Alternatives and Blanket Licenses for BMI, ASCAP, or SESAC

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Alternative PROs to Consider

According to The New York Times, ASCAP and BMI licensing represents more than 95 percent of the songs available to businesses in the United States. But some publishers claim that they do not make enough money in their relationships, and that disquiet has allowed a few new companies to spring up.

These are some of these newer PROs:

Global Music Rights (GMR)

This group was formed in 2013, according to The New York Times. It represents songwriters, including members of big bands like:

Journey
Foreigner
Soundgarden
Fleetwood Mac

GMR has a smaller library, but with such big names, it could be a good choice for some types of businesses. If you’re determined to play people like Journey, you must pick GMR.

Re:Sound

This is a Canadian PRO and one of the more important ones. According to the organization's website, a key part of this group's mission is to license businesses to use music, and the organization boasts about conducting "extensive outreach" to businesses.

Re:Sound represents Canadian artists. If you’re hoping to play music from these musicians, you’ll need a license from this organization. If you have even one outlet in Canada, an alliance with this company makes a lot of sense.

SOCAN

This is another major Canadian PRO, and according to this organization's website, it is different than Re:Sound. While Re:Sound represents songwriters, composers, and publishers, SOCAN represents the people who performed in and recorded the music.

Again, if you have even one outlet in Canada and want to play music from this country, an affiliation with SOCAN makes a lot of sense.

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Benefits of Working with a Smaller PRO

The benefit of working with a smaller PRO like this and getting a blanket license from them involves efficiency.

If the catalogue is small, you won't have to worry about difficulties with memorization. You will probably learn quickly just how many songs and artists are safe for you to play.

Smaller PROs often provide better customer service than their larger counterparts. With only a few clients to serve, the company is more likely to listen to you and provide help when you need it.

More Options Available

Working with a PRO can be confusing, time-consuming, and expensive. To get full protection for the music you want to play, you might need to spend hours on negotiations and compliance. And even then, there are times when you won't be protected.

The costs, such as the BMI music license cost, can also add up as you include more and more of these PROs and blanket licenses.

SoundCloud: There are many artists available on SoundCloud who publish under the Creative Commons license, which is a type of licensing that allows the creator to state clearly that their work, including their music, is available to anyone who wants to use it. Composers and musicians can specify how they want their music used or how they want their work acknowledged under Creative Commons, but it is rare that artists will take financial compensation.
Other royalty-free or copyright-free music: You can search several companies for music that is royalty-free or copyright-free. These songs may involve paying upfront, but you will not need to pay for licensing later. You can also subscribe to some companies, as you might for Spotify or SiriusXM, so you can see the latest updates in royalty-free music.
Public domain music: One of the greatest sources of up-to-date public domain music information is the Public Domain Information Project. Typically, public domain songs were created, published, or recorded before 1926 (as of 2021), but some songs were created and recorded after that date.

These are all great options if you have the time to research, in detail, each artist or song to ensure you are not violating intellectual property laws. Then, you can find the songs you love the most and create playlists for your business. If you enjoy this type of deep research, you can find some excellent options; however, few business owners are able to focus on this instead of other business needs.

Streaming Music for Businesses

Some businesses have spotted the need for trendy, familiar, or energizing music licensed only with PROs, and they have developed services that combine the power of playlists with the legal compliance of contracts. Signing up with them means accessing music that has been made for your business without worrying about whether the songs you play are legal for you to play.

Mood Media

One of the oldest companies offering this type of service is Mood Media. This organization hires musicologists to design music programs, so they claim their curated programs offer a better mix of songs without much customization on the part of business owners. You can even talk with a musicologist and ask for a playlist that meets the needs of your specific business based on your business objectives.

The songs are delivered via an app, giving you control over the selection and pacing.

SiriusXM for Business

SiriusXM was once known for music that played in cars across the country. Now, the company offers a Music for Business program with 30 extra channels made exclusively for business.

There is no customization allowed for these channels. There is no skipping on SiriusXM for Business, and you can't add songs to a playlist.

But the price point of $26 per month could be attractive to businesses that don't want to spend a lot of money and aren't concerned if the variety is limited.

Soundtrack Your Brand

This is the professional arm of Spotify, made to help people take a personal experience with the platform and extend it to their customers and colleagues. The pricing for this system is comparable to SiriusXM, but the program offers quite a bit more flexibility.

You can create a channel via Spotify and ask the algorithm to add similar music for variety, or you can tap into the app with ideas about your audience, the energy level you want, and the ambiance you are trying to deliver. This allows you to find playlists that will work without requiring you to build one from scratch.

People very familiar with Spotify might enjoy the Spotify for Business interface quite a bit.

PROs & Alternatives Comparison Chart

This chart compares how the major PROs stack up against alternative options:

Major PROs vs. Business Music Services
	Type of Service	Library	Cost	Flexibility	Customer Support	Ease of Use
BMI	PRO	More than 22.4 million songs	More than 60 different types of music licenses are available, and each one has a different cost. BMI also alters costs by the size of the building and the number of potential listeners.	BMI provides plenty of licensing options.	BMI has a phone line for customer service requests, but it’s not clear how often that’s open.	BMI provides a database of all songs that are available with a subscription.
ASCAP	PRO	More than 19 million songs	Cost for blanket license varies by business type and use; can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per year	ASCAP offers many different types of licenses.	ASCAP has a robust database of FAQs, along with a phone number people can call.	ASCAP offers a mobile app you can use to control the music available through your license.
SESAC	PRO	More than 1+ million songs	Cost for blanket license varies by business type and use; can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per year	SESAC offers more than 70 different types of licenses.	SESAC has a member login that can connect subscribers with customer service representatives.	SESAC has a mobile app you can use to play music within the library.
Mood Media	Commercial streaming service	Over 160 custom channels	$15.30 for simple background music; $31.50 for more musical options and the ability to create playlists; $48.50 for customized plans by Mood experts	So many plans offer businesses plenty of flexibility in finding and using music.	The company offers chat, phone call, and web-based support for subscribers.	Mood Media is designed for regular people to use without a lot of instruction.
Pandora CloudCover	Commercial streaming service	220+ business channels and huge song library	$16.95 for ad-free music, when prepaid annually; $21.50 for multi-location businesses, when prepaid annually; $26.95 for music and overhead messaging, when prepaid annually	With so many plans, including some that include overhead messaging, this offers plenty of flexibility.	Customer service staff is available around the clock to help subscribers.	Pandora CloudCover’s app is intuitive and very easy for anyone to use, including people without training.

Why Is Music Licensing Important?

Musicians, songwriters, and publishers protect their work via copyright. Songs that are copyrighted can’t be played or reproduced without the permission of the person who holds the copyright.

Most musicians hire PROs to administer their copyright. PROs create contracts, accept fees, and ensure that these artists are paid. If the PRO spots violations, it files cases in court.

Per American copyright law, penalties can range from no lower than $750 to no larger than $30,000. If the court finds that the violation is willful, an additional $150,000 can be added. It’s important to note that these fines are associated with one violation—which means playing just one song.

In 2024, a concert venue was sued by a PRO for songs played without permission. Per the court case, the PRO demanded $30,000 in damages. The case is still working its way through the court system.

What Should You Choose?

The music selection you choose is personal, based on your budget, your audience, and your goals. But remember: You must make some sort of arrangement before the first note of music starts playing in your business.