Broadcast Music, Inc
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a US performing rights organization founded in 1939 that licenses public performance rights to 650,000+ businesses on behalf of 1.5 million+ songwriters, composers, and publishers holding 25 million+ musical works, distributing royalties globally through reciprocal agreements.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1939
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Broadcast Music, Inc does
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a US-based performing rights organization (PRO) founded in 1939, operating as a private not-for-profit corporation owned by its affiliated songwriters, composers, and publishers. BMI represents over 1.5 million creators and a repertoire of more than 25 million musical works, collecting public performance royalties on their behalf and distributing them on a quarterly basis. On the demand side, BMI licenses public performance rights to approximately 650,000 businesses — including restaurants, bars, hotels, retailers, radio and TV stations, live venues, and digital platforms — with digital licenses starting at $350 per year and scaling on usage metrics such as streaming hours and gross revenue.
BMI's technology platform is anchored by Songview, a jointly developed database with ASCAP that provides searchable copyright ownership data for nearly 40 million combined musical works; the BMI Repertoire Database covering 22.4 million works from 1.4 million creators; and BMI Live, a creator-facing application (desktop, iOS, Android) for reporting live performance data and receiving quarterly royalty payments. The company also operates an Online Services portal for account and royalty management and a programmatic Songview API. International royalty collection is enabled through reciprocal agreements with foreign PROs, protected in 21 of 27 EU member states under the 2020 CJEU RAAP ruling.
BMI's revenue model is licensing-and-royalties-based: it collects license fees from music users, retains an operating margin, and distributes the remainder as royalties to creators. Its go-to-market combines digital self-service for SMBs, dedicated account management for enterprise licensees, and an event- and awards-driven engagement model for creators (BMI Pop, Film/TV, R&B/Hip-Hop, Christian, Latin, and London Awards). The company is headquartered in New York with offices in Nashville, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Austin, Miami, and London. Recent strategic moves include the May 2026 acquisition of Soundmouse, partnerships with Music Nation (UAE) and Bridger/Winamp Group, a joint AI registration policy with ASCAP and SOCAN, and an Atlanta office expansion in late 2025.
Broadcast Music, Inc firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Broadcast Music, Inc
- Legal name
- Broadcast Music, Inc.
- Website
- https://bmi.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1939
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a US performing rights organization founded in 1939 that licenses public performance rights to 650,000+ businesses on behalf of 1.5 million+ songwriters, composers, and publishers holding 25 million+ musical works, distributing royalties globally through reciprocal agreements.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Broadcast Music, Inc industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Rights Management
- NAICS
- Music Publishers (51223)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) & Public Performance Licensing (MPAIAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Performance Rights Administration (PRO Affiliation, Cue Sheet/Setlist Processing) (MPAIABAE), Micro-Licensing & Direct Licensing Platforms (UGC, SMB venues, online uses) (MPAIAKAJ), Public Performance/Neighboring Rights for AV Uses (Cue Sheet & Reporting Services) (MPAIALAK)
Keywords
Where Broadcast Music, Inc is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Broadcast Music, Inc business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Public Performance Licensing Fees: BMI collects license fees from businesses that publicly perform music (restaurants, bars, radio stations, TV networks, digital services, live venues, etc.). These license fees are collected based on the type and size of the business and the nature of music use. The collected fees are then distributed as royalties to BMI's affiliated songwriters, composers, and music publishers.
- Digital Music Licensing: BMI issues digital music performance licenses to websites, mobile applications, podcasts, and other digital services for the right to publicly perform BMI's repertoire of over 22.4 million musical works.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Digital Music License - Base Tier |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Publisher Affiliation Fee - Individual Publisher |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Publisher Affiliation Fee - Corporate/LLC Publisher |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Publisher Affiliation Fee - Partnership Publisher |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Estate Application Fee |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Broadcast Music, Inc product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BMI is a performing rights organization (PRO) that represents public performance rights for over 1.5 million songwriters, composers, and publishers with a catalog of more than 25 million musical works. BMI licenses public performance rights to 650,000 businesses (restaurants, bars, hotels, radio, TV, digital services) and collects license fees, which are then distributed as royalties to affiliated creators. The company also operates the Songview database (jointly with ASCAP) covering nearly 40 million works and provides online tools including BMI Live for performance reporting and BMI Online Services for account management.
