ASCAP
The PRO business is booming! But could it become a victim of its own success?
For the 75 years after the 1939 founding of BMI, the U.S. had three organizations that collected public performance royalties for songs on behalf of composers and publishers: ASCAP, SESAC and BMI. And for much of that time — from the 1950s, when ASCAP and BMI expanded into all genres, to 1993, when a group of investors purchased SESAC — the competition might best be described as gentlemanly. ASCAP and BMI became the Coke and Pepsi of PROs, licensing similar rights, for different songs, to similar bars, restaurants, concert venues and television and radio stations. The privately owned SESAC was less aggressive than it is now.
Some licensees want to set the clock back to that simpler time. They may have inspired members of Congress to ask the Copyright Office to look into the subject, which resulted in a Notice of Inquiry and then a flood of comments. (Billboard has a guide here.) To understand why, and what this means, it helps to realize how much U.S. performance rights licensing has changed in the last decade.
In 2013, Irving Azoff, ever the disruptor, founded GMR, which like SESAC — owned by the investment group Blackstone since 2017 — signs big songwriters with big advances. Unlike ASCAP and BMI, which are more constrained by antitrust consent decrees and allow all songwriters to join, GMR and SESAC are free to cherry-pick from the most popular. (All four have big writers; GMR and SESAC just don’t have small ones.) With fewer writers, they are thought to bring in more money per performance of a song. They are also thought to be wildly profitable: A recent deal for a stake in GMR valued the company at $3.3 billion. Any business that good attracts competition, and two new PROs have emerged over the last five years: AllTrack, founded by former SESAC board member Hayden Bower; and the Florida-based PRO Music Rights.
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Things got complicated. Venues that had once received three bills for their use of music were suddenly getting five or six. Most knew they needed rights from what we might call the big four — and let’s pause for a moment to consider just how weird it is that the U.S. now has more established PROs than major labels — but some weren’t sure if they needed the rights controlled by AllTrack and PRO Music Rights. Costs went up — with the possibility of future increases — and let’s not kid ourselves that this is the real issue here.
Both the Notice of Inquiry and the responses to it are fascinating because, as several executives pointed out to me, this isn’t an issue that the Copyright Office — or even government regulation in general — seems especially well-suited to solve. The Copyright Office administers and consults on intellectual property law, and licensees presumably see the NOI as an opening move in a push for legislation that could constrain PROs — or even empower a government body to set royalty rates, as one does for mechanical rights. That would be a disaster for publishers and songwriters, which get their only negotiating power from performing rights. And licensees have much more lobbying power than the music business, simply because every Congressional district has bars and restaurants, while the music business is relatively concentrated in a few cities.
What, exactly, is the problem here? Look at the NOI, which sets out two very different issues: “The number of PROs in the United States has expanded in recent years, potentially undermining licensing efficiencies” and “PROs do not all disclose comprehensive information concerning the works that are covered by their licenses, and their royalty distribution practices and policies.” The only thing these issues have in common is that neither of them is really a matter for copyright law.
The idea that there are too many PROs is odd because for years the issue was that ASCAP and BMI had too much market power — hence the antitrust consent decrees. In legal terms, this is known as trying to have it both ways. Competition is a good thing, as long as it’s fair. If it’s not, that’s a matter for competition law — which traditionally champions competition! — not copyright.
One of the real issues behind the NOI is that it can be hard to tell which PRO controls what rights. This can be complicated, though, and the issues often have less to do with concealing information than with presenting it in an accessible way. AllTrack, which is focused on the independent market, allows potential licensees to search a database of songs to which it controls rights, but that requires looking up specific compositions. The site displays far more prominently some of the artists who play songs to which AllTrack owns at least some rights, including Billy Ray Cyrus, Elle King and No Doubt. In smaller type, underneath, it says that “The artists above are examples, but not an all inclusive list, of performers of AllTrack music” — and in most, but not all, cases it doesn’t control rights to all these artists’ songs, let alone their rights as songwriters. Billboard readers understand this, but it might drive the average bar owner to drink.
PRO Music Rights is even more controversial. It seems to focus on serving smaller songwriters in the so-called long tail, and it says it controls rights to more than 2 million works, including songs performed by A$AP Rocky, Wiz Khalifa and others. It is unclear how popular many of those songs are, though, and both the ASCAP and BMI responses to the NOI challenge its business practices more directly than those of AllTrack. In its filing, ASCAP says that in 2018 it discovered millions of songs registered by PRO Music Rights “that were apparently either computer-generated sounds or merely random titles” and BMI’s response points out that Spotify in a court filing accused PRO Music Rights founder Jake Noch of flooding its platform with AI music, although the case in question subsequently settled. (PRO Music Rights filed its own response to the NOI that accuses the established PROs of engaging in “anti-competitive practices.”)
The other side of transparency is that it’s not always clear how some PROs distribute some of the money they collect. But it seems hard to believe that licensees really worry about this — most just want to pay less — and that issue is really between PROs and creators and publishers. (Alas, Billboard advertisers seldom ask about the compensation of the publication’s witty and dashing “Follow the Money” columnist.) The best way to address this — maybe the only way to address it in a lasting way — could be a competitive market. Big songwriters who think that the big PROs don’t serve them well can sign with SESAC or GMR, although not all of them do. Why shouldn’t smaller ones have more options as well?
