August 2026
Dear Songwriter, Composer and Publisher,
I hope you’re having a great summer. It’s been a productive quarter on our end, and I’m excited to provide an update on the growth and momentum of our company.
I shared the news about Soundmouse in my last letter and since then we’ve made great progress. We officially completed our acquisition in June, putting BMI in the best position to collect and distribute the royalties you’re entitled to whenever your music is used in an audiovisual production, anywhere around the world. As I mentioned, this acquisition was funded through BMI’s operating cash and did not impact royalty distributions. We also brought in a dedicated General Manager, David McIninch, who will lead Soundmouse’s global operations and work closely with the team to further improve the vital service they provide to the industry and music creators worldwide.
Building on that traction, Soundmouse has already expanded its capabilities by acquiring the cue sheet and data company On Music. On Music will complement Soundmouse’s offerings so they can provide their clients with even better service and more comprehensive support. There is incredible potential ahead as the global AV sector continues its trajectory as one of the fastest growing areas of the industry.
On Capitol Hill, we were pleased to see that the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passed the NO FAKES Act in June. While many generative AI tools offer powerful potential for music creators, we believe guardrails are needed. NO FAKES protects creators from exploitation of their image, likeness and dangerous AI voice cloning technologies. We look forward to continuing to partner with our friends in the music industry, the Human Artistry Campaign and our champions in Congress to keep this legislation moving forward.
Coming off our record-breaking quarter, we continue to have very strong distributions. In addition to your regular royalties, this quarter includes annual distributions for karaoke, sports leagues, theme parks, and Pay Per View outlets for those who are eligible. On the Licensing front, I’m pleased to share that we have renewed and extended our agreements with Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
Congratulations to all our winners at our Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, honoring Kierra Sheard, and our Christian Awards. We had an amazing time celebrating 20 years of the BMI Stage at Lollapalooza and a big thank you to everyone who has played our stage past and present. Take a look at our special video rewind celebrating our anniversary milestone and see highlights from our 2026 stage here. As a reminder, our Spark program continues to expand, and I encourage all our creators to check it out for the tools, resources, special discounts and more that can help enhance your career.
Looking ahead, we’re thrilled to salute Nas as a BMI Icon at our R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, honor Sheryl Crow at our Troubadour Awards, and pay tribute to Johnny McDaid with the BMI President’s Award at our London Awards. We also can’t wait for another great edition of ACL Fest.
As always, thank you for trusting us to represent your unrivaled music. It’s our privilege to have you in the BMI family.
Sincerely,
Mike O'Neill
Chief Executive Officer
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