Sorry, I had to do that. the truth is it is six of one and a half dozen of the other. Unless you have significant terrestiral airplay, a LOT OF STREAMS, involvement in mainstream television or movies, they are really not going to make much difference at all. They are collection agencies.
If you got to a point where you affiliate or join, you would meet with both in addition to SESAC, and see who you like best. They all three offer workshops and have big offices. Other than that, they are more or less like the MASONS. They have big buildings and people go in there, although we don't know what they do.
People will make all claims for all three. And people equally complain about all three. I always say that if you are planning on visiting, beware of the people LEAVING EACH ONE OF THEM STAMPEDING TO GET TO ANOTHER ONE. Then the amount of people LEAVING those, trying to get BACK to the place they left a year before.
The reality is that they are all about the same. They are fielding thousands of calls a week and it takes months and sometimes years to get an appointment with either of them. Sitting down with an officer, they will ask you why you are there, look at you somewhat quizzical and then tell you the story of their foundings. They will ask you who you are writing with and try to see if it is someone notable that they know. They will try to see what you are doing in co-writing and who you are working with. if you are an artist, they'll want to know where you are performing and what is the chart history of your songs.If you are looking for a publisher they will tell you to keep looking. Then they will tell you to keep doing what you are doing. Then you will be asked to leave. If you don't, security will usher you out.
No one is MAKING any money on songs any more, so it is difficult for them to tell you what to do. it is a do it yourself world and everyone is depending on someone else to help them do what they need to be working on. If you are well known in the writers community, are known around town in LA, New York or Nashville, you can usually get an appointment. If you are are not known, are in a city or town far away from those centers, they will feel you are not serious about it and need to get closer to those areas.
It is not the most uplifting experience. The fact is they are limited now in what they can do in the era of FREE MUSIC. Our friends over at BMI , allow us to go onto that site and talk about music. I am not sure what ASCAP has because they have not had a forum for years. They both do number one parties but invite less and less people. SESAC does serve better food at their parties.
I have friends at all three, but can count on one hand anything I have gotten out of any of them. They do take good pictures though.
My suggestion is to quit worrying about any of that. If you graduate up the ladder, your co-writers will probably have an affiliation and will help you get an appointment that means something. Until then, you are not writing with enough people. So you have to do that first.
I have been ASCAP since 1988. I go over to that building about once a year, usually to take someone to see the archetecture. I have taught workshops at all three and now SESAC is building a much bigger new building that they can go into without anyone seeing them come or go. Should be finished in a few months.
Aside from that, you flip a coin. Hope this helps you.
MAB
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