Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI), Nashville

Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) stands as one of the three primary performing rights organizations in the United States, alongside ASCAP and SESAC. Its primary function involves the collection of licensing fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers, subsequently redistributing these earnings as royalties to the respective members whose musical works have been publicly performed.

In the year 2009, BMI managed to accumulate a substantial sum of over $905 million from licensing fees, with an impressive distribution of $788 million in royalties to its members. Notably, BMI songwriters cover a wide spectrum of music genres, spanning from mainstream pop and country to even the likes of death metal.

During the 1930s, radio emerged as a significant source of musical entertainment, posing a potential threat to record sales and live performances. The Great Depression had already taken its toll on artist earnings from both recorded music and live shows.

In 1939, ASCAP made an announcement regarding a substantial increase in the share of revenue that licensees would be obligated to pay. In response to this development, BMI was established by the National Association of Broadcasters, serving as a more cost-effective alternative to ASCAP. Consequently, BMI introduced competition into the realm of performing rights, offering an alternative licensing source for all music users. BMI aimed to challenge ASCAP by discovering overlooked artists and securing rights to catalogs from independent publishers and ASCAP contract holders.

During this period, BMI also expanded its collection of classical music compositions, and it currently represents the majority of members in esteemed institutions like the American Academy of Arts and Letters, as well as winners of 30 Pulitzer Prizes for Music.