One half is designated for the songwriter(s) or composer(s), and the other half is designated for the publisher(s) or copyright holder(s). Learn more about how BMI pays royalties. If you do not have a publisher, you will also receive the publisher’s share as a writer.
If you do not own a publishing company and there are no publisher shares on the work you will see Manuscript as a publishing placeholder. This means the writer and publisher shares are flowing directly to the writers.
BMI members can avoid any delay in receiving royalty payments by signing up for Direct Deposit to their bank account.
Direct Deposit offers instant access to your royalty payments without the worry of waiting for checks to arrive, cashing them or misplacing them. When signing up for these benefits, you can also help us in our efforts to “go green” by choosing to receive your royalty statement electronically. Applications for these programs are available within Online Services.
BMI’s partnering with Payoneer allows those without a U.S. bank account to take advantage of direct deposit benefits, see more.
For an overview of how and when BMI pays royalties, check out “How We Pay Royalties”. This includes detailed, technical information; payment schedules and more.
BMI royalties are performing right royalties, which are earned when a musical work is performed publicly. Public performance occurs when a song is sung or played, recorded or live, on radio and television, as well as through other media such as Internet streaming services, live concerts and programmed music services. BMI grants licenses to perform, use or broadcast music from its extensive repertoire to hundreds of thousands of users of music in public places, such as radio and tv stations, hotels, clubs, colleges, restaurants, stores, and more.
The “mechanical” right is the right to reproduce a piece of music onto CDs, DVDs, records or tapes. (Non-mechanical reproduction includes such things as making sheet music, for which royalties are paid by the publisher to the composer.)
When reproduction of music is made onto a soundtrack of a film or TV show, the reproduction is called “synchronization,” and the license that the TV or film producer needs to obtain is called a synchronization, or “sync,” license.
Mechanical royalties and synchronization fees are paid by record companies and film and TV producers directly to the copyright owner, usually the publisher, or his or her representative. The Harry Fox Agency 40 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005, (212) 834-0100, harryfox.com, represents many U.S. publishers in granting mechanical and synchronization licenses and collecting fees for them from the record companies and producers who need them.
First, congratulations! Now, you need to make sure your work is registered. As soon as a song is published and/or recorded, it should be registered with and reported to BMI. BMI’s ability to license and monitor the performances of a composition is dependent upon the accuracy and timeliness of this reported information. Without it, you may miss out on royalties.
Typically, a publisher will register songs for songwriters and composers. Early registration of works will help prevent lost royalties, so make sure your songs are registered.
No, that’s part of BMI’s function. If your songs are registered with BMI and you are receiving radio play, then BMI will get that information.
For detailed information on our payment methodology, visit our Royalty Information section.
Someone from the family of the deceased or a designated heir must complete the BMI Estate Questionnaire that gives us the necessary information regarding individuals who may be eligible as beneficiaries of the copyright royalties that BMI distributes. For more information see the BMI Estates page.
When we find that BMI royalty checks have gone uncashed for an extended period of time, a member may be sent a letter in an attempt to have the checks reissued.
If the check is less than 6 months old, it is still valid. However, if the check is over 6 months old, you should send the check back to BMI along with a written request to have it re-issued. Please send it to:
Broadcast Music Inc.
ATTN: Royalty Accounting
10 Music Square East
Nashville, TN 37203
Please ensure BMI has your correct address by logging onto your Online Services account and clicking the “Change of Address” option on the lefthand menu. If the address is outdated, please use that option to update your address.
If your address is correct and you have not received your check two weeks after the distribution date, please contact statement@bmi.com. Please note that direct deposit payments arrive much quicker, and this payment method can prevent delayed receipt of BMI distributions.
BMI makes several radio distributions including feature commercial radio, short duration radio, college radio, and public radio. Each of these distributions are prepared differently, and you can find more details about each by accessing BMI’s Royalty Payment Manual through bmi.com under the “How We Pay” link at the bottom of the page. Please note that radio distributions are made 6-8 months from the time the airplay occurs.
Yes, you can register with Payoneer and use the USD banking information they provide to set up direct deposit through your BMI Online Services account. Royalty payments of $2.00 and above will be paid to your Payoneer account. Please refer to your Payoneer terms and conditions for any fees that may apply.
