NMPA
The National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) is the largest U.S. trade association for music publishers, serving 3,000+ members through collective licensing, copyright litigation, regulatory advocacy, and the Gold & Platinum songwriter certification program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1917
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What NMPA does
The National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA), founded in 1917 and headquartered in Washington, DC, is the largest U.S. trade association for music publishers, serving over 3,000 members including the major publishers (Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music), large independents (BMG, Kobalt, peermusic, Reservoir), and smaller publishers. Its mission is to protect and advance the economic and legal interests of music publishers and the songwriters they represent across Congress, federal agencies, and the courts.
NMPA's core offerings span four pillars: (1) the Gold & Platinum Program, a database of 59,268+ RIAA-certified song records synced quarterly with RIAA data, used to certify and notify songwriters; (2) Legal & Business Affairs, providing copyright resources, Copyright Royalty Board representation, and aggregated song ownership search (Songview, ASCAP, BMI, MLC, Global Music Rights, SESAC); (3) NMPAC, a bipartisan federal political action committee; and (4) a member events portfolio including the Annual Meeting at Lincoln Center, Nashville Gala, SONGS Foundation Golf Tournament, and Grammy Week Songwriter Awards co-hosted with Billboard. NMPA operates a member portal (member.nmpa.org) and a searchable G&P database; no public API or developer platform exists.
NMPA is a private, member-funded 501(c) trade association with no investors or parent company. Revenue comes primarily from tiered annual membership dues calculated on market share (with the top 6 publishers responsible for ≥75% of the operating budget, and publishers under $50,000 in revenue paying a flat $100/year). Its economic engine is industry-wide collective licensing and litigation: NMPA has recovered nearly $1.5 billion cumulatively through settlements (YouTube, Limewire, etc.), including the $230M+ Late Fee Program, and currently returns approximately $110 million annually to members through negotiated deals, including the landmark 2026 AI licensing agreements with Udio and KLAY Media.
NMPA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NMPA
- Legal name
- National Music Publishers' Association
- Website
- https://nmpa.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1917
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) is the largest U.S. trade association for music publishers, serving 3,000+ members through collective licensing, copyright litigation, regulatory advocacy, and the Gold & Platinum songwriter certification program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NMPA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Publishing Trade Association
- NAICS
- Music Publishers (512230), Music Publishers (51223)
- SIC
- Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Music Rights Administration & Royalty Processing (Admin, Accounting, Statements) (MPAIAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Royalty Accounting & Payment Services (Statements, Audits, Payee Management) (MPAIABAL), Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) & Public Performance Licensing (MPAIAKAA), Global Rights Representation & Sub-Publishing/Reciprocal Collection Services (MPAIAKAI)
Keywords
Where NMPA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
NMPA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual dues calculated based on member market share. General Members (reporting more than $100,000 in prior year) are assessed dues based on market share, with Executive Members (top 6 by revenue) responsible for no less than 75% of the NMPA operating budget. Publishers reporting $50,000-$100,000 pay a flat $250 fee; those under $50,000 pay $100 annually.
- Legal Settlements and Judgments: NMPA has collected over $1 billion in aggregate through litigation and settlements on behalf of songwriters and music publishers. Includes settlements with YouTube, Limewire, Fullscreen, Maker Studios, Rap Genius, and the Late Fee Program which has collected over $230 million from major labels.
- Licensing Program Distributions: Returns approximately $110 million annually to members through negotiated licensing deals, including recent AI music company agreements with Udio and KLAY Media.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Executive Members - Top 6 publishers by revenue |
| Subscription | Annual | General Members - Publishers with >$100,000 revenue |
| Subscription | Annual | Standard Members - Publishers with $50,000-$100,000 revenue |
| Subscription | Annual | Associate Members - Publishers with <$50,000 revenue |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
NMPA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NMPA is a member-funded trade association that represents American music publishers and songwriters through legislative advocacy, litigation, Copyright Royalty Board representation, and industry-wide licensing negotiations. Its flagship Gold & Platinum Program certifies songwriters behind RIAA-certified hits, while the organization collectively negotiates digital and AI music licensing deals returning approximately $110 million annually to members and has recovered nearly $1.5 billion in legal settlements over its history.
