ASCAP Moves to Protect its Songwriters' Livelihoods with Legal Action Against 15 Venues Nationwide for Consistently Performing Musical Works Without Permission

NEW YORK, March 4, 2025 -- The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) announced today that it has filed 15 separate copyright infringement actions against venues across the country that are allowing unauthorized public performances of its members’ copyrighted musical works.

ASCAP is a membership association that operates on a not-for-profit basis and represents more than one million songwriters, composers and music publishers. ASCAP ensures its members can earn a living from their art by licensing the public performances of their songs, collecting those license fees, and distributing royalties to its members. About 90% of the license fees ASCAP collects goes directly to the songwriters, composers and music publishers as royalties.

ASCAP Chairman of the Board and President, songwriter Paul Williams commented: “We want every business that uses music to prosper, including bars and restaurants. As songwriters and composers, we must earn our livelihoods through our creative work, and music is how we put food on the table and send our kids to school. Most businesses know that an ASCAP license allows them to offer music legally, efficiently and at a reasonable price – while compensating music creators fairly.”

Songwriters earn their livelihoods by licensing the performance right granted to them under copyright law. An ASCAP license saves businesses the time, expense and burden of contacting thousands of copyright owners. Any business using copyrighted music can obtain permission to do so lawfully through a simple license that covers the entire ASCAP repertory, publicly available through the ASCAP website, of over 20 million musical works. The average cost for bars and restaurants amounts to less than just $2 per day for the right to play an unlimited amount of music.

"Tens of thousands of well-run establishments across the country recognize the value of music and obtain ASCAP licenses because music attracts customers, causing them to stay at the venue longer and spend more money. U.S. copyright law requires that businesses compensate the creators of that music when they use it and ASCAP makes sure the creators of that music get paid. However, each of the establishments sued today has chosen to infringe upon the hard work of songwriters instead of licensing the music they play, despite repeated notifications and opportunities to do so," added ASCAP Executive Vice President, Head of Licensing Stephanie Ruyle.

ASCAP has made numerous attempts at the establishments listed below to offer a license and educate the business owners about their obligations under federal copyright law. Despite these efforts, the owners of these establishments have repeatedly refused to take or honor a license. Instead, they have continued to perform the copyrighted musical works of ASCAP's songwriter, composer and music publisher members for the entertainment of their patrons without obtaining permission to do so.

Establishment (City, State)

Bud's Rockin’ Country Bar & Grill (Evansville, IN)

Chop'd (Plainfield, IL)

Congress Hall (Cape May, NJ)

Florida Bridal & Wedding Expo (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)

HAVA (Boston, MA)

Lori's Roadhouse (West Chester, OH)

Martinis On Water Street (Peoria, IL)

Midnight Rodeo (Springfield, MO)

MO Country (Grain Valley, MO)

Nash Bar & Stage (Boston, MA)

The Rocky Tonk Saloon (Medford, OR)

Rum Runners (Cleveland, OH)

Sarajevo Nightclub (Seattle, WA)

Sicily Coal Fired Pizza (Middletown, CT)

Vinyl Music Hall (Pensacola, FL)

More information about ASCAP’s licensing of bars, restaurants and music venues can be found on ASCAP's website at: http://www.ascap.com/whywelicensevenues.

About ASCAP

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a membership association of more than one million songwriters, composers and music publishers, and represents some of the world’s most talented music creators.  Founded and governed by songwriters and composers, it is the only performing rights organization in the U.S. that operates on a not-for-profit basis. ASCAP licenses a repertory of over 20 million musical works to hundreds of thousands of businesses that use music, including streaming services, cable television, radio and satellite radio and brick and mortar businesses such as retail stores, hotels, clubs, restaurants and bars. ASCAP collects the licensing fees; identifies, matches and processes trillions of performances every year; and returns nearly 90 cents of every dollar back to its members as royalties. The ASCAP blanket license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. ASCAP puts music creators first, advocating for their rights and the value of music on Capitol Hill, driving innovation that moves the industry forward, building community and providing the resources and support that creators need to succeed in their careers. Learn more and stay in touch at www.ascap.com, on X and Instagram @ASCAP and on Facebook.

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CONTACT:

Cathy Halgas Nevins

ASCAP

cnevins(at)ascap.com