Compulsory License Fees

Approximately once a year, BMI receives royalties from the U.S. Copyright Office for BMI music performed on distant signal broadcast television stations carried by cable television systems (e.g., superstation WGN-Chicago) and for music performed in broadcast television signals retransmitted by satellite carriers. BMI distributes this money to those songwriters, composers and publishers whose music is contained in these broadcast signals.

BMI additionally receives a modest amount of royalties from the compulsory copyright royalty paid by manufacturers and distributors of audio home recording devices and media. BMI distributes these royalties using a combination of performance information and recorded music sales data.

For information on compulsory license fees received from National Public Radio and Public Television, please refer to those sections of this booklet.

BMI represents more than 400,000 songwriters, composers, and publishers with more than 6.5 million works.

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