Like every other issue in the music business, this is ultimately about money — rightsholders want to charge more and licensees want to pay less. That’s business. And it seems best to keep it as business, without getting the government involved.
Back in September, the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to the Register of Copyrights, Shira Perlmutter, requesting the examination of “concerns” and “emerging issues” with U.S. performance rights organizations (PROs). More specifically, the Committee expressed concerns about the alleged “lack of transparency” with PROs and the so-called “proliferation” of new PROs in the market.
So early this year the U.S. Copyright Office opened a notice of inquiry that allowed licensors and licensees to submit a comment and weigh in about whether or not they like the way that the U.S. PRO system works today.
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The inquiry has become one of the most important issues facing the music publishing sector this year, and it’s one that is especially sensitive, given mechanical royalties and the majority of performance royalties (for those signed to ASCAP or BMI) in the U.S. are not negotiated in a free market — a common complaint amongst publishers, PROs and songwriters. The idea that this inquiry could bring additional scrutiny or inspire Congress to pursue additional regulation to performance royalties in the future has become a stress point. Those who have to license music through PROs, however, believe that the system has grown to be too complicated and too expensive and a renewed conversation about reform is needed. (For more background, read Billboard’s explainer here).
The comment period ended on Friday (April 11), and the 12,344 comments were released on Monday (April 14). Since then, Billboard has been reviewing the comments submitted by key groups and individuals — like publishers, songwriters, venues, restaurants and, of course, the PROs themselves.
Here is a guide to those comments.
What did the PROs say?
Of the six U.S. PROs, five of them — ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR and PRO Music Rights (PMR) — submitted comments to the Copyright Office. AllTrack, one of the two new entrants to the market along with PMR, did not.
ASCAP: American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers, one of the two U.S. PROs that operates under a consent decree and the only one operating on a not-for-profit basis, wrote that “American songwriters, composers and music publishers are some of the most heavily regulated business owners in the country.” The organization then called the complaints about “lack of transparency” “particularly disingenuous,” pointing out that ASCAP has already invested significant resources into its public repertory database, called Songview, which it shares with BMI, “and yet little evidence suggests these licensees ever use that information.” Plus, ASCAP says that “distribution” of royalties “should be decided between music creators and their chosen PROs, not by licensees or government entities.” They note that “further regulation of ASCAP and its members would “harm music creators.”
ASCAP also pushed back on the idea of rising costs for licensees: “The market for musical compositions continues to grow year over year, as does the volume of copyrighted music,” it said. “It is nonsensical, and contrary to the foundational principles of a free market, that licensees could obtain permission to use more and more music each year without a corresponding increase in what they pay for it.”
It also pointed to the emergence of DIY distributors like DistroKid and Tunecore, private equity’s increasing interest in music as an “asset class,” and technology lowering barriers to entry as reasons why new PROs have emerged. ASCAP then cast doubt on PMR’s catalog, saying, “We discovered copyright registrations for literally millions of ‘musical works’ that were apparently either computer-generated sounds or merely random titles.” Read the full comment here.
BMI: Broadcast Music Inc., the second of the PROs in the U.S. that operate under a consent decree, said in its comments that additional regulation of PROs would harm songwriters and composers and that licensees called for this inquiry “with the goal of further reducing licensing fees at the expense of songwriters, composers and music publishers that depend on them.” In addressing licensees’ accusations that PROs lack transparency, BMI said it “rejects” the idea that these so-called issues “have any impact on a licensee’s obligation to compensate copyright owners for the use of copyrighted works,” though BMI added that it “is confident that [it] succeed[s] in this effort.”
It wrote, however, that AllTrack and PMG, “in stark contrast” to BMI, “make little information readily available regarding the contents of their repertoires.” BMI continued to cast doubt on PMR, writing that evidence suggests “that [PMR] greatly overtates its relative share of copyrighted and performed works… it is unclear whether certain of the results in [PMR’s] search function are even authentic musical works,” later adding that Spotify alleged that PMR’s founder, Jake Noch, “‘flood[ed] online streaming services with large quantities of’ AI-generated music.” Read the full comment here.
GMR: Global Music Rights, an invite-only PRO founded in 2013 for “top-tier songwriters,” said that it believes “the competitive [PRO] marketplace fostered by the four major PROs (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR)” “ensure[s]” that music creators and publishers are “fairly compensated.” It also stated that “some of the entities that are now appealing to the Office to intercede…are themselves not licensed by GMR, yet continue to use GMR’s music.” The organization also cited its differences from other PROs, saying that it offers “an identical rate card to all of its clients” and “individualized service, increased transparency, and enhanced economic terms” that songwriters allegedly couldn’t find in the “incumbent PROs.”
GMR also took shots at AllTrack and PMR, saying they “appear to be contrary to the customs and practices of the four major PROs.” “A PRO that offers no threshold level of transparency and is paired with a repertoire that is largely devoid of any meaningful value to any licensee is deeply problematic,” GMR wrote. “Coupled with attempts to take advantage of small businesses by relentlessly threatening litigation while failing to provide music users with insight into the repertoires that they represent, such a PRO should certainly be subject to further inquiry.” Read the full comment here.
