How do small bands pay ASCAP fees?

Factual Questions
1

Do you have to pay before you play?

Are the fees on a sliding scale if you don’t get paid, e.g., in contests or exhibitions?

If people are making requests all night, how do you account for it?

Are the fees less if you play the same song a lot, every set all month, say?

Does anybody really check up on it, or is it fairly loose?

2

well, i’d like to answer more, but i just moved and most of my stuff is packed. ascap’s magazine recently (last year) did a 3 part series on it’s fees. it was quite informative. i also have “this business music” which is a damn good source too, but it’s with the ascap magazines.

however;

  1. you pay a yearly fee. with bars, you get a sticker to proudly stick on your front door or window. so establishments, and i believe bands, pay before they play.

3 & 4. you can pay a flat rate (to ascap, bmi, and/or sesac) if you play a lot of music. news/talk stations can do a pay per play schedule, where you pay for each occurance of a song. so if you pay the flat rate, go ahead, play “freebird” as much as you like, it doesn’t make a difference in pocketbook.

  1. yeah. ascap (and bmi i think) hire people that go around and check up on bars, restaurants, businesses, bands, etc. you WILL get caught.
3

I think ubermensch was referring to This Business of Music by Sidney Shemel and M. William Krasilovsky. Hell of a good reference and a must have if you’re going to do anything in the music business.

I flipped through a few sections and didn’t find anything (quick review, mind you) to contradict my memory that the proprietor of the venue, not the performing band, is responsible for being right with ASCAP or BMI (or SESAC). Yes, they do have snoopers, but no, you won’t necessarily get caught.