You may also elect BMI to send payment via wire; however, earnings must reach $250 or above before a quarterly payment is made, or $25 or above in August’s distribution. Please refer to bmi.com under Frequency of Royalty Payments for more information about Accruals. Please see your Bank’s terms and conditions for any fees that may apply. You can request a wire transfer form by emailing International@bmi.com.
Your publisher will either enter into a sub-publishing agreement with a publisher in the local territories or have a subsidiary in each territory. The society in each territory collects the royalties and distributes the writer’s share to BMI on your behalf, while the publisher’s share of royalties is paid to the local sub-publisher who then pays through the royalties to your publisher less an agreed administration fee.
BMI is only entitled to collect your publisher performance royalties if you have not assigned your performing rights to a publisher in another territory. You should review your contracts carefully for the details on the rights you have assigned.
While BMI’s license agreements are restricted to the United States, our reciprocal agreements with Copyright Societies in other countries allow us to collect royalties for foreign performances. Each society partner is responsible for monitoring activity in their represented territory. Royalties earned from these performances must first be collected by the partner society, and then remitted to BMI for distribution to our affiliates. This process can take 12-18 months depending on the country of origin. If you believe you are due royalties from foreign performances, please contact statement@bmi.com with as much information as possible about the activity, including the territory of activity, songs that have been performed, and performance source such as TV, Radio, or Streaming Service.
While BMI’s license agreements are restricted to the United States, our reciprocal agreements with Copyright Societies in other countries allow us to collect royalties for foreign performances. Each society partner is responsible for monitoring activity in their represented territory. Royalties earned from these performances must first be collected by the partner society, and then remitted to BMI for distribution to our affiliates. This process can take 12-18 months depending on the country of origin. If you believe you are due royalties from foreign performances, please contact statement@bmi.com with as much information as possible about the activity, including the territory of activity, songs that have been performed, and performance source such as TV, Radio, or Streaming Service.
If you expect to receive performance royalties, all you have to do is make sure your work is registered with BMI. However, this does not mean that your mechanical rights are registered. You should contact The Harry Fox Agency if you have questions in this regard.
It’s important to understand that BMI collects royalties for foreign performances through its international network of reciprocal agreements, and that the collection timeline generally ranges between one and two years from the date of performance. You can determine what periods and performances have been distributed for each society by logging into your Online Services account and reviewing the most recent BMI Distribution letter. Select the Distribution Letter link and then the link for the International Distribution Summary.
If after consulting the international distributions schedule you believe you should have received radio airplay royalties, please contact statement@bmi.com with the following details:
While this information is not mandatory, please note our ability to assist will be limited without these details. Each society follows a different methodology for producing its radio distribution, which may involve censuses, samples, or other approaches. Please note that some methodologies, such as the sample-based approach, do not ultimately account every performance. Additionally, please also note that most foreign societies will not perform royalty adjustments that are less than $50.
Most payments are distributed to BMI writers and publishers between one and two years after the performance occurs in a foreign country.
BMI does not log your performances in other countries. The performing rights organization in the country of performance logs your performances. Each society requires a different amount of time to identify and distribute royalties to BMI. Most societies make distributions to BMI on an annual or semi-annual basis. When BMI receives these royalties, the payments are identified as quickly as possible to expedite payments to our affiliates.
Please see our page about “About Live Performances Overseas” for more information on this topic.
The international rights societies pay royalties on music performed in cinemas or theaters. If you are aware that a particular movie is playing in a cinema or theater you should speak with your production company and have them provide a cue sheet to BMI especially if the film was not released in the United States. Also, if you are aware that the name of a particular movie has been changed into another language, you should contact the International Administration Department.
Arrangements are not eligible for the Live Classical distribution at BMI because they are not original works. BMI defines a classical work as: an original work written for live classical performance by a classical performer or ensemble and being performed under a classical license. Arrangements are, however, eligible for royalties from all other sources. Therefore, please register arrangements by selecting “all other genres” at the beginning of the work registration process.