PMR: Pro Music Rights wrote that the more established PROs have engaged in “anti-competitive practices” and have tried to box PMR out of the market. The organization also claimed that “BMI’s board — despite publicly disparaging Pro Music Rights — approved confidential discussions about selling BMI to Music Licensing, Inc., culminating in meetings with Goldman Sachs.” They proposed a number of reforms, including “mandated transparency” and “uniform licensing fees” so that “every voice in music, from small establishments to major corporations, is treated with fairness and respect.” Read the full comment here.
SESAC: Society of European stage Authors and Composers, the second-oldest PRO in the U.S. and the first for-profit player, said that maintaining “freedom of choice” for publishers, songwriters and composers was important in the U.S. PRO marketplace, forcing the PROs to “adjust or modif[y]” their operations “when [members] raise concerns.” SESAC noted that it has a publicly available database to search through their works and that they are more concerned that “nearly 70% of restaurants and over 90% of bars remain exempted” from paying royalties to PROs. SESAC also noted that ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR are “currently exploring the inclusion of SESAC and GMR data to enhance Songview’s reconciled view of copyright ownership information” for increased transparency.
And SESAC pointed out that there are multiple ways to license music without using a PRO at all, including easy-to-license song libraries Mood Media, Soundtrack Your Brand and more. Read the full comment here.
What did the publishers say?
Publishers work with the U.S. PROs every day to ensure they are getting properly compensated for public performances. Some top publishers, like UMPG, opted not to submit comments. Those that did typically aligned closely with the stance also expressed by the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) (which counts the vast majority of U.S. publishers as members), implying that the top publishers — major and indie — are fairly unified in their stance.
NMPA: The NMPA’s comment called the inquiry a “thinly veiled attempt by licensees to reduce the already depressed rates they pay” for performance royalties and called for Congress and the Copyright office to “take such claims skeptically.”
Instead, the NMPA advocated, as it often has, for “unregulated music licensing markets” and said that “musical works copyrights are already significantly undervalued…due to overregulation.”
The NMPA believes that the “creation of new PROs…is an indication of a competitive marketplace…which improves PRO performance for their members.” The NMPA said that it is “disingenuous [to] characterize the growth of the PRO market as a negative development…In reality an increase in licensing costs is an inevitable outcome of a growing market…Requiring licensees to pay fairly for the music that they use is not the systematic injustice that licensees portray; it is simply the cost of operating a business built on performing music someone else wrote.” Read the full comment here.
Warner Chappell: Warner Chappell raised in its comment that it would like to have the ability of “selective withdrawal of digital rights” from PROs’ blanket license. This resurrects a hot button issue that divided publishers and PROs dating back to 2013. The same idea was brought up again in 2019 and has previously been supported by the NMPA, the three major publishers and many of the biggest indies. Read the full comment here.
The selective withdrawal of digital rights from the PROs would basically mean publishers could still use the PROs’ services for the general licensing of bars, restaurants, venues and more, but that publishers could negotiate directly with digital services like Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora or iHeartRadio, cutting out any fees associated with royalties first going through the PROs before reaching publishers and allowing for global, not U.S.-specific, deals. But this would mean more work for the publishers, given there’s a large number of digital services beyond just the streaming and digital radio giants.
In the past, raising this point has also raised other, much less welcomed, ideas, like a 100 percent licensing system (meaning licensees only need a license from one of the songwriters on a song instead of all of them, as they have to do today, a system referred to as “fractional licensing”). Plus, it would be a seismic shift for the U.S. PROs, which have been investing in developing complex systems for digital royalty collection over the years. More background information is available on that issue in Billboard’s past coverage here.
Sony Music Publishing: SMP’s comments largely echoed the NMPA’s comments, saying that “SMP believes that less and not more regulation is not only good for songwriters but also a sensible pro-competitive approach where the true value of musical compositions is determined in a free market.” Read the full comment here.
What did the licensees say?
Licensees, such as clubs, bars and restaurants, are thought to have kicked off this inquiry in the first place. And the fact that they exist in every political jurisdiction in the U.S. likely gives them more political power than the music business, which lives mostly in clusters around New York, Los Angeles and Nashville.
National Restaurant Association: This organization said that the “emergence and proliferation of new PROs” has “jeopardized” the “efficacy of the U.S. music licensing system” “to the detriment of small business restaurant operators across the nation” and pointed the finger specifically at “recent” PROs such as GMR, PMR and AllTrack. The restaurants say they could face “costly litigation” if they accidentally play an unlicensed song. To date, the association found that its members pay “just shy of $4,500 on average to license music on an annual basis, which represents upwards of nearly 0.5 percent of the average U.S. small business restaurant’s total annual sales … for an industry that runs on an average pre-tax margin of 3 percent to 5 percent, this cost is significant.” The organization proposed three key solutions: requiring PROs to create centralized databases of their performance data; allowing establishments to receive itemized statements of works licensed from PROs upon request; and “a public registry of PROs that also summarizes what portions of the music industry they represent.” Read the full comment here.
