Royalty coverage
Does ASCAP collect US mechanical royalties?
Does not
Stated by ASCAP itself: mechanical royalties from streams, downloads and physical sales are NOT collected by performing rights organisations. ASCAP runs a page whose whole purpose is telling members to join The MLC separately.
What this stream is. The songwriting side of a US stream, paid under the statutory blanket licence administered by The MLC. Separate from the recording payment above, and paid to whoever registered the WORK.
What bites on this stream specifically
- ★ Joining a PRO does NOT get you your mechanicals. This is the single most common and most expensive misunderstanding in independent music.
2 further traps on ASCAP's other streams are on the matrix.
Read from ASCAP's own documentation on 2026-08-13. Check it yourself, and if it has changed, tell us.