Behind every hit song is a songwriter — and behind every songwriter stands a complex web of rights, royalties, and organizations ensuring that creators get paid whenever their music is performed or broadcast. In today’s global music economy, understanding songwriter rights and how Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) function is essential to both protecting intellectual property and securing long-term income.
Songwriter Rights and PROs (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) is an in-depth, ultra-practical course designed for songwriters, composers, producers, managers, and entertainment lawyers. It explores the legal framework of songwriting rights, the role of PROs, and how royalties flow from performances to creators’ accounts. Participants will gain the skills to register works, manage catalogs, collect global income, and negotiate effectively with publishers and collaborators.
This course blends real-world business practice with legal precision, empowering both emerging and established professionals to control and monetize their creative output with confidence.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
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Understand the legal structure of songwriting rights and ownership.
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Identify the various types of royalties and how they are collected and distributed.
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Navigate the roles of ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and other PROs in domestic and international contexts.
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Register songs correctly with PROs and manage catalogs efficiently.
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Interpret licensing agreements and royalty statements.
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Work effectively with publishers, co-writers, and administrators to secure fair compensation.
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Anticipate emerging challenges in digital performance rights and global royalty collection.
