What is BMI& ASCAP?
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) was founded in 1914 to protect the financial rights of music composers and publishers. Composers were assured that when their music was played in public they would receive proper royalties. The non-profit organization became even more important with the advent of radio. In 1939, a group of radio executives formed Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) to compete against ASCAP by offering less expensive licensing fees to stations and networks. Many stations switched to using BMI. As a consequence, ASCAP was forced to lower its rates.ASCAP MembersThe two organizations battled it out over signing up composers and publishers during the 1940s and beyond. ASCAP had the advantage of being first, and almost every one of the well-known composers were on its roster. In the 1930s, Louis Armstrong was representative of the artists signed, and songwriters such as Johnny Mercer and Cole Porter were part of the stable. Its dominance continued thro
