What Is ASCAP? ASCAP is a membership association of more than 330,000 U.S. composers, songwriters, lyricists, and music publishers of every kind of music. Through agreements with affiliated international societies, ASCAP also represents hundreds of thousands of music creators worldwide. ASCAP is the only U.S. performing rights organization created and controlled by composers, songwriters and music publishers, with a Board of Directors elected by and from the membership.
ASCAP protects the rights of its members by licensing and distributing royalties for the non-dramatic public performances of their copyrighted works. ASCAP's licensees encompass all who want to perform copyrighted music publicly. ASCAP makes giving and obtaining permission to perform music simple for both creators and users of music.
Who Is ASCAP? ASCAP is its members — creative people who write the music and lyrics that enrich lives in every corner of the world.
ASCAP is home to the greatest names in American music, past and present — from Duke Ellington to Dave Matthews, from George Gershwin to Stevie Wonder, from Leonard Bernstein to Beyoncé, from Marc Anthony to Alan Jackson, from Henry Mancini to Howard Shore — as well as many thousands of writers in the earlier stages of their careers.
ASCAP represents every kind of music. ASCAP's repertory includes pop, rock, alternative, country, R&B, rap, hip-hop, Latin, film and television music, folk, roots and blues, jazz, gospel, Christian, new age, theater and cabaret, dance, electronic, symphonic, concert, as well as many others — the entire musical spectrum.<
ASCAP members are individuals who make their living writing music. As a society of composers, songwriters, lyricists and music publishers, we know very well that there are many steps between creation and compensation; months, if not years, can pass between the creation of a song, its recording, its release, its performance, and the day when the revenues due to the writer actually arrive. A music creator is like a small business, and ASCAP exists to ensure that music creators are paid promptly when their works are performed publicly. Some of the many other ways in which ASCAP can help writers include workshops, showcases, our website and publications, and an exclusive, tailor-made benefits package that includes health and instrument insurance, a credit union, discounts on musical accessories, travel and much more. ASCAP is committed to nurturing music makers throughout their careers.
Welcome From Marilyn Bergman Greetings, and thank you for your interest in ASCAP: the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
Since it was created in 1914, ASCAP has become a vital component of American culture. I recall when my first song was published, and I joined ASCAP. I was thrilled to be part of the society that represented the works of so many of the songwriters I had long admired, such as Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer, Richard Rodgers, Harold Arlen, and Jerome Kern. Today, ASCAP is still the society of the most accomplished and successful music creators in the world, from Garth Brooks to Dr. Dre to Bruce Springsteen to Madonna to Stevie Wonder to James Horner to Joni Mitchell to Wynton Marsalis to Beck to Stephen Sondheim to Tito Puente, and so many others. Yet ASCAP is not only about musical greatness, but also about fostering the creative environment and incentives that are the wellspring of innovation. Whether in the office, nightclubs, or the halls of Congress, ASCAP is constantly working to nurture the careers of its members, and as we look to the future, we will meet every new challenge with the same dedication.
As a songwriter and member of ASCAP, I am continually encouraged by the many new benefits and services we have to offer, and by our ongoing leadership role as the champion of the rights of creators.
Marilyn Bergman President and Chairman of the Board
