Do I still need ASCAP or BMI?
Yes. Your PRO pays your writer share directly. Davincii collects the publisher share and mechanicals, and needs your PRO details to do it.
Yes. Davincii works alongside your performing rights organization (PRO), not instead of it. Keep your membership at ASCAP, BMI or whichever PRO you belong to. If you haven't joined one yet, joining is one of the most useful things you can do for your royalties.
Why you need both
Performance royalties are split into two halves: the writer share and the publisher share.
- Your PRO pays the writer share straight to you. Davincii never touches it.
- Davincii collects the publisher share, plus mechanical royalties, which a PRO membership on its own doesn't reach.
Publisher share and writer share explains the split in more detail.
Why we ask for your PRO and IPI
To register your songs for performance royalties, we need to know your PRO and your IPI / CAE number. The IPI is your writer ID at your PRO, and it is what credits you on a registration. You can find it in your PRO member portal or your welcome email.
Without these details, we can only reach about half of what you are owed. You add them on your Profile page.
If you haven't joined a PRO yet
You can still sign up. On the PRO step of your profile, choose "Not yet registered". Your PRO assigns you an IPI number when you join, and you add it to your profile then.
When you join, a few things help:
- Join as a songwriter, not as a publisher. Davincii is already your publisher, and the publisher side charges a fee.
- Pick one PRO. In the US that usually means ASCAP or BMI. BMI is free to join and open to songwriters anywhere.
- Add your details to your profile once you are accepted: your PRO and your IPI number. We handle the registrations from there.
Our guides to performing rights organizations, BMI and ASCAP walk through choosing and joining.
If you already own a publishing company
Some songwriters set up their own publishing company at their PRO. If you did, your profile asks for its name, its PRO and the company's own IPI number (not your writer IPI). Your company stays the publisher on your registrations, and we collect for it as its administrator. A person at Davincii checks the details before they go on your registrations. Most songwriters don't have a company, and you don't need one to use Davincii.
What it costs
Your writer share is never part of our commission. We take 15% of the performance royalties we collect (the publisher share) and 20% of mechanical royalties. See How much Davincii costs for the rest.
Common questions
Should I join my PRO as a publisher too?
No. Join as a songwriter. Davincii is your publisher, and the publisher side of a PRO charges a fee.
Can I sign up before I join a PRO?
Yes. Pick "Not yet registered" on the PRO step of your profile, and add your details once you join.
Related articles
How Davincii works, from signup to your first payment
The path from creating your account to withdrawing your first royalties: sign up, finish your profile, add songs, and get paid.
What you need before you sign up
A short checklist of the details to have ready so signing up, finishing your profile and adding your first songs goes quickly.
How much Davincii costs
No signup fee and no subscription. We take a commission only from royalties we collect: 15% on performance, 20% on mechanicals.
Using Davincii outside the US
Songwriters anywhere can use Davincii. What changes when you live outside the US: your PRO, your tax form, currency and payouts.
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