Fox Theater: The famous Atlanta theater said in its comment that AllTrack and Pro Music Rights’ attempts to collect licensing fees are “redundant” and “create a significant financial burden” on venues. The theater also accused PROs of “routinely rely[ing] on trade magazines to determine artist appearance schedules, rather than actual reports submitted by the venue. This often leads to incorrect invoices submitted by PROs, which leads to countless hours of administrative work.” The Fox Theater suggested that “PROs should be required to undergo public audits…to ensure that they are not routinely overbilling licensees.” Read the full comment here.
International Association of Venue Managers: This organization pointed to the complexity of licensing music when many songwriters and many PROs are involved. “Venues often find themselves paying high fees without understanding what rights they are actually securing,” the comment read. The organization suggested a few changes to the US PRO system, including a publicly accessible and legally reliable database; that PROs should be required to update and maintain the database; the establishment of a federal registration system for PROs; mandated itemized statements upon request from licensees; and ensuring rate-setting processes reflect the PROs’ market share. Read the full comment here.
What did the songwriters and independent advocates say?
Songwriters and independent advocates in the music business have long advocated for change — often taking even greater swings than the industry establishment and calling out issues too political for music companies to touch in their advocacy. They are all also known for centering songwriters in their efforts, but still — that doesn’t mean everyone in this grouping holds the same ideas about how to effect positive change in music.
Songwriters of North America: SONA, a songwriter organization founded in 2015, said that it “does not believe that any aspect of this requires action from any regulatory or legislative body regarding copyright. We believe that any existing issues can and should be handled outside of the purview of the U.S. government and can be solved within the industry itself.” The organization also said it “recognizes the concerns from licensees” about the so-called “proliferation” of PROs, but “SONA does not take an official stance in regards to this issue.” Read the comment here.
Artist Rights Institute, North Music Group, Blake Morgan: led by songwriter David Lowery, songwriter Blake Morgan, attorney Chris Castle and North Music Group founder Abby North, the group wrote a comment, that said, “We are apprehensive that the subtext of the NOI is the justification of yet another compulsory license for songwriters,” calling them “among the most regulated workers in America.” The comment also likened PROs to “representative bodies for independent contractors who lack the protections afford by traditional labor unions,” and while they are not actual unions, “PROs serve a crucial function by negotiating…on behalf of their members.” Without this, the commenters believe indies would be more “vulnerable.” Among their proposed solutions is the idea of a “localized PRO at the city level,” royalty auditing of the PROs, and allowing songwriters to do “partial withdrawals” to manage some of their rights outside of the PRO. For a full explanation of these ideas, read the comment here.
Songwriters Guild of America / Society of Composers and Lyricists / Music Creators of North America: This comment noted that “the independent music creator community agrees without reservation that maintenance of the competitive PRO collective licensing system in the US as described above (including its ‘fractional licensing’ structure) is essential.” In response to licensees’ complaints about there being too many PROs, SGA/MCNA/SCL said these complaints are “a renewed effort by users to invent new, unfounded, inconvenience-based excuses for royalty payment-avoidance supported by no reasonable motivation other than generation of windfall user profits.” Read the comment here.
Nicole George-Middleton has been promoted to executive vice president and head of creative membership at ASCAP, the organization announced Wednesday (April 23). In her elevated role, George-Middleton will oversee songwriter, lyricist, and composer relations, reporting directly to ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews and joining the organization’s senior leadership team. She will also continue to serve as […]
Now that we’re all feeling sufficiently liberated, it’s time for another Executive Turntable, Billboard’s weekly compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across the music business. There’s been a taxing amount of news this week, so let’s tarry no more.
ASCAP announced the results of its biennial election for the board of directors. ASCAP president and chairman Paul Williams revealed the 12 writer and 12 publisher members elected for a two-year term starting April 1, 2025. Newly elected writer member Claudia Brant, a 2019 Grammy winner for best Latin pop album, joins the board. Re-elected writer members include Jon Batiste, Desmond Child, Sharon Farber, Dan Foliart, Michelle Lewis, Terry Lewis, Marcus Miller, Jimmy Webb, Doug Wood and Alex Shapiro. Re-elected publisher directors include Peter Brodsky, Bob Bruderman, Marti Cuevas, Ree Guyer, Keith Hauprich, Dean Kay, Evan Lamberg, Leeds Levy, Irwin Z. Robinson, Paul Robinson, Jon Singer and James M. Kendrick. “It is both a privilege and a responsibility to be elected to the ASCAP board by our songwriter, composer and publisher peers,” said Williams. “The ASCAP Board takes seriously our commitment to advocating for and protecting the value of our more than one million members’ music and upholding our principles of fairness and efficiency to maximize distributions to our members.”
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Ross Charap, a respected music industry attorney and a fixture in Billboard‘s annual list of top counselors, joined Barton LLP as a partner in its New York office. Previously at Arentfox Schiff, Charap and his then-partner Matt Finkelstein managed over $1 billion in music asset transactions and achieved significant victories, including policy changes at the Mechanical Licensing Collective that returned millions in royalties to songwriters. Charap’s clients include such up-and-comers as Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Billy Preston, as well as numerous “Great American Songbook”-level writers. He notably defended the Rolling Stones in a copyright infringement suit over the track “Living in a Ghost Town.” Roger Barton, managing partner of Barton LLP, praised Charap’s expertise and commitment to the creative industry, saying “few can match his depth of understanding of the legal complexities and business realities facing today’s artists.” Barton LLP’s entertainment and intellectual property practice handles complex issues like trademark and copyright infringement, music clearances and intellectual property transactions, working closely with corporate and finance teams.
