are playing.
Not so much if you were in the private of your own property playing music in your backyard or when you’re driving with a van load of your friends. Music licenses are mainly for businesses who benefit from your musics attraction of customer flow and with potential incoming revenue such as malls, gyms, waiting on the phone to talk to someone from that business with music playing, even at work typing away and music playing in the background on your office floor, if it’s not the radio playing (because technically the license has already been paid for by the radio station) then they must be given permission to so, requiring a license issued to businesses for your music to earn money in the for of performance royalties.