Product overview
BMI is a U.S. music performing rights organization (PRO) offering a comprehensive platform for music rights management. The core offering includes performance rights representation for over 1.5 million songwriters, composers, and publishers with a catalog of 25+ million musical works. Key products include Songview (jointly with ASCAP for comprehensive copyright data), BMI Live (for tracking and paying royalties on live performances), BMI Online Services (account management portal), and Digital Music Licensing. The company also offers educational programs like How I Wrote That Song panels and career development through the Spark program. BMI licenses music usage to 650,000+ businesses and distributes royalties to creators through quarterly payments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Songview: A combined searchable database of ASCAP and BMI musical works, providing comprehensive and reconciled copyright ownership data for nearly 40 million musical works.
- BMI Live
Products and services
- BMI Performance Rights Representation BMI's primary service representing performance rights for over 1.5 million songwriters, composers, and publishers with a repertoire of over 25 million musical works, licensing music usage to businesses and distributing royalties to rights holders.
- Songview A combined ASCAP and BMI searchable database providing comprehensive, reliable copyright data on songwriters, composers, music publishers, and copyright ownership shares for nearly 40 million musical works in their combined repertoires.
- BMI Live An online services application enabling performing songwriters to submit live performance data and receive quarterly royalty payments. Songwriters can report up to six months of performance data including tour information and setlists for both headliner and opening act performances. Available via desktop and mobile app (iOS and Android).
- Digital Music Licensing Digital music performance licenses granting businesses copyright permission to publicly perform BMI's repertoire of over 25 million songs, covering websites, mobile apps, digital music providers, podcasts, and other digital streaming services.
- BMI Online Services Password-protected online portal for BMI-affiliated songwriters, composers, and publishers to manage their accounts, register works, view royalty statements, and access direct deposit enrollment.
- Music Licensing (General Business) BMI issues public performance licenses on behalf of copyright owners granting rights to perform works publicly or transmit them to the public, covering various business types including restaurants, hotels, retail, radio, and television.
Companies that use Broadcast Music, Inc
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Broadcast Music, Inc technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Broadcast Music, Inc partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Bridger (Winamp Group)coreBridger, the copyright management company and part of Winamp Group, has been officially confirmed as a Client Rights Management Entity (RME) within the CISAC ecosystem. The company finalized a partnership with BMI enabling it to collect offline performance royalties across the U.S. market. Bridger is accelerating its expansion into offline royalty collection covering radio, television, live performances, and public venues worldwide.
- ASCAP and SOCANflagshipASCAP, BMI, and SOCAN announced a joint alignment on AI registration policies, with all three PROs agreeing to now accept registrations of musical works that are partially generated by AI. This collaboration establishes unified standards for human creators and AI tools in music licensing.
- Music Nation Copyrights ManagementcoreMusic Nation Copyrights Management officially launched operations in the UAE as a comprehensive music rights management organization. The company partnered with BMI for performing rights and SoundExchange for neighboring rights administration. Music Nation aims to deliver unified licensing, collection, and royalty distribution across the UAE as the first regional organization to offer a single platform combining public performance, mechanical, and neighboring rights.
- ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers)flagshipBMI and ASCAP jointly developed Songview, providing music users with the first comprehensive, reliable, and consistent data on songwriters, composers, music publishers and copyright ownership shares for the vast majority of songs licensed in the United States. Songview integrates song ownership information from both PROs, reconciles data based on agreed-upon rules, and provides expanded data including works from other participating societies.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Broadcast Music, Inc competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers): The other major US performing rights organization, with a comparable two-sided model of licensing businesses and paying royalties to songwriters. BMI and ASCAP directly compete for affiliates and licensees, and already cooperate on the Songview database.