Exceleration Music appointed Matt Harmon as head of rights development, where he’ll work with partner labels like +1 Records, Alligator, Kill Rock Stars and Yep Roc to enhance new releases and catalog value. At Exceleration, he will lead label operations, focusing on A&R, marketing, and catalog development. A veteran of the independent music industry, Harmon spent over 20 years at Beggars Group US, rising from head of sales to president. He played a key role in overseeing Matador Records, 4AD, Rough Trade, and XL Recordings, contributing to their growth. Exceleration partner John Burk pointed to Harmon’s “deep expertise in independent music, coupled with his proven ability to drive both creative and business success.”
Encore Recordings appointed Jacob Fain as head of A&R and promoted founding GM Ned Monaghan to president. Fain, previously evp and head of A&R at Elektra Records, will be based in Los Angeles and report to founder and CEO Joie Manda. Monaghan, formerly head of global hits at Spotify, was hired as GM in late 2021 and will now oversee all company facets, including A&R, marketing, legal and finance. Encore Recordings, launched in late 2021, is an independent, full-service music company with a roster spanning Latin, Afrobeats, dancehall, hip-hop, R&B, and pop, featuring artists like Dei V, Vict0ny, Uncle Waffles, EBK Jaaybo, Khamari and Saul Villarreal.
Entertainment business management firm FBMM announced a round of promotions in its Nashville office. Laura Beth Hendricks, Ben Huddleston and Abby Lamb have been promoted to associate business managers. Hendricks, a licensed CPA since 1996, joined FBMM in 2010 and oversees several clients’ full scope of business management. Huddleston joined FBMM in 2016 and built a team that primarily works with a group of music executives and high net worth individuals, offering services including bookkeeping, tax planning and more. Lamb has been with FBMM for a decade and supports a diverse range of clients including international touring artists, producers and indie artists. –Jessica Nicholson
Langham Hospitality Group appointed Andrew Grant as group director of music to develop a comprehensive music strategy across its hotel brands. Grant will oversee live performances, collaborations, and signature soundscapes to enhance guest experiences. As part of LHG’s Brands Operations team, he will establish industry partnerships, design global music programming, and curate special events for The Langham Hotels & Resorts’ 160th anniversary. He will also manage music curation at Eaton DC. With over 25 years in the music industry, Grant has been a Resident DJ at Ibiza’s DC10 and a producer for Barraca Music, as well as working in event production and logistics from roles at Aronis Group and the Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival. LHG, a subsidiary of Great Eagle Holdings, operates over 40 hotels worldwide, including The Langham, Cordis, Eaton Workshop and Ying’nFlo.
iHeartMedia will nominate Robert Millard as a director on its board at its upcoming annual meeting in May. Millard, former chairman of L3Harris Technologies, has experience in business, finance and strategic planning, and has served on boards including Evercore and MIT Corporation. Upon election, he’ll join the compensation committee and chair the audit committee. Meanwhile, Brad Gerstner will not seek re-election, citing other commitments following six years on the board. The company said in an SEC filing that his departure is not due to any disagreements.
Outback Presents expanded its board of directors with the addition of six industry figures. Led by chairman Leigh Feuerstein, known for building respected brands, the new board members include Dimitri Cohen (CIO, Raven Capital), Constance Schwartz-Morini (CEO, SMAC Entertainment), Jermaine Preyan (Young Money Entertainment), Ignacio Meyer (president, Univision Television Networks Group) and Austin Rosen (CEO, Electric Feel Entertainment). Their appointments aim to reinforce Outback’s leadership and drive long-term success in the entertainment industry. Co-CEOs Mike Smardak and Brian Dorfman praised the new members for their diverse backgrounds and shared passion for live entertainment. The expansion follows a big year for Outback, with nearly 1,700 shows in 283 cities and over 4.5 million tickets sold.
Symphonic Distribution elevated Colleen Shea to director of product management, Mónica Rodríguez to associate director of QA, and Alek Perepelitca to principal software architect, strengthening its product and technology teams. Shea, who joined in 2022, has led initiatives like Recoupments, a payment management system, and the redesign of SplitShare to streamline artist payouts. Rodríguez, with Symphonic since 2021, has scaled QA processes and ensured platform reliability. Perepelitca, part of Symphonic since 2019, has upgraded the company’s delivery infrastructure. VP of product Ali Lieberman praised Shea’s leadership and product management skills, while CTO Eshan Shah Jahan commended Rodríguez and Perepelitca’s contributions. Headquartered in Tampa, FL, Symphonic has a significant presence in Nashville, Los Angeles, Miami, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Ireland and Africa.
All Things Go Festival, the Maryland/New York music festival that recently expanded to three days, strengthened its leadership team with key hires. Kelsey McKenna joins as head of brand partnerships, bringing experience from Sunshine Sachs, while Sarah Pepper takes on the role of director of marketing and ticketing after working at Daydream State. Finally, Elise O’Leary, formerly of Live Nation, has been appointed community and content manager. Additionally, the festival launched an advisory board to help shape its future, featuring industry leaders Lizzy Plapinger (LPX, MS MR, and Neon Gold Records co-founder) and Lauren Glucksman (Apple Music).
