What’s the Difference Between a PRO and SoundExchange?

What Each One Covers

Organization	Pays Royalties To	Type of Royalties	Examples of Platforms Covered
PROs (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC)	Songwriters & Publishers	Performance royalties(composition)	Radio, TV, live shows, streaming services (Spotify, YouTube)
SoundExchange	Artists & Master Owners	Digital performance royalties(sound recording)	SiriusXM, Pandora, internet radio

 PRO = Composition Royalties

• Based on the songwriting itself
• Collected for:
• Terrestrial radio (FM/AM)
• TV broadcasts
• Live performances
• Interactive and non-interactive streams

 Must register each song with ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC

 SoundExchange = Sound Recording Royalties

• Based on the actual audio file/recording
• Collected for:
• Non-interactive digital platforms (e.g., Pandora Free, SiriusXM)
• Split among:
• 45% to the featured artist
• 50% to the master owner (label or indie)
• 5% to session musicians (via AFM/SAG-AFTRA fund)

 Must register each recording with SoundExchange

 Key Differences

Feature	PRO (ASCAP/BMI)	SoundExchange
Who Gets Paid	Songwriters & Publishers	Artists & Rights Owners
Tracks…	The composition	The recording
Covers Streaming?	Yes (interactive & non)	Only non-interactive
Covers Radio/TV?	Yes	No
Needs Song Registration?	Yes (composition)	Yes (recording)

 Pro Tips

• If you write and perform: you should register with both a PRO and SoundExchange
• If you only write songs (not perform): you only need a PRO
• If you perform but don’t write: SoundExchange is essential to collect your cut

Bottom Line:
PROs collect for your songwriting.
SoundExchange collects for your recordings.
To earn everything you're owed as a songwriter and/or performer, you likely need both.