On “official” remixes, meaning the new work has been commissioned by, or otherwise approved by, the creators/rights owners of the original work, yes, BMI does pay performance royalties. An “official” remix usually involves a DJ/producer, and, to the extent that there is a sufficient amount of new creative elements in the remix, it will typically be considered a derivative work. The label, artist, publishers, writers, and individual(s) involved in creating the remix will agree on what the royalty splits will be for the remix, which requires a new BMI registration to reflect the agreed royalty splits.
On an “unofficial” remix, meaning the remix was done without the consent of the creators/rights owners of the original work and the creator of the remix, no, BMI does not pay performance royalties to the individual(s) involved in creating the remix, because it is an unauthorized derivative work. “Unofficial” remixes should not be registered with BMI as a new work.
BMI licenses many marketplaces and there are several potential answers to this question. However, there are three common reasons you may not have received royalties for certain performances, and those are distribution timelines, works registration status, and distribution thresholds.
BMI’s royalty distributions typically cover performance activity that has taken place 6 to 8 months in the past, so please ensure your inquiry falls within this timeframe. Also, please ensure you are inquiring about a song that you have registered with BMI. You can register works through your Online Services account. Once logged into your account, you will find additional information on how to register. Finally, please note that BMI issues royalty payments above certain threshold that vary depending on payment method. For physical checks and international wires, the threshold is $250 dollars. For domestic direct deposit or Payoneer, the threshold is $2.
Accruals are royalties that have been earned in any quarterly distribution or multiple consecutive distributions that are less than BMI’s stated thresholds; for direct deposit, $2 is the minimum threshold for all distributions. For those not receiving direct deposit, checks or wire transfers will be remitted when the threshold of $250 is earned in November, February, or May, or when $25 is earned in August. Earnings will continue to accumulate for up to 12 quarters or until the minimum threshold for a payment is reached. Payment will be made when the minimum threshold is met.
The accruals report details the royalties currently accrued within the quarter or quarters for which the minimum payment threshold amount was not earned. This report will only be available in the writer or publisher’s Online Services Account when the minimum threshold has not been met and earnings were NOT paid to the writer or publisher.
If you have questions regarding the accrual report that have not been answered in our FAQs, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) .
Royalties will be paid in a quarterly distribution when the minimum threshold has been met. For direct deposit, $2 is the minimum threshold for all distributions. For those not receiving direct deposit, checks or wire transfers will be remitted when the threshold of $250 is earned in November, February, or May, or when $25 is earned in August.
Click here (https://www.bmi.com/creators/#royaltyinformation) to view upcoming payment dates for quarterly distributions.
If you have questions regarding the accrual report that have not been answered in our FAQs, please email statement@bmi.com.
If you see an accrual report displayed in your Online Services account, this means you did not meet the minimum threshold for a BMI payment or quarterly distribution statement. You must earn a minimum of $2 for a direct deposit payment, or $250 in November, February, or May, or $25 in August to receive a check or wire transfer.
If you have questions regarding the accrual report that have not been answered in our FAQs, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) .
A new accrual report will be generated each quarter you do not meet the payment threshold. The report will provide a running total of all accrued earnings beginning with the November 2021 distribution, which covered performances that took place in the Second Quarter of 2021, until the point the threshold is met, at which time a payment will be made, and the accrual report will be replaced with a statement detailing the royalties paid.
If you have questions regarding the accrual report that have not been answered in our FAQs, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) .
Foreign Societies may remit earnings to BMI on behalf of a writer or publisher with little or no information reported about the title. The earnings may be reported for a specific broadcast in their region, such as Comedy Central or Disney Channel earnings or with even less detail such as Lump Sum or General. When earnings are received in this manner for a BMI writer or publisher, BMI reports either Cable Retransmission Programs or Additional Revenue on the BMI Accrual report or BMI statement once minimum threshold has been met and a statement has been generated.
If you have questions regarding the accrual report that have not been answered in our FAQs, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) .
BMI accepts registrations for works-for-hire. The company that hired you will normally own the copyright and be entitled to claim your publishing share. However, per BMI policy the writer, and not the company, must be listed as a composer/author on the registration. The only way for the company that commissioned you to receive your writer performance royalties would be through a royalty assignment. However, it is between you and the company to determine whether that is necessary.