Jeff Zuchowski (aka Jeff Z.) and Chad Doher launched Loaded Dice Entertainment (LDE), a full-scale entertainment company aimed at empowering independent artists. LDE offers a range of services including artist development, label services, marketing and distribution, and brand development. Jeff Z., with extensive experience in radio programming (Z100, WKTU) and digital streaming (nine years at Pandora, rising to svp of artist marketing and industry relations), and Chad Doher, a media mogul with a background in film (co-founder of Global Pictures Media), bring their expertise to LDE. Jeff Z. has a history of transforming industry relationships and producing high-profile events, while Doher has exec-produced Hollywood films including Arctic Dogs and The War With Grandpa, and created a platform for independent artists. LDE said it plans to announce new signings in the coming weeks.
NASHVILLE NOTES: Creative Nation, founded in 2011 by Luke and Beth Laird, added Alex Albanese as creative manager. The Belmont University graduate previously worked at Sony Music Publishing as creative coordinator for the A&R team. Creative Nation has also promoted Abby Holcomb to senior director, operations & digital, while Jayne Hamblin rises to director, management & records. Among Creative Nation’s clients are Barry Dean, Lori McKenna, Kassi Ashton, and Oscar Charles … PERK PR & Creative Agency, a Nashville-based firm, hired Ali Patton as a publicist. Patton previously worked at The Nashville Briefing and The 615 House, where she managed social media and curated industry news. She also gained experience as an agent assistant at The Neal Agency, supporting music agents. PERK PR represents a diverse roster of artists, including Ashley Anne, Charlie Collins, Cody Cozz, Dallas Alexander, Dylan Jakobsen, Jordyn Mallory, Kiana, Madison Olivia, Sheyna Gee and Taylor-Rae, among others. Reach Patton at ali@perkpr.co.
ICYMI:
Lee Zeidman
Tim Pithouse was appointed as the general manager of Def Jam Recordings. Previously serving as president of Three Six Zero, Pithouse will now lead the label and manage its diverse roster of artists … Lee Zeidman, the longtime president of Crypto.com Arena, Peacock Theater and LA Live, is retiring. After 45 years in the industry, Zeidman shared with Billboard that he’s ready to move on from full-time work and “write the next chapter in the book of Lee.” [Keep Reading]
Last Week’s Turntable: Universal Music Canada Shores Up A&R Team
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo are set to receive the 2025 ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award at the annual Chapin Awards Gala on June 4 at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City.
The 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and longtime activists, who have been married since 1982, will become the second married couple to receive the award. Songwriting greats Nicholas Ashford & Valerie Simpson received it in 2010.
The Chapin Awards Gala will include a cocktail reception, dinner, and live music. Additional honorees will be announced in coming weeks.
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The event is a major fund-raiser for WhyHunger, a global nonprofit dedicated to ending hunger. Founded in 1975 by Chapin and radio DJ Bill Ayres, WhyHunger funds and supports community solutions to protect the human right to nutritious food.
“We are deeply honored to receive the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award and to stand alongside WhyHunger in their tireless fight to end hunger,” Benatar and Giraldo said in a joint statement. “Music has always been a powerful force for change, and we believe in using our voices not just to entertain, but to inspire action. WhyHunger’s mission aligns with our lifelong commitment to justice and equity, and we are proud to support their work in ensuring that nutritious food is a fundamental right for all.”
“As we celebrate WhyHunger’s 50th anniversary and reflect on our collective journey to end hunger and advance the human right to nutritious food, it’s important to uplift those who have helped lead the way,” Jenique Jones, WhyHunger’s executive director, said in a statement. “Honoring Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo with the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award is a testament to their unwavering commitment to social justice and their powerful influence in igniting change through music.”
Last year’s gala honored singer-songwriter Michael Franti for his music-driven activism, recognizing his work with his and his wife Sara’s non–profit, Do It for the Love.
Benatar won four consecutive Grammy Awards for best rock vocal performance, female from 1981-84 and charted 15 top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. She won three American Music Awards and a People’s Choice Award.
Chapin, a singer, songwriter and social activist, made a big impact in his life, which was tragically cut short when he was killed in a car crash in 1981 at age 38.
Chapin, who wrote and performed such pop/folk classics as “Cat’s in the Cradle” (a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974), “Taxi” and “W*O*L*D,” was an early music industry advocate for the world hunger movement. He co-founded WhyHunger a full decade before music industry titans came together as USA for Africa to record “We Are the World” in 1985. Chapin gave tirelessly gave of his time and talents to perform at benefits and events in support of a range of social causes. (On the afternoon he was killed, he was driving to a benefit, where he was slated to perform.)
Chapin received two Grammy nominations in his lifetime – best new artist of 1972 and best pop vocal performance, male two years later for “Cat’s in the Cradle” (which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011). In its year-end issue for 1972, Billboard gave Chapin a Trendsetter Award, which was inscribed “For devising a storytelling style of songwriting with a narrative impact rare to popular music.”
The ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award was first presented in 1987 to Kenny Rogers, who had been part of “We Are the World” two years earlier. Two subsequent recipients of the award – Harry Belafonte and Kenny Loggins – were also part of that iconic smash, which raised millions for famine relief.
Tickets to the event can be purchased here.
Here’s a full list of winners of the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award. They are listed in reverse chronological order.
2025: Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo
2024: Michael Franti
2019: John Mellencamp
2018: Jason Mraz
2017: Jon Batiste
2016: Kenny Loggins
2015: Grace Potter (ASCAP Harry Chapin Vanguard Award); Felix Cavaliere (ASCAP Harry Chapin Legacy Award)
2014: The Fab Faux (Beatles tribute band founded by Will Lee, bassist for Late Show With David Letterman)
2013: Yoko Ono
2012: Darlene Love, Peter Noone and Ronnie Spector
2011: Rubén Blades
2010: Ashford & Simpson
2009: Wyclef Jean
2008: Elvis Costello
2007: Jackson Browne
2006: Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels
2005: Michael McDonald
2004: Emmylou Harris
2003: Judy Collins
2000: Harry Belafonte
1994: Barbra Streisand
1988: Peter, Paul & Mary
1987: Kenny Rogers
ASCAP, the only not-for-profit performance rights organization in the U.S., which — after covering its overhead — shells out all of its collections to songwriters and publishers, reports revenue increased 5.7% to 1.835 billion from the prior year’s total of $1.737 billion. What’s more the PRO said the amount of its collections available for distribution totaled $1.696 billion, or a 6.5% increase over 2023’s total of $1.592 billion.
Out of that collected revenue, domestic royalties totaled $1.397 billion, up 5.3% from the 2023’s total of 1.327 billion; while foreign receipts grew 6.8% to $438 million, up 6.8% from the prior year’s total of $410 million. Put another way, domestic revenue comprised 76.1% of collections while foreign receipts comprised 23.9%.
ASCAP said its compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for total revenue for the 10 years leading up to 2024 was 7%, and that the CAGR for total distributions over the same time period was 8%. Its overhead expense structure remains at about 10%.
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“For songwriters, composers and publishers, ASCAP provides the best return on their performance royalties because they get 90 cents of every dollar we collect,’ ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews said in a statement. “It’s that simple. We are the only US PRO that does not take a profit and the only one that can credibly say we put creators first in everything we do.”
In 2023, BMI, ASCAP’s main competitor and the only other U.S. PRO operating under a U.S. Dept. of Justice consent decree, abandoned its not-for-profit status in order to sell to a private equity firm, which occurred in 2024 when New Mountain Capital acquired the collection society. Besides BMI, both SESAC and GMR, aka Global Music Rights, are both for-profit performance rights organizations.
Breaking out its total $1.696 billion available for distributions, ASCAP reported that $1.284 billion was due to domestic songwriters and publishers while $438 million was available for foreign distributions. Overall, its domestic collections available distribution increased 5.5% from the prior year’s total of $1.217 billion, while foreign distribution availability increased 9.8% from $375 million in 2023.
Looking at its activities over the last year, ASCAP reported that signings and renewals include Katy Perry, Timbaland, Kacey Musgraves, Jack White, Justin Tranter, Neil Young, Graham Nash, Def Leppard, Sexyy Red, Max Martin, Hans Zimmer and Tate McRae; along with with the estates of Tom Petty and Jimi Hendrix.
ASCAP said it was active in helping to shape the U.S. Copyright’s Office recommendations on legal and policy issues related to copyright and AI; and formed a strategic alliance with SACEM, France’s collection management organization, to leverage their investments in infrastructure. Finally, ASCAP reported that it moved quickly to launch a $1 million emergency relief fund to assist Los Angeles-based ASCAP songwriter affected by the LA wildfires.
“ASCAP is committed to innovating, growing and evolving in ways that benefit our members, because music creators drive every decision we make,” ASCAP president and chairman of the board Paul Williams said in a statement. “Protecting the livelihoods of songwriters and composers and defending the value of music is a mission we take seriously. For us, this is more than just business – it’s personal, and that’s what sets ASCAP apart from any other PRO.”
ASCAP has announced the nominees for the 2025 ASCAP Composers’ Choice Awards.
A first-of-its-kind program among U.S. performing rights organizations, the ASCAP Composers’ Choice Awards gives the ASCAP composer community a forum to recognize the artistic accomplishments of their peers. The nominations committee includes composers and film, television and video game industry leaders. Voting is open to eligible ASCAP writer members through March 7 at 11:59 p.m. ET on the ASCAP website.
Winners will be revealed on April 30 during an exclusive party celebrating the 2025 ASCAP Screen Music Awards in Los Angeles.
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More information about the 2025 ASCAP Composers’ Choice Awards, including excerpts of the nominated music, is available on the organization’s website.
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Following are ASCAP composers and their works nominated for the 2025 ASCAP Composers’ Choice Awards. Categories with six or more nominees reflect ties in voting.