- SESAC: A smaller US PRO that issues public performance licenses and collects royalties on behalf of affiliated songwriters and publishers. Directly comparable PRO business model to BMI, though with a smaller repertoire and primarily selective affiliation.
- SoundExchange: The US nonprofit designated to collect and distribute digital performance royalties for sound recordings (neighboring rights). Compares to BMI as a sister royalty-collection entity, covering a related but distinct right (master vs. publishing) — a natural partner/peer for BMI's creators.
- Harry Fox Agency (HFA): The primary US mechanical rights administrator, issuing licenses and collecting royalties for the reproduction of musical works. Operates a rights-administration model parallel to BMI's public performance focus, making it a directly comparable rights-services counterpart.
Emerging players
- Global Music Rights (GMR): A newer US PRO founded in 2013, representing a roster of high-profile songwriters and publishers. Competes with BMI for top-tier affiliates but has a smaller catalog, making it a partial-overlap peer in the US PRO space.
- Audiam: A music rights technology company that administers mechanical royalties for independent songwriters and publishers. Represents a tech-forward, partial-overlap alternative to traditional PRO/publisher administration, comparable in service to BMI's digital licensing portal.
Regional players
- PRS for Music: The UK's performing rights organization with reciprocal agreements with BMI for international royalty collection. Operates an analogous PRO model in the UK, frequently cited in BMI's reciprocal-network materials.
- GEMA: Germany's PRO, one of BMI's largest reciprocal partners for European royalty collection. Comparable business model focused on licensing public performance and distributing royalties to creators, but operating in the German-speaking market.
- SOCAN: Canada's PRO, which recently co-aligned with BMI and ASCAP on AI registration policies. Operates the same two-sided PRO model in Canada, and is a direct functional peer in the rights-administration value chain.
Broad incumbents
- Music Reports Inc. A music rights administration and royalty-processing vendor serving publishers, DSPs, and rights organizations. Comparable to BMI as a broader rights-administration incumbent, with overlapping toolsets for catalog management and royalty accounting.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Broadcast Music, Inc social profiles
Digital presenceBroadcast Music, Inc financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Broadcast Music, Inc leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Broadcast Music, Inc subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Broadcast Music, Inc funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Broadcast Music, Inc M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Broadcast Music, Inc
What does Broadcast Music, Inc do?
BMI is a performing rights organization (PRO) that represents public performance rights for over 1.5 million songwriters, composers, and publishers with a catalog of more than 25 million musical works. BMI licenses public performance rights to 650,000 businesses (restaurants, bars, hotels, radio, TV, digital services) and collects license fees, which are then distributed as royalties to affiliated creators. The company also operates the Songview database (jointly with ASCAP) covering nearly 40 million works and provides online tools including BMI Live for performance reporting and BMI Online Services for account management.
Is Broadcast Music, Inc a public or private company?
Broadcast Music, Inc is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Broadcast Music, Inc founded?
Broadcast Music, Inc was founded in 1939. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Broadcast Music, Inc based?
Broadcast Music, Inc is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Broadcast Music, Inc make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Public Performance Licensing Fees are the primary driver. The others are digital Music Licensing.
Who are Broadcast Music, Inc's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), SESAC, SoundExchange and Harry Fox Agency (HFA). Emerging players are Global Music Rights (GMR) and Audiam. Regional players are PRS for Music, GEMA and SOCAN. Music Reports Inc. is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Broadcast Music, Inc have an API?
Yes. BMI offers an API that allows programmatic access to its searchable song title databases (Songview). The API supports RSS feeds and automated queries for querying musical works data. The Songview system, developed jointly by ASCAP and BMI, provides comprehensive copyright data including songwriter information, publisher data, and ownership shares for works in their combined repertoires. Developer documentation is at repertoire.bmi.com.
What industry is Broadcast Music, Inc in?
Broadcast Music, Inc'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 MPAIABAE, Performance Rights Administration (PRO Affiliation, Cue Sheet/Setlist Processing). Its NAICS code is 51223.