Sesac
SESAC is a U.S. Performing Rights Organization founded in 1931, representing more than 15,000 songwriters, composers, and publishers and licensing over 1.5 million songs through blanket public-performance licenses sold to more than 70 categories of businesses across the U.S. and Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1931
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sesac does
SESAC is a U.S. Performing Rights Organization (PRO) and the second-oldest in the country, founded in 1931 and operating for over 90 years. Headquartered in Nashville with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, and Munich, SESAC represents more than 15,000 affiliated songwriters, composers, and publishers and licenses the public performance rights to over 1.5 million songs through blanket license agreements issued to more than 70 categories of businesses (bars, restaurants, hotels, fitness centers, retailers, broadcasters, digital platforms, etc.). The company derives recurring, subscription-style revenue from annual license fees, with industry-specific pricing determined by venue capacity, number of speakers, screens, and similar criteria; supplementary digital licensing income scales with licensee revenue or aggregate tuning hours.
The company's product and technology stack centers on its music rights management platform, anchored by the proprietary Repertory Search database and, since October 2025, integration into the Songview platform alongside ASCAP, BMI, and GMR, which consolidates rights data for over 38 million U.S. musical works into a single license-verifiable source. SESAC operates as the parent of a multi-subsidiary group known as SESAC Music Group, which bundles performing rights (SESAC), mechanical rights administration (The Harry Fox Agency, acquired September 2015), music licensing (Rumblefish), royalty collection (Audiam), digital music services (Mint Digital Services), and UGC monetization (HAAWK, acquired October 2024). The combined portfolio is positioned as the only U.S. rights organization offering singular licenses that aggregate performance and mechanical rights.
SESAC is privately held by Blackstone, which acquired the company in February 2017. Distribution combines a direct-to-consumer self-service online licensing portal (getalicense.sesac.com) with an enterprise field-sales motion, complemented by GTM partnerships with industry associations (American Hotel and Lodging Association, California Restaurant Association, New York State Restaurant Association, Club Management Association of America, YMCA, Better Business Bureaus). SESAC Latina operates a specialized Latin music division, and annual awards programs across Nashville, LA, Latina, and Film & Television categories serve both as brand-building and affiliate-relationship channels.
Sesac firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sesac
- Legal name
- SESAC Performing Rights, LLC
- Website
- http://www.sesac.com/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1931
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- SESAC is a U.S. Performing Rights Organization founded in 1931, representing more than 15,000 songwriters, composers, and publishers and licensing over 1.5 million songs through blanket public-performance licenses sold to more than 70 categories of businesses across the U.S. and Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sesac industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Rights Management
- NAICS
- Music Publishers (51223)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) & Public Performance Licensing (MPAIAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Mechanical Licensing (MLC/Local Equivalents, D2C/Streaming Mechanical) (MPAIABAD), Sync Rights Representation (Pitching, Clearance, Negotiation) (MPAIABAF)
Keywords
Where Sesac is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Sesac business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Music Performance Licensing: SESAC collects licensing fees from businesses that publicly perform copyrighted music. License fees are determined by industry criteria and business-specific factors. Fees range from hundreds to thousands of dollars annually based on venue capacity and other criteria.
- Blanket License Agreements: SESAC offers blanket license agreements that authorize the performance of all compositions in their repertory, recognized as the most convenient and cost-effective method for businesses to obtain required authorization for public music performance.
- Internet/Digital Performance Licensing: SESAC provides digital performance licenses for websites, apps, and internet-connected platforms. For revenue-generating digital services, fees are based on revenue generated; for other platforms, fees are calculated using aggregate tuning hours.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Industry-specific blanket licenses |
| Subscription | Annual | Business type-based licensing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Sesac product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SESAC is a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) that licenses the public performance of copyrighted music on behalf of more than 15,000 affiliated songwriters, composers, and publishers, covering over 1.5 million songs. It offers blanket music performance licenses to businesses across more than 70 industry categories including bars, restaurants, hotels, fitness centers, retail stores, broadcasters, and digital platforms. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary The Harry Fox Agency (HFA), SESAC also administers mechanical rights, positioning itself as the only US music rights organization offering singular licenses aggregating both performance and mechanical rights.
Product overview
SESAC is a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) offering a unified platform for music licensing and royalty administration. The core offering consists of blanket music performance licenses through SESAC Performing Rights, supplemented by mechanical rights administration via The Harry Fox Agency (HFA). The portfolio includes additional brands—Rumblefish, Audiam, and Mint Digital Services—that collectively provide copyright administration, royalty collection, and distribution services. SESAC Latina serves as a specialized division for Latin music. Together, these products enable SESAC to offer singular licenses aggregating both performance and mechanical rights for its affiliated writers and publishers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SESAC Blanket License
- Internet/Digital Performance License
- SESAC Performing Rights
- The Harry Fox Agency (HFA)
- SESAC Latina
- HAAWK
Quantifiable outcome
- Thousands of businesses license with SESAC, many for over 90 years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sesac
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sesac technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Sesac partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ASCAPcoreSESAC and GMR completed integration into the Songview platform, originally developed by ASCAP and BMI, creating the most comprehensive US music rights database covering over 38 million works. This consolidation addresses fragmented rights data and provides licensees with verifiable, reconciled data for compliance.
- BMIcoreSESAC and GMR completed integration into the Songview platform, originally developed by ASCAP and BMI, creating the most comprehensive US music rights database covering over 38 million works. This addresses longstanding fragmented rights data across the music licensing ecosystem.