Product overview
The National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) is a trade association for the American music publishing industry, founded in 1917. Rather than a unified software product, NMPA operates a portfolio of member services centered on its flagship Gold & Platinum Program (which certifies songwriters of RIAA-certified hits in partnership with RIAA), Legal & Business Affairs (providing copyright resources, CRB proceedings, and industry guidance), NMPAC (the bipartisan political action committee), and events including the Annual Meeting, Gold & Platinum Gala, S.O.N.G.S. Foundation Golf Tournament, and Grammy Week Songwriter Awards. These services work together to protect and advance the interests of music publishers and songwriters in copyright protection, legislative advocacy, and industry recognition.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SONGS Foundation: NMPA's charitable foundation that raises funds to support career songwriters.
Products and services
- Gold & Platinum Program NMPA's flagship certification program, in partnership with RIAA, that identifies and certifies songwriters behind RIAA-certified Gold, Platinum, and Multi-Platinum hits. Certifications count both sales and on-demand streams toward thresholds (500K Gold, 1M Platinum, 2M+ Multi-Platinum). NMPA maintains a database of all awards and notifies songwriters and publishers of their certifications.
- NMPAC (National Music Publishers' Association Political Action Committee) The bipartisan political action committee of NMPA, registered with the FEC. NMPAC raises funds to support candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives who share the values of music publishers and songwriters, evaluating candidates based on their pro-creator, pro-music agenda and importance to NMPA's legislative priorities.
- Legal & Business Affairs / Copyright Resources Comprehensive legal resources providing NMPA members with guidance on copyright law, the Music Modernization Act (MMA), Copyright Royalty Board proceedings, song ownership databases (Songview, ASCAP, BMI, MLC, Global Music Rights, SESAC), and industry resources for app music licensing and livestreaming.
- Annual Meeting & Industry Events Industry events including the NMPA Annual Meeting at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall (featuring industry analysis, awards such as Songwriter Icon, Non-Performing Songwriter Icon, and Industry Legacy Award, keynotes, and performances), the Gold & Platinum Gala in Nashville honoring country songwriters, the S.O.N.G.S. Foundation Golf Tournament in Los Angeles, and Grammy Week Songwriter Awards co-hosted with Billboard.
- SONGS Foundation A charitable foundation associated with NMPA that raises funds to support career songwriters, part of NMPA's ecosystem of songwriter advocacy programs. The foundation hosts the annual Spring Golf Tournament at The Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles and other fundraising events.
Quantifiable outcome
- US music publishing revenues reached $7.3 billion in 2025, up 3.7% YoY
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use NMPA
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
NMPA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
NMPA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- UdiocoreFirst-ever industry-wide licensing agreement between music publishers and a major AI music company. The deal values songs and sound recordings equally for AI training and has led to approximately $110 million in distributions to NMPA members. This landmark agreement sets a precedent for how AI companies should compensate music creators.
- Klay MediacoreAI platform deal in principle secured prior to platform launch, notable for NMPA's proactive approach to licensing AI music companies. Part of the approximately $110 million returned to members through NMPA-negotiated agreements.
- SpotifycorePartnership to launch new audiovisual revenue stream for music creators. Collaboration aimed at creating additional monetization opportunities through music videos on the Spotify platform. The deal follows an AV-focused licensing agreement with NMPA and beta launches in the UK and Europe.
- Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)coreEstablished by the Music Modernization Act to offer blanket licenses for digital mechanical rights. NMPA co-developed the MLC and Danielle Aguirre serves as the statutorily designated non-voting publisher representative on its board.
- US Copyright OfficecoreFederal agency overseeing copyright policy and regulations. NMPA advocates for music publishers and songwriters in Copyright Royalty Board proceedings and legislative matters before Congress.
- Copyright Royalty BoardcoreFederal body that sets rates and terms for mechanical and digital phonorecord deliveries. NMPA, NSAI, and DiMA recently reached agreement in the Phonorecords IV proceeding for the highest streaming royalty rate ever.
- SONGS FoundationminorNMPA's charitable foundation that raises funds to support career songwriters. Hosts annual Spring Golf Tournament in Los Angeles and other fundraising events.
