Here's my dilemma. I'm with BMI. I want to start going through BMI LIVE. Problem is the PRO's have been coming down HARD on a lot of venues in Cincinnati, who through ignorance or deception haven't paid their PRO licenses. Many have chosen to do away with live music all together, rather than pay the expensive fees or endure the harassment from the PRO'S. I've lost about 20 venues in the last 5 years to this. I play out 5-6 nights a week and play lots of originals as well as covers. A couple of my songwriter friends with the same workload tell me they make about $100 per quarter through BMI Live/ASCAP ONSTAGE. Of course you have to register every venue you play. Being a solo acoustic act, I play LOTS of small neighborhood bars, that I KNOW don't pay their PRO fees. My question is am I cutting off my nose to spite my face, registering {ratting out} these bars and risking losing MORE venues, for an extra $100 every 4 months?

Last edited by Bob Cushing; 03/10/15 05:55 AM.
bc