ASCAP, BMI and SOCAN Announce Alignment on AI Registration Policies

The Three Major North American PROs Will Now Accept Registrations of Partially AI-Generated Musical Works

NEW YORK and TORONTO, Oct. 28, 2025 - ASCAP, BMI and SOCAN today announced they have each adopted policies to accept registrations of musical compositions partially generated using artificial intelligence (AI) tools. These works can now be registered directly with the individual societies.

All three PRO registration policies define a partially AI-generated musical work as one that combines elements of AI-generated musical content with elements of human authorship. These works will now be included as part of the full repertories licensed by each society. Musical compositions that are entirely created using AI tools are not eligible for registration with any of the individual societies.

Policy alignment among the three major North American PROs reflects the fact that songwriters and composers increasingly incorporate a variety of AI tools into their creative process and workflow. While an increasing number of AI tools are training their models in an ethically responsible manner that respects the rights of human creators, the three PROs emphasized their firm position that AI technology companies ingesting and training models on copyrighted musical works without permission from, compensation for or credit to creators is not fair use, but theft.

ASCAP, BMI and SOCAN have advocated for enforcement of strong copyright laws and staunchly defended the rights of music creators in ongoing debates over AI policy across the U.S. and Canada. All three PROs have endorsed meaningful AI legislation, supported lawsuits filed on behalf of music creators against the illegal use of their work by AI companies around the globe and weighed in on major AI policy initiatives and studies, including those launched by the U.S. Copyright Office, The White House and the Government of Canada, among others.

"Songwriters and composers have always experimented with innovative tools as part of their creative process, and AI is no exception," said Elizabeth Matthews, CEO, ASCAP. "We are clarifying our registration policy to now welcome partially AI-generated musical works because we believe AI can be a powerful tool for our members, as long as the law puts humans first and technology companies play fair and respect the rights of creators."

"This is an important first step in protecting human creativity as AI technologies evolve, while supporting the songwriters and composers who choose to use AI as a tool to enhance their creative process," said Mike O'Neill, President & CEO, BMI. "All music creators will benefit from this aligned approach to the registration of partial AI-works that appropriately values creators' contributions and ensures they are paid properly."

"This alignment creates a legal and ethical path forward for AI in music. It recognizes that music creators are embracing new tools, while reinforcing our commitment to what matters most: respect for their work and the protection of human creativity," said Jennifer Brown, CEO, SOCAN. "The future of music can embrace AI and still remain deeply human."

More information about each PRO's AI initiatives, advocacy and registration policies can be found on their websites.

About ASCAP

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a membership association of more than 1.1 million songwriters, composers and music publishers, and represents some of the world's most talented music creators. Founded and governed by songwriters, composers and publishers, it returns nearly 90 cents of every dollar collected to its members as royalties and has the lowest overhead rate of any U.S. PRO. ASCAP licenses a repertory of over 20 million musical works to hundreds of thousands of businesses that use music, including streaming services, cable television, radio and satellite radio and brick and mortar businesses such as retail stores, hotels, clubs, restaurants and bars. ASCAP collects the licensing fees and identifies, matches, processes and pays royalties to its members for trillions of performances every year. The ASCAP blanket license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. ASCAP puts music creators first, advocating for their rights and the value of music on Capitol Hill, driving innovation that moves the industry forward, building community and providing the resources and support that creators need to succeed in their careers. Learn more and stay in touch at https://www.ascap.com, on Xand Instagram@ASCAP and on Facebook.

About BMI

Celebrating over 80 years of service to songwriters, composers, music publishers and businesses, BMI® is a global leader in music rights management, serving as an advocate for the value of music. BMI represents the public performance rights in over 22.4 million musical works created and owned by more than 1.4 million songwriters, composers, and music publishers. The Company negotiates music license agreements and distributes the fees it generates as royalties to its affiliated writers and publishers when their songs are performed in public. In 1939, BMI created a groundbreaking open-door policy becoming the only performing rights organization to welcome and represent the creators of blues, jazz, country, and American roots music. Today, the musical compositions in BMI's repertoire, from chart toppers to perennial favorites, span all genres of music and are consistently among the most-performed hits of the year. For additional information and the latest BMI news, visit bmi.com, follow us on X, Instagram and TikTok@BMI or stay connected through BMI's Facebookpage. Sign up for BMI's The Weekly™ and receive our e-newsletter every week to stay up to date on all things music.

About SOCAN

SOCAN is Canada's largest member-owned music rights organization, with over 200,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers as its direct members. We licence the public performance and reproduction of music, match royalties to rights holders, and advocate for fair compensation for the use of all music in Canada. Backed by a century of innovation, SOCAN upholds the fundamental truth that music has value and continues to advance new systems and solutions for licensing emerging music uses. Learn more at https://www.socan.comand @socanmusic.

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CONTACTS:

Cathy Halgas Nevins, ASCAP

cnevins(at)ascap.com

Jodie Thomas, BMI

[email protected]

Nicole Van Severen, SOCAN

[email protected]