- Recording AcademyminorPartner in Grammy Week Songwriter Awards event. Harvey Mason jr., CEO of Recording Academy, received NMPA's Industry Legacy Award in 2026.
- BillboardminorCo-host of annual Grammy Week Songwriter Awards, the largest songwriter-focused event during Grammy Week.
- RIAAcorePartnership for Gold & Platinum Program certification. RIAA conducts sales audits and issues formal certification reports; NMPA then notifies appropriate songwriters and music publishers of certifications.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
NMPA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers): The largest U.S. performing rights organization (PRO), directly comparable to NMPA as a music rights advocacy and collection body. ASCAP and NMPA both serve songwriters and publishers on rights and licensing matters, with overlapping but distinct mandates (ASCAP collects performance royalties; NMPA advocates and negotiates industry-wide deals).
- SESAC: Performing rights organization representing songwriters and publishers, smaller than ASCAP/BMI but operating in the same rights-collection niche. NMPA's copyright databases include SESAC lookups, treating it as a peer rights body.
- Global Music Rights: U.S. PRO founded in 2013, representing a smaller roster of high-value songwriters. A direct peer to NMPA's PRO-ecosystem advocacy, also integrated into NMPA's ownership database tools.
- Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI): Songwriter-focused trade organization that co-petitions the CRB alongside NMPA. A peer advocacy body with overlapping songwriter-protection mandate but narrower geographic and segment focus on Nashville/country writers.
- A2IM (American Association of Independent Music): Trade association representing independent music labels and publishers in the U.S. A peer advocacy body with overlapping membership and shared policy priorities (streaming rates, AI licensing, antitrust), though focused on independents specifically.
- Songwriters Guild of America: U.S. songwriting trade association founded in 1931, the oldest organization specifically for songwriters. A peer advocacy body with overlapping mission on mechanical royalties and legislative protection, occasionally co-signing positions with NMPA.
- BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.): Second major U.S. PRO, structurally similar to ASCAP and a direct peer to NMPA's constituency. NMPA's Songview database aggregates BMI data alongside ASCAP for songwriter ownership lookups, reflecting their tight operational coupling.
Broad incumbents
- RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America): Trade association for the recorded music industry, structurally identical to NMPA but on the master rights side. NMPA partners with RIAA on the Gold & Platinum Program and shares overlapping advocacy on streaming and AI policy.
- Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC): The blanket mechanical rights licensing body established by the Music Modernization Act, co-developed with NMPA and represented on its board. A peer industry infrastructure organization with overlapping mission (rights administration) but distinct legal scope (mechanical licensing only).
Regional players
- Music Publishers Association (UK): U.K. equivalent of NMPA representing British music publishers. Operates with the same core mandate (rights protection, legislative advocacy) but serves a different geography; useful peer for international rights representation benchmarking.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
NMPA social profiles
Digital presenceNMPA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NMPA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
NMPA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NMPA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NMPA
What does NMPA do?
NMPA is a member-funded trade association that represents American music publishers and songwriters through legislative advocacy, litigation, Copyright Royalty Board representation, and industry-wide licensing negotiations. Its flagship Gold & Platinum Program certifies songwriters behind RIAA-certified hits, while the organization collectively negotiates digital and AI music licensing deals returning approximately $110 million annually to members and has recovered nearly $1.5 billion in legal settlements over its history.
Is NMPA a public or private company?
NMPA is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was NMPA founded?
NMPA was founded in 1917. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is NMPA based?
NMPA is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does NMPA make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are legal Settlements and Judgments and licensing Program Distributions.
Who are NMPA's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), SESAC, Global Music Rights, Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), A2IM (American Association of Independent Music), Songwriters Guild of America and BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.). Broad incumbents are RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) and Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC). Music Publishers Association (UK) is listed as a regional player.
Does NMPA have an API?
No public API is recorded for NMPA.
What industry is NMPA in?
NMPA's product category is Music Publishing Trade Association. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAKAD, Music Rights Administration & Royalty Processing (Admin, Accounting, Statements), with a secondary code of MPAIABAL, Royalty Accounting & Payment Services (Statements, Audits, Payee Management). Its NAICS code is 512230 and its SIC code is 6794.