American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers

The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) (/ˈæskæp/) is an American not-for-profit <a href="/facts/Performance_rights_organisation/PSHoNHvb">performance-rights organization</a> (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadcasters, and digital streaming services (music stores).
ASCAP collects <a href="/facts/Licensing/xaP3U6ga">licensing</a> fees from users of music created by ASCAP members, then distributes them back to its members as <a href="/facts/Royalties/8caVPHCP">royalties</a>. In effect, the arrangement is the product of a compromise: when a song is played, the user does not have to pay the copyright holder directly, nor does the music creator have to bill a radio station for use of a song.
In 2024, ASCAP collected approximately US$1.84 billion in revenue, distributed approximately US$1.7 billion in royalties to rightsholders, and maintained a registry of approximately 20 million works. The organization had approximately 1 million members as of 2024.
ASCAP has drawn negative attention for attempting to enforce licensing fees when songs are used in informal occasions such as <a href="/facts/Campfire_songs/Cf9SF7Bj">campfire singing</a> and <a href="/facts/Open_mic/RVoVU3sy">open mic</a> nights. It has also been criticized for its high lack of transparency in its operations, and for retaining some royalties brought in from its membership rather than paying them out to the artists.

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers open-in-new

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers