Society of Composers and Lyricists

What Society of Composers and Lyricists does

The Society of Composers & Lyricists (SCL) is a private non-profit professional membership organization serving composers, lyricists, and songwriters who create music for film, television, video games, and musical theatre. Founded in 1945 as the Screen Composers Association and reorganized in its current form in 1983-84 (the SCL was denied NLRB union certification in 1984 and has operated since as an advocacy and community body for independent contractors), the organization is headquartered at 8306 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills and operates four regional chapters in Los Angeles, New York (since 2011), Nashville (since 2022), and Chicago (since 2025).

The SCL's core offerings are tiered annual memberships (Online $70, Associate/Student $90, Full $150, Gold $350, Platinum $650, Diamond $1,300) plus a portfolio of member-facing programs: the annual SCL Awards ceremony across eight competitive categories, educational seminars (available as video archives), post-screening composer interviews, the quarterly THE SCORE print magazine (ASCAP Deems Taylor Award recipient), SongArts songwriting sessions with music supervisors, regional mentor programs, a Career Symposium, an Ambassador Program, Hall of Fame and Lifetime Achievement recognitions, contract templates, and a mobile app. There is no proprietary technology platform; the technology footprint consists of the website, mobile app, video archives, and member portal.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through annual membership dues (auto-renewing subscriptions), event ticket sales and registrations, and sponsorships/advertising. The organization is governed by an elected Board of Directors under President Ashley Irwin, advised by an Advisory Board of major film composers and songwriters (including Hans Zimmer, Alan Menken, Diane Warren, Howard Shore, Thomas Newman, and James Newton Howard), and is actively engaged in copyright, AI, and creator-rights advocacy alongside coalitions such as the Copyright Alliance, RIAA, NMPA, A2IM, the Human Artistry Campaign, and the Congressional Musicians Caucus.

Name

Society of Composers and Lyricists

Legal name

Society of Composers & Lyricists

Website

https://thescl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Society of Composers & Lyricists is a non-profit professional membership organization founded in 1945 that serves composers, lyricists, and songwriters creating music for film, television, video games, and musical theatre, offering tiered annual memberships, regional chapters, educational seminars, and the annual SCL Awards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510), Musical Groups and Artists (711130)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Custom Music & Original Score/Composition (MPAIALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Songwriting & Composition Services (for hire) (MPAIAHAF), Songwriting & Composition (Topliners, Co-writers, Camps) (MPAIABAA), Music Producers & Production Teams (MPAIAHAB)

Keywords

• Professional membership organization
• Music creator advocacy
• Film television composers
• Music education seminars
• Entertainment industry awards

Headquarters

HQ city

Beverly Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The SCL generates revenue through annual membership dues at multiple tiers. Membership categories include Full ($150/yr), Gold ($350/yr), Platinum ($650/yr), Diamond ($1300/yr), Online ($70/yr), and Associate/Student ($90/yr). Sponsor memberships are available at equivalent price points for industry professionals without voting privileges. All paid memberships are annual and auto-renew by default.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Society of Composers & Lyricists is a nonprofit professional membership organization serving composers, lyricists, and songwriters who create music for film, television, video games, and musical theatre. It sells tiered annual memberships (Full $150, Gold $350, Platinum $650, Diamond $1,300, Online $70, Associate/Student $90) and delivers member benefits including voting rights, educational seminars, screening interviews, THE SCORE quarterly magazine, the annual SCL Awards ceremony, mentor programs, regional chapter events across LA/NY/Nashville/Chicago, SongArts songwriter feedback sessions, and contract templates.

Product overview

The Society of Composers & Lyricists is a professional membership organization for music creators working in visual media (film, television, video games, and musical theatre). Founded in 1945, the SCL offers tiered annual memberships (Full, Gold, Platinum, Diamond) with benefits including voting rights, event access, and industry resources. The organization's core offerings include the annual SCL Awards ceremony across eight competitive categories, educational seminars covering business and craft topics, screening interviews with composers, THE SCORE quarterly magazine (ASCAP Deems Taylor Award winner), SongArts songwriters program with music supervisor feedback sessions, and regional chapter programs in New York, Nashville, and Chicago. Additional member resources include mentor programs, career symposiums, ambassador programs, Hall of Fame and Lifetime Achievement recognitions, contract templates, and mobile applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SCL Membership Tiered annual professional membership for composers, lyricists, and songwriters in visual media. Full ($150/yr), Gold ($350/yr), Platinum ($650/yr), Diamond ($1,300/yr), Online ($70/yr), and Associate/Student ($90/yr) tiers with auto-renewal and voting privileges for qualifying members.
• SCL Awards Annual awards ceremony celebrating excellence in music for visual media across eight competitive categories including Outstanding Original Score for Studio Film, Television Production, and Interactive Media, plus Outstanding Original Song categories.
• Educational Seminars Educational programming including seminars on business, art, craft, and technology of writing music for media, covering topics such as game music, vocal production, acoustic treatment, and career development. Video archives available to members.
• THE SCORE Magazine Quarterly print and digital magazine featuring in-depth interviews with significant figures in the music industry, winner of the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for outstanding print coverage of music.
• SongArts Program Program for SCL composers, lyricists, and songwriters creating songs for TV, film, theatre, and games, featuring SongSync sessions where members present songs to music supervisors for feedback.
• Mentor Program Mentorship program for entry-level SCL Associate Member composers and songwriters featuring interactive workshops, seminars, and scoring assignments with professional mentor feedback. Operates in Los Angeles and New York.
• Career Symposium Annual career-focused event for music creators providing professional development and industry insights.
• Screening Interviews Post-screening video interviews with film and television composers where members can learn about their creative process and approach to scoring.
• Contract Templates Standardized contract templates and legal resources for composers and lyricists to use in their professional dealings with studios, publishers, and other parties.
• Mobile Apps Mobile applications providing access to SCL resources, events, and member content on iOS and Android devices.
• Chapter Programs Local chapter programs in New York (since 2011), Nashville (since 2022), and Chicago (since 2025) providing regional events, networking mixers, and career development opportunities for composers and songwriters outside Los Angeles.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Human Artistry CampaigncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe SCL supports the Human Artistry Campaign, an advocacy initiative addressing AI and intellectual property rights for human creators. The campaign promotes responsible AI development that respects copyright and human creativity.
• Copyright AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe SCL joined the Copyright Alliance in opposing the American Law Institute's Copyright Restatement project, arguing it undermines established copyright law and could harm creators by advancing controversial legal interpretations that conflict with the Copyright Act.
• RIAAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Recording Industry Association of America partnered with the SCL and other groups in submitting amicus briefs in the Cox v. Sony Music case concerning secondary liability and online copyright infringement.
• NMPAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe National Music Publishers Association partnered with the SCL and other groups in submitting amicus briefs in the Cox v. Sony Music case concerning secondary liability and online copyright infringement.
• A2IM (American Association of Independent Music)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA2IM led a coalition of nine independent music organizations including the SCL in filing formal comments with the U.S. Copyright Office opposing a proposed 43% average increase to copyright registration fees, arguing it would disproportionately burden independent creators.
• Congressional Musicians CaucuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe SCL sponsors receptions for the Congressional Musicians Caucus in Washington, D.C., fostering relationships with legislators who can support music creator rights and copyright protections.
• Music Industry Coalition (11 organizations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of music industry groups including SCL that signed an open letter to the US Copyright Office opposing the proposed 43% average rate hike for copyright registration fees, warning it would harm working-class artists and small music businesses.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Recording Academy: The Recording Academy (Grammys) is the closest direct peer — a US-based professional membership organization for music creators that runs a flagship annual awards program, advocates on creator rights, and operates education initiatives. SCL is effectively the film/TV-composer-specific analogue.
• Songwriters Guild of America: The oldest songwriter advocacy organization in the US; both SCL and SGA serve songwriters/composers, advocate for fair compensation and copyright protection, and represent creators rather than performers. SGA's remit is broader (all songwriters) but the membership-organization model is identical.
• Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI): NSAI is a direct peer membership organization for songwriters, particularly in country/pop, with education programs, advocacy, and a strong chapter structure. Highly comparable community-led GTM and event-driven model.

Broad incumbents

• American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP): ASCAP is one of the US PROs (performing rights organizations) representing the same pool of composers SCL serves. While ASCAP is a much larger rights-administration business rather than a membership community, both advocate on copyright issues and have historically co-operated (SCL's magazine won ASCAP's Deems Taylor Award).
• Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI): BMI is the other major US PRO, a broad incumbent in the music rights space that serves many of the same film/TV composers SCL represents. Operates as a licensing/royalty business rather than a community membership org, but overlaps meaningfully on advocacy and member services.
• SESAC: SESAC is the third US PRO, serving a smaller roster of affiliates including film/TV composers. Functions as a broader incumbent in the same rights ecosystem where SCL's members earn their income.
• National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA): NMPA is the US trade association for music publishers and a recurring SCL coalition partner (e.g., Cox v. Sony amicus brief). Different primary constituency (publishers vs. songwriters) but shared advocacy and policy footprint.

Others

• The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC): The MLC administers the compulsory mechanical music licensing blanket license in the US. Not a membership organization but an adjacent ecosystem participant serving the same songwriter/composer community that funds SCL's advocacy work.

Emerging players

• Songtrust: Songtrust is an emerging music publishing administration platform that helps independent songwriters collect royalties globally — a commercial, technology-enabled counterpart to the rights-administration services SCL advocates for through education and contract templates.
• Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Television Academy): The Television Academy runs the Emmy Awards and represents the broader TV production community including composers. Partial overlap: SCL's membership base writes music for the very productions the Television Academy honors, and SCL members frequently attend Emmy-related SCL events.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/thescl
• Xx.com/the_scl
• Facebookfacebook.com/221122364572451

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Society of Composers and Lyricists