Legal Definitions - American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers

The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) is a performing-rights society in the United States. It is responsible for licensing and monitoring the public performance of musical works that are not part of a dramatic production on behalf of the copyright owners.

For example, if a radio station wants to play a song on the air, they need to obtain a license from ASCAP to do so. ASCAP then collects fees from the radio station and distributes them to the copyright owners of the song.

Another example would be a live performance of a song at a concert. The venue where the concert is held would need to obtain a license from ASCAP to allow the performance of the song. ASCAP would then collect fees from the venue and distribute them to the copyright owners of the song.

Overall, ASCAP plays an important role in protecting the rights of music creators and ensuring that they are fairly compensated for the use of their works.