Production Glossary
Performing Rights Organization
A PRO, or performing rights organization, acts as a middle-man between copyright holders and those who want to use creative works in a public fashion to ensure that proper payment of royalties is completed.
The inaugural PRO was established in 1851 in France. Since that time, artists and musicians have found it beneficial to employ groups to protect and represent the rights of their works. PROs work to bring copyright violators to justice as well as publish copyright protected performance statistics.
The largest performing rights organizations in the United States are Ascap, Bmi, and Sesac.
