What role do ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and the Harry Fox Agency play?
ASCAP, BMI and SESAC are performance-rights societies, not publishers. They monitor, collect and pay out performance royalties to publishers and songwriters. Songwriters must choose to affiliate and register their work with only one society. The Harry Fox Agency (or HFA) only deals with licensing and collecting mechanical royalties. For a commission, it can collect the royalties via record sales.