If you are one of those people who are deeply—or even vaguely—interested in music and all aspects of it, you would recognize ASCAP and BMI even from afar. ASCAP stands for American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers while BMI is Broadcast Music Incorporated. Both are very powerful in the music industry, even to a point where they are considered as the authorities within the industry.

ASCAP started in 1913, with a goal and mission of protecting musicians from being taken advantage of publishing sharks. ASCAP works as the tabulating and regulating party, making sure that the musician gets their royalty fee with each and every copy sold. Now that music is used by almost all kinds of media, ASCAP took the initiative of collecting their members’ share from these venues too.

BMI on the other hand, is a smaller regulating body, a byproduct of disgruntled ASCAP members who have grown tired of the aforementioned terms and conditions. More or less, it operates under the same principles as that of ASCAP’s but less restrictive. BMI was created around 1940 and underwent continual growth through the years!

In general, these organizations are considered as intermediary licensing parties although some musicians, especially professional ones, are now having doubts about the organizations’ terms. Also in question are fees that need to be paid by members rather forcefully. Equally questionable is the blanket license which entitles a buyer to all songs written by their members under their wings, with or without notifying the writer in question.