Performances overseas
We are the only society to have negotiated modern, commercially driven reciprocal agreements with all the key global partners. Our international partner network and innovative direct licensing approach enables us to ensure royalties are collected and paid wherever your music is played, performed, streamed and downloaded.
Tell us about your performances using our new live reporting service, preferably within two years.
Live performances in the US
To help us collect royalties for the performance of your work in the US, you'll need to choose a US performing rights organisation. We work with three societies to collect our members' performance royalties in the US. These are ASCAP, BMI and SESAC.
ASCAP pay royalties for the top 300 grossing tours each quarter. This includes both headliners and their support acts.
ASCAP also separately pay royalties for events at the following venues:
- Amerant Bank Arena – Sunrise, FL
- American Airlines Arena - Miami, FL
- Barclays Center – New York, NY
- Beacon Theatre - New York, NY
- Coliseo de Puerto Rico – San Juan, PR
- Hiram Bithorn Stadium – San Juan, PR
- Hollywood Bowl - Los Angeles, CA
- James L. Knight Center - Miami, FL
- Knight Concert Hall – Miami, FL
- Madison Square Garden Arena - New York, NY
- Radio City Music Hall - New York, NY
- Roberto Clemente Coliseum - San Juan, PR
- Staples Center - Los Angeles, CA
- The Theatre At Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
- Universal Amphitheatre (Gibson Amphitheatre) - Universal City, CA
If you were not paid as part of their census of top 300 tours or have not performed in one of the above 15 venues, you can report your event for their annual ASCAP OnStage scheme which is comparable in value to the PRS Gigs and Clubs scheme. The scheme relates to performances in the preceding year only.
Report your events on our live reporting service before 30 June of the current year.
BMI pay royalties for the top 300 grossing tours each quarter. This includes both headliners and their support acts.
If you were not paid as part of their census of top 300 tours, you can report your event and receive payment for their annual BMI Live scheme which is comparable in value to the PRS Gigs and Clubs scheme. The scheme relates to performances in the preceding year only.
Report your events on our live reporting service before 30 June of the current year.
SESAC pay royalties for live events each quarter.
If you were not paid, please report your events for the preceding year on our live reporting service before 30 June of the current year.
Frequently asked questions
Reporting a live performance does not guarantee a royalty payment and these can take a while to be processed. Royalties for international performances usually arrive between 9 and 24 months after the claim is submitted, depending on:
- overseas collection society’s payment schedule
- venue paying their music licence to the local society
- promoter paying the local society licence fee
Unfortunately we can't predict royalty amounts from overseas performances. Several factors influence the royalty amounts that societies pay, including:
- ticket price
- live tariff applied by the society
- admin deductions applied by the society
- number of tickets sold
- number of acts performing
- whether you are performing as a headline or support act
The live tariff is collected by the local society from the promoter or venue of an event to cover the performing rights. These differ according to the territory.
