StudioPros

You may have heard of companies such as ASCAP and BMI. These are called Performance Rights Organizations (PROs) and they exist to help you as an artist get paid whenever you get film placements, TV placements, and other music licensing opportunities. If a cell phone company uses a musician’s song in one of their commercials, for example, that songwriter will get paid through whichever PRO he is a member of.

Different Performance Rights Organizations

There are several PROs in the United States that you could join. Most songwriters join either ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) or SESAC (originally known as the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers, but now known only as SESAC). SESAC is the most exclusive of the three. Based in Nashville, TN, it has the smallest roster of artists and is the only PRO that doesn’t run as a not-for-profit organization. ASCAP and BMI are much larger companies.

What PROs Do

A PRO is important to musicians because they monitor public performances of compositions and collect royalties for their members. So if you’re a member of a PRO and you see reruns of the “One Tree Hill” episode that featured your track, you can rest assured that a royalty check will be headed your way. This is why any musician who is interested in pursuing music licensing opportunities and any artist who hopes to get signed to a music publishing deal should become a member of a PRO.

Do I Need to Be in a PRO?

While joining a PRO is a must for many artists, you may not have to bother with it at all depending on your situation. If you don’t have any recordings finished, for example, you might want to wait before you sign up with a PRO. Or if you’re not interested in pursuing music licensing and would rather focus on playing live shows and going on tour, there may not be any benefit to you joining. But if you have any aspirations for getting your recording on TV or on the big screen, you will need to become a member.

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20 years ago she thought making music might be fun. Now with the help of Studio Pros, Barb Bechler has accomplished what she never thought possible.

UPDATE: Barb has created dance/hip hop tracks from a capella demo versions to professional final products with the help of Studio Pros.  Three of these tracks have been added below.  She has also won two more songwriting awards in the Song of the Year competition for her tracks “Come on Out and Dance” and “Wishers” since this feature was written.

Barb Bechler’s path to becoming a musician is not your typical story. In fact, her creative use of Studio Pros’ services makes for one of the most unique musical journeys you’re bound to hear. While she’s been a fan and admirer of music for most of her life, Bechler never was a musician herself–until she began learning, experimenting, and expanding her musical boundaries with the help of the world-class studio musicians that Studio Pros provided. Utilizing Studio Pros’ services, Bechler found herself going from complete novice to award-winning songwriter in an astoundingly short period of time.

Not too long ago, Bechler was retired from real estate sales and writing children’s stories. Now, she is submitting her music to TAXI for publishing in film and television. “I’m probably coming from a different direction from a lot of people,” she says. “I’ve always admired musicians and listened to a great variety of music. The big thing for me was that I always wanted to be able to write songs.” Wondering how she could translate her story writing abilities to songwriting, Bechler had a breakthrough when her niece, Deanna, showed her how to use GarageBand music software.

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