Reference
Every collective management organization that pays songwriters and performers — by country, with joining cost, payout cadence, and how to register. Living reference, last reviewed monthly.
29 collective management organizations (CMOs) across 19 countries — 22 performance rights organizations, 4 mechanical-rights societies, and 3 neighboring-rights bodies. This is the global plumbing that pays songwriters and performers when their music is used.
Each entry below tells you what the org collects, how to join (or why you can't), the joining cost, payout cadence, and whether Davincii handles registration for you as part of standard onboarding. Use this as a reference; the entries are cross-referenced from our guides and blog.
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
One of the two main US PROs. Member-owned, non-profit. You can join as a writer, a publisher, or both. Pays out about 6 months after the performance quarter.
Broadcast Music, Inc.
The other big US PRO. For-profit since 2022 (acquired by New Mountain Capital). Tends to skew slightly toward radio + television; ASCAP toward streaming, but both license everywhere. You can only join one — ASCAP or BMI, not both.
SESAC Performing Rights
Smallest of the major US PROs. Invitation-only — they recruit writers they want, you don't apply. If you're not already with ASCAP or BMI and have meaningful catalog, they may reach out.
Global Music Rights
Boutique invitation-only PRO founded by Irving Azoff. Roster includes Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon estate, Pharrell Williams, etc. Not relevant for indie songwriters until they reach you.
The Mechanical Licensing Collective
Created by the Music Modernization Act (2018) to administer streaming mechanical royalties in the US. Free to join. If your songs are streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, etc., the MLC collects the mechanical side and pays you — but only if your songs are registered with them.
Harry Fox Agency
Owned by SESAC (acquired 2015). Handles non-streaming US mechanicals (CDs, vinyl, downloads) plus sync licensing facilitation. Most streaming mechanicals moved to the MLC in 2021 but HFA still administers some publisher catalogs directly.
Pays the SOUND RECORDING side, not the writer side. If you're the recording artist (the person whose voice/performance is on the record), you collect from SoundExchange. If you're only the writer, you don't. Covers non-interactive digital broadcasts (Pandora, SiriusXM, internet radio) — NOT Spotify or Apple Music interactive streaming.
Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada
The Canadian PRO. Covers performance and (via the SOCAN Reproduction Rights division) some streaming mechanicals in Canada. If you're a Canadian songwriter, you join SOCAN; if you're US and have plays in Canada, your US PRO collects via reciprocal agreements with SOCAN.
Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency
Canadian equivalent of HFA. Handles non-streaming mechanicals in Canada. Subsidiary of SOCAN since 2020.
The UK PRO + mechanical licensing collective combined (jointly administered with MCPS). One organization, two rights — they collect both sides for UK/Ireland. Reciprocal with US PROs so US members collect via ASCAP/BMI when their songs play in the UK.
Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society
Administered alongside PRS for Music since 1997. You join PRS, you get MCPS. Pays UK mechanical royalties (physical + digital downloads + on-demand streaming).
Phonographic Performance Limited
UK equivalent of SoundExchange. Pays performers and recording rights owners for radio/TV/public airings. If you're a featured performer on a recording, you can register — even if the song isn't yours.
Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte
Germany's PRO + mechanical society in one. Powerful — German law gives them broad collection authority. Famously locked horns with YouTube for years (resolved 2016). If you have plays in Germany, GEMA collects unless your home PRO has a reciprocal that routes the money back.
Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique
France's PRO + mechanical society (with subsidiary SDRM handling mechanicals operationally). Oldest PRO in the world. Strong international presence — covers a number of African and Middle Eastern territories via reciprocal.
Società Italiana degli Autori ed Editori
Italian PRO + mechanical society. Administers a few neighboring-rights flows too. Lost EU exclusivity in 2017 (other societies can now collect in Italy) but still dominant.
Sociedad General de Autores y Editores
Spain's PRO + mechanical society. Major reciprocal partner for Latin American CMOs. If you have Spanish-language tracks getting plays in Spain or Latin America, SGAE is often where the money lands first.
Svenska Tonsättares Internationella Musikbyrå
Swedish PRO + mechanical society. Free membership, fast digital payouts (monthly is rare globally). Owns the ICE Services platform jointly with PRS and GEMA — handles a large share of European digital licensing.
Vereniging Buma en Stichting Stemra
Two associated organizations administered together. Buma = performance, Stemra = mechanical. Common for Dutch artists, also picks up plays in Belgium and Luxembourg via reciprocal.
Société d'Auteurs Belge — Belgische Auteursmaatschappij
Belgian PRO + mechanical society. Bilingual (French + Dutch). Reciprocal partners with most major societies; if you're not Belgian, your home PRO collects from SABAM via reciprocal.
Schweizerische Gesellschaft für die Rechte der Urheber musikalischer Werke
Swiss PRO + mechanical society. Also administers Liechtenstein. Tends to have higher per-stream rates than EU averages because of stronger local rate cards.
Danish PRO. Mechanicals handled by NCB (Nordic Copyright Bureau), which also handles Sweden's STIM, Norway's TONO, Finland's Teosto, and Iceland's STEF for mechanical rights collectively.
Norway's PRO. Mechanicals handled by NCB (shared Nordic mechanical body).
Australasian Performing Right Association + Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society
Two organizations administered together. Covers both Australia and New Zealand. Strong digital-streaming infrastructure; monthly payouts on digital are unusually fast.
Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers
Japan's dominant PRO. Membership process is more involved than Western societies — often requires a Japanese publisher partner. Reciprocal partners with all major US and EU societies, so foreign writers usually collect via their home PRO.
Korea Music Copyright Association
South Korea's main PRO. Mostly closed to non-Korean writers — foreign collections happen via reciprocal. Important for global K-pop sync activity.
Escritório Central de Arrecadação e Distribuição
Brazil collects through ECAD, which represents seven affiliated societies (UBC, AMAR, ABRAMUS, SBACEM, SICAM, SOCINPRO, ASSIM). You join one of the affiliates — UBC and ABRAMUS are the most common — and ECAD does the central collection.
Sociedad de Autores y Compositores de México
Mexico's PRO + mechanical society. Major hub for Latin American sync because of Mexico City's role in Spanish-language film and TV.
Southern African Music Rights Organisation
South Africa's PRO, also administers a number of neighboring sub-Saharan territories via service agreements. Mechanicals handled separately by CAPASSO.
Societies' Council for the Collective Management of Performers' Rights
Not a CMO you join directly. Coordinates the 60+ national neighboring-rights organizations (PPL, GVL, etc.) that pay performers and recording rights holders. If you're a featured performer collecting internationally, your local neighboring-rights body (PPL UK, GVL DE, etc.) talks to SCAPR-coordinated peer societies via the IPD database.
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