Film score of the year
(Films released in the U.S. in 2024, whether theatrically or via another medium)
Challengers – Trent Reznor
Dune: Part Two – Hans Zimmer
Inside Out 2 – Andrea Datzman
Nosferatu – Robin Carolan
Wicked – John Powell & Stephen Schwartz
Young Woman and the Sea – Amelia Warner
Television score of the year
(Episodes originally airing in the U.S. in 2024)
Agatha All Along – Michael Paraskevas
Mr. & Mrs. Smith – David Fleming
Only Murders in the Building – Siddhartha Khosla
Palm Royale – Jeff Toyne
Slow Horses – Daniel Pemberton & Toydrum
Television theme of the year
(Episodes originally airing in the U.S. in 2024)
Bad Monkey – Jamie Jackson & Waz
Franklin – Jay Wadley
Nautilus – Nainita Desai
Only Murders in the Building – Siddhartha Khosla
Palm Royale – Jeff Toyne
Documentary score of the year
(Documentary films or series released in the U.S. in 2024)
Albert Brooks: Defending My Life – Marc Shaiman
Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes – Logan Nelson
Jim Henson Idea Man – David Fleming
Planet Earth III – Sara Barone & Hans Zimmer
The Real Red Tails – Stanley A. Smith
Will & Harper – Nathan Halpern
Video game score of the year
(Games originally released in the U.S. in 2024)
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 – Jack Wall
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – Gordy Haab
Helldivers 2 – Wilbert Roget, II
Star Wars Outlaws – Wilbert Roget, II, Cody Matthew Johnson, Jon Everist, Kazuma Jinnouchi
Tales of Kenzera: Zau – Nainita Desai
ASCAP announced Wednesday (Jan. 15) that it will distribute $1 million in emergency relief to ASCAP songwriters or composers who have suffered the loss or damage of their primary residences or studios in the Los Angeles wildfires. The organization is also offering assistance to those who have been evacuated.
ASCAP will provide one-time stipends in the amount of $1,500 to ASCAP writer members in good standing as of Jan. 1, 2025, who do “not have a resignation notice pending.” The stipends will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis while funds are available.
Please see the ASCAP website for more information or to apply for benefits. You can also check out our resource guide for music workers impacted by the fires here and find out how to help here.
“Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by the devastating Los Angeles fires. We are here to support our ASCAP members during troubled times, and we will ensure these funds reach ASCAP composers and songwriters in need,” said ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews in a statement.
ASCAP president Paul Williams also wrote a message to members in need. His letter can be read below in full:
To my fellow ASCAP members,
My heart aches for the unimaginable loss and devastation that has struck our beloved city of Los Angeles. I want to say to all members and their families who have been impacted by the fires and are facing profound challenges, please take comfort that you are not alone. We are a community. As music creators, our community is built on a foundation of compassion, connection and a sense of purpose. That is our bedrock, where we always land, where we always begin.
Some of you have lost your homes, your studios, your instruments, those materials of your life which hold memories and meaning. What can never be lost is the spirit of this community and the enduring bond we share with each other. The outpouring of kindness, support, concern and generosity we have witnessed throughout this crisis is beyond inspiring. Proof, yet again, of an abundant supply of love.
As a community of songwriters, composers and music publishers, ASCAP has always harnessed our collective strength for the greater good. That is why ASCAP is setting up an emergency fund in the amount of $1 million for our members who have suffered from loss and damage to their homes and studios.
If you need help, please visit www.ascap.com/lafirerelief for more info.
Wishing you much love, hope and strength,
Paul
Two-time Grammy winner Dennis Scott is the 15th recipient of The ASCAP Foundation’s Joe Raposo Children’s Music Award. Honoring the best in children’s music since 2010, the award is presented by the family of Joe Raposo, one of the co-creators of Sesame Street and the show’s longtime musical director. “I feel honored to be among […]
The fourth annual ASCAP Foundation Holiday Auction is back, with some of the biggest names in music contributing items to the sale.
Launching on Wednesday (Dec. 4), the annual auction is the latest to be launched by ASCAP, which aims to support music education and talent development programs throughout the U.S. This year, more than 70 exclusive items and experiences – the most in the auction’s history – have been donated by some of ASCAP’s top music creators.
Items in the auctions include a signed vinyl copy of Chappell Roan‘s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess album; a behind-the-scenes studio tour and dinner with producer Jermaine Dupri; a signed merch package from Olivia Rodrigo; and a package of two VIP concert tickets for Usher’s upcoming European tour, including a meet-and-greet and travel vouchers.
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Elsewhere, signed guitar from Jack Antonoff, Peter Frampton, and Steve Vai are on offer, along with a set of books signed by Patti Smith, and VIP concert tickets for artists such as Gracie Abrams, Deftones, Graham Nash, and more.
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Other artists involved in the auction include Tate McRae, Reneé Rapp, Bernie Taupin, Max Martin, Noah Kahan, Sara Bareilles, Chris Stapleton, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Coheed and Cambria, Huey Lewis and The News, and numerous others.
“It’s been an absolute joy to work with ASCAP’s top members to dream up unforgettable experiences and one-of-a-kind gifts to delight music fans this holiday season,” says the ASCAP Foundation Executive Director Nicole George-Middleton. “With over 70 items from music legends, chart-topping artists and more, this year’s auction is bigger and better than ever.
“We are unbelievably grateful to the ASCAP community for these incredible contributions that will help us raise the funds we need to continue supporting the next generation of music creators.”
ASCAP’s annual auction is live now via Charity Buzz, and runs through to December 18.