ASCAP is a membership association of more than 360,000 U.S. composers,
songwriters, lyricists, and music publishers of every kind of music. Through
agreements with affiliated international societies, ASCAP also represents
hundreds of thousands of music creators worldwide. ASCAP is the only U.S.
performing rights organization created and controlled by composers, songwriters
and music publishers, with a Board of Directors elected by and from the
membership.
ASCAP protects the rights of its members by licensing and distributing royalties
for the non-dramatic public performances of their copyrighted works. ASCAP's
licensees encompass all who want to perform copyrighted music publicly. ASCAP
makes giving and obtaining permission to perform music simple for both creators
and users of music.
Who Is ASCAP?
ASCAP is its members — creative people who write the music and lyrics that
enrich lives in every corner of the world.
ASCAP is home to the greatest names in American music, past and present — from
Duke Ellington to Dave Matthews, from George Gershwin to Stevie Wonder, from
Leonard Bernstein to Beyoncé, from Marc Anthony to Alan Jackson, from Henry
Mancini to Howard Shore — as well as many thousands of writers in the earlier
stages of their careers.
ASCAP represents every kind of music. ASCAP's repertory includes pop, rock,
alternative, country, R&B, rap, hip-hop, Latin, film and television music, folk,
roots and blues, jazz, gospel, Christian, new age, theater and cabaret, dance,
electronic, symphonic, concert, as well as many others — the entire musical
spectrum.
ASCAP members are individuals who make their living writing music. As a society
of composers, songwriters, lyricists and music publishers, we know very well
that there are many steps between creation and compensation; months, if not
years, can pass between the creation of a song, its recording, its release, its
performance, and the day when the revenues due to the writer actually arrive. A
music creator is like a small business, and ASCAP exists to ensure that music
creators are paid promptly when their works are performed publicly. Some of the
many other ways in which ASCAP can help writers include workshops, showcases,
our website and publications, and an exclusive, tailor-made benefits package
that includes health and instrument insurance, a credit union, discounts on
musical accessories, travel and much more. ASCAP is committed to nurturing music
makers throughout their careers.