- Global Music Rights (GMR)coreGMR and SESAC completed integration into Songview platform alongside ASCAP and BMI. The expansion provides licensees with comprehensive rights data and enables rights holders to more efficiently assert and enforce their entitlements.
- HAAWKcoreSESAC Music Group acquired HAAWK, a rights management and UGC monetization company. This acquisition strengthens SESAC's capabilities in digital rights management and user-generated content monetization.
- The Harry Fox Agency (HFA)coreSESAC acquired The Harry Fox Agency in September 2015, the leading US mechanical rights organization. This positioned SESAC as the only music rights organization in the US able to offer singular licenses aggregating both performance and mechanical rights.
- RumblefishminorPart of SESAC Music Group portfolio, Rumblefish provides music licensing services and rights management solutions.
- AudiamminorPart of SESAC Music Group portfolio, Audiam provides music identification and royalty collection services.
- Mint Digital ServicesminorPart of SESAC Music Group portfolio, Mint Digital Services provides digital music services and rights administration.
- American Hotel and Lodging AssociationminorIndustry association partner that trusts SESAC for music licensing solutions for hotels and hospitality businesses.
- Better Business BureausminorBBB provides additional information concerning Copyright Law and music user's responsibilities, directing businesses to proper licensing sources.
- Club Management Association of AmericaminorIndustry association partner for music licensing solutions targeting club and fitness facilities.
- California Restaurant AssociationminorState restaurant association partner providing music licensing resources for California food service establishments.
- New York State Restaurant AssociationminorState restaurant association partner providing music licensing resources for New York food service establishments.
- YMCAminorNational organization trusted by SESAC for music licensing solutions for fitness and recreation facilities.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sesac competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers): Direct head-to-head US PRO that licenses public performance rights on behalf of songwriters and publishers. Both operate under US Copyright Law, sell blanket licenses to similar licensee pools, and now share the Songview rights database, making them the closest peer in business model, customer base, and product offering.
- Global Music Rights (GMR): US PRO founded to represent a curated roster of high-profile songwriters and publishers; competes head-to-head with SESAC in the invitation-only, premium-affiliate segment. Recently integrated into the Songview platform alongside SESAC, ASCAP and BMI.
- BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.): One of the original two largest US PROs alongside ASCAP; licenses public performance of musical works to broadcasters, businesses and digital platforms. Directly comparable to SESAC in revenue model (blanket licenses), customer segments, regulatory structure, and Songview integration; captured by a PE-led acquisition in 2023.
Broad incumbents
- SoundExchange: Designated US non-profit collective for digital performance royalties of sound recordings (separate copyright from composition). Comparable to SESAC as a music rights intermediary operating under statutory license frameworks on recurring fees, though it represents master rights not publishing rights.
- Warner Chappell Music: Largest music publisher globally, wholly owned by Warner Music Group. Overlaps with SESAC's music publishing administration functions and competes for songwriter signings, but operates as a major-label publisher rather than a neutral PRO.
- Sony Music Publishing: Major-label music publisher administering a deep catalog of compositions, competing with SESAC for songwriter affiliations and licensing administration. Comparable on rights administration mechanics but different in scale and ownership structure.
- Universal Music Publishing Group: Major-label music publisher that administers some of the world's largest songwriting catalogs. Comparable to SESAC in administering rights and collecting royalties, but operates in a publisher-owned model rather than as a neutral PRO.
Regional players
- GEMA (Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte): German PRO handling performance, mechanical and neighboring rights, also offering combined licensing analogous to SESAC's HFA integration. Direct comparable on PRO functionality but operates primarily in Germany under distinct local copyright frameworks.
- PRS for Music: UK PRO that licenses public performance and broadcasts of music on behalf of its members, with reciprocal agreements covering US works. Direct equivalent to SESAC in business model and product (blanket licenses, royalty collection) but serves a UK/European territorial mandate.
Emerging players
- The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC): Designated US mechanical rights collective under the Music Modernization Act; licenses and collects royalties for streaming mechanical usage of songs. Overlaps with SESAC's HFA mechanical rights business and competes for visibility into streaming-era rights administration.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sesac social profiles
Digital presenceSesac financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sesac leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Sesac subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Sesac funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sesac M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sesac
What does Sesac do?
SESAC is a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) that licenses the public performance of copyrighted music on behalf of more than 15,000 affiliated songwriters, composers, and publishers, covering over 1.5 million songs. It offers blanket music performance licenses to businesses across more than 70 industry categories including bars, restaurants, hotels, fitness centers, retail stores, broadcasters, and digital platforms. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary The Harry Fox Agency (HFA), SESAC also administers mechanical rights, positioning itself as the only US music rights organization offering singular licenses aggregating both performance and mechanical rights.
Is Sesac a public or private company?
Sesac is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Sesac founded?
Sesac was founded in 1931. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Sesac based?
Sesac is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sesac make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Music Performance Licensing is the primary driver. The others are blanket License Agreements and internet/Digital Performance Licensing.
Who are Sesac's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), Global Music Rights (GMR) and BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.). Broad incumbents are SoundExchange, Warner Chappell Music, Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group. Regional players are GEMA (Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte) and PRS for Music. The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Sesac have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sesac.
What industry is Sesac in?
Sesac's product category is Music Rights Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAKAA, Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) & Public Performance Licensing, with a secondary code of MPAIABAD, Mechanical Licensing (MLC/Local Equivalents, D2C/Streaming Mechanical). Its NAICS code is 51223 and its SIC code is 8600.