Music Users

BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) is an American performing rights organization that represents songwriters, composers and music publishers. Often called PRO’s, performing rights organizations collect licensing fees from businesses that use music, including television and radio stations; websites, broadcast and cable networks; the Internet and mobile technologies; satellite radio services such as Sirius XM; nightclubs, hotels, bars, restaurants, breweries, colleges, fitness facilities, live concerts and many other industries. The fees that BMI collects are then distributed as royalties to the songwriters, composers, and music publishers we represent. BMI has been in operation for more than 80 years, is recognized in U.S. copyright law as a licensor of music, and currently represents more than 1.2 million copyright owners and their over 18.7 million musical works.

You may contact BMI at 888-689-5264 or email: Licensing@bmi.com. Once you are in touch with a BMI Licensing Representative, they can, in most cases, help you secure a License over the phone or set you up for online services. Once licensed, you can also pay your fee and manage your account online at BMI.com/licensing.

BMI operates on a non-profit-making basis. Currently, nearly 90 cents out of every dollar collected is directed back to our affiliated songwriters, composers and music publishers in the form of royalties.

A BMI license provides businesses with the legal authorization needed to use a very powerful product: music. This product is the music creator’s property, so a licensing agreement protects your business or organization from the penalties involved in copyright infringement. This service also saves music users the immense time and expense of contacting each songwriter, composer, or publisher for permission to play their music publicly, and your payment ensures the continued creation of music – for you and your business.

Currently, BMI represents the public performance rights in over 17 million musical works created and owned by more than 1.1 million songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music.  You can search the entire repertoire of music by song title, artist, songwriter, composer or publisher, including songs that are 100% BMI, at Songview.

Yes, but those agreements do not authorize the performance of TV, cable and radio to the public by businesses and other organizations. However, there are certain exemptions provided by copyright law, including the size of your establishment, how many TVs you have in each room, their screen size, how many speakers you have and if you charge a cover charge. Contact a BMI Representative to learn if these uses need to be licensed for your business.

Since it’s the business or organization that’s benefiting from the performance of music, BMI offers a license to the owner of the establishment to ensure that the business or organization is properly licensed. This responsibility cannot be passed on to anyone else even if the musicians hired are independent contractors.