ASCAP Connections: Keeping It Chill in the Chat

One of the most common questions we hear from our members is “Where can I find new collaborators?” That’s why we’ve launched ASCAP Connections in our mobile app. It’s a new way for you to find ASCAP members with similar goals. You set up a profile, fill in some basic info about your skills and what you’re looking for, and get suggestions of other songwriters, composers and publishers that match your interests. Send a message request and start chatting. It’s a pretty great way to expand your network and build a community.

Just like any community, ASCAP Connections works best when the people who use it (that’s you!) treat each other respectfully. Here are a few guidelines for keeping it chill in the chat with ASCAP Connections.

Keep it professional.

ASCAP Connections is meant to connect creative people for professional networking. Think of it this way: everyone you meet through the platform is a potential new collaborator or business contact. So be cool, treat people respectfully, and everything will be just fine.

If you use ASCAP Connections to harass or abuse anyone, if you engage in hate speech or spam, if you create a fraudulent profile, or if you use it to share confidential or illegal information, you may be violating the ASCAP Connections Terms of Service, and can be kicked off the platform. You can read the full Terms of Services here (pay special attention to the Code of Conduct in section 7).

Remember: You can decide what kinds of messages you want, and who can send you messages.

In your profile, you can set parameters about what kinds of message requests you’re willing to accept, and which kinds you’d prefer not to bother with. For example, if you’re looking for a new collaborator, but you don’t really want to give feedback on other people’s work? No problem. Switch off that topic in your profile, and new connections won’t be able to message you for feedback.

The same goes for connection requests. If someone sends you a message, then you look at their profile and decide you don’t want to interact with them? Reject the connection request and it’ll disappear from your inbox – or you can tap through to their profile and block them from messaging you in the future.

Keep your private info private.

Just like with any other form of direct messaging, be cautious about the personal information you share on ASCAP Connections. If someone asks to exchange contact information so you can continue your chat in another forum, that’s totally your choice. But please, never share your ASCAP Member Access username, password or member ID number with anyone via ASCAP Connections (or anywhere else for that matter).

You can share your unique IPI number – that’s a publicly-available number, unique to you, that you’ll want to send to your collaborators (and vice-versa) when you register your music with ASCAP. More info on IPI numbers here.

The easiest way to keep track of your IPI number? Download your IPI Card to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. You can find it in the ASCAP mobile app or in Member Access.

Here are some more tips for keeping your ASCAP account secure.

Feel unsafe in the chat? You can block or report someone.

Giving our members a safe place to network is our top priority with ASCAP Connections. While we hope all of your interactions on ASCAP Connections are positive, we’ve built in tools for you to manage situations if they ever get uncomfortable.

You can choose to block an ASCAP member, for any reason – tap the “block member” button in their profile, and they won’t be able to message you. If the member has already sent you a message, swipe left on their chat with you to find the block option.

You can also choose to report a member if you are feeling unsafe or concerned about their behavior. You’ll be asked to select a reason for reporting the member, and the report will be sent to our app team for review.

Ready to meet some new music people? Tap the Connect icon and get started with ASCAP Connections.