The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) has announced its financial results for calendar year 2025, marking a new high in both revenue and royalty distributions to music creators and rights holders.
All-Time High Revenue and Distributions
In 2025, ASCAP reported *total revenue of $1.945 billion, a *6.0% increase year-over-year compared to 2024. Of that total, the organization distributed $1.759 billion directly to songwriters, composers, and music publishers — also an all-time record and up 3.7% from the previous year.
These figures represent not only solid growth but also ASCAP’s continued ability to generate and return performance royalties to its members across both domestic and international markets.
Domestic and Global Performance Contributions
Domestic collections from performances licensed in the United States — including streaming audio, radio, and general licensing — accounted for approximately $1.304 billion of the 2025 total, reflecting strong ongoing demand for music on traditional and digital platforms. Meanwhile, overseas performance revenues for ASCAP also rose significantly, with $455 million distributed from public performances outside the U.S. — a notable 10.6% increase year-over-year.
These global contributions help underscore how international streaming, live performance, and licensing continue to play an expanding role in creator income.
Growing Membership and Advocacy
In addition to financial performance, ASCAP also reported strong *membership growth in 2025, with over *80,000 new members joining, bringing the total membership to around 1.1 million songwriters and publishers.
ASCAP also highlighted its work advocating for creators, including initiatives such as emergency relief funds and engagement on evolving issues like artificial intelligence and copyright policy — all part of its mission to support music creators in a rapidly shifting industry landscape.
What It Means for Music Creators
This milestone year for ASCAP demonstrates several key trends:
- Continued Growth in Music Consumption: Strong revenue growth reflects ongoing global demand for music across traditional and digital channels.
- Increasing Global Impact: Foreign performance revenues growing faster than domestic revenues highlights how international markets are becoming more important for creators.
- Commitment to Members: ASCAP’s record distribution reinforces its core mission to maximize royalties returned to songwriters and publishers.
Overall, 2025 was a landmark year that underscores ASCAP’s role as one of the world’s leading performance rights organizations — helping creators get paid for their work now and into the future.
