Guide to Performing Rights Organizations and PRO Music on Envato Elements

This guide explains what PRO (Performing Rights Organization) music is, how it works within an Envato Elements subscription, when you may need additional performing rights, and what to do if you do. For most Envato Elements subscribers, using PRO music will require no additional licences or fees beyond your standard subscription download.

What is PRO music?

PRO music is music created and registered by composers who are members of a Performing Rights Organization (PRO). Most mainstream artists, songwriters, and film and TV composers are PRO members — including some Envato Elements authors.

For these composers and their registered tracks, the PRO administers a specific part of their music copyright known as Performing Rights. Performing Rights include the right to:

• Publicly broadcast the music on a TV or radio station
• Play the music in a public place (such as a supermarket, restaurant, theatre, or other venue)
• In some cases, stream it online

Almost every country has its own official PRO, and composers typically register with the PRO of the country where they live. For example: in the United States, the main PROs are ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC; in Canada it is SOCAN; in the United Kingdom it is PRS; and in Germany it is GEMA. Most PROs also have relationships with each other and work together to manage performing rights internationally.

See PROs around the world at the bottom of this article for a full country-by-country list with links.

What does PRO music mean for Envato Elements subscribers?

Allowing PRO music on Envato Elements provides three key benefits:

• Quality — many professional composers and songwriters are PRO members. Allowing PRO music ensures access to the widest range of high-quality talent and diverse music for creative projects.
• Clarity — making Envato's PRO policy transparent gives subscribers the confidence and information they need to use music correctly in their projects.
• Sustainability — allowing authors to register their music with a PRO enables them to collect their fair share of blanket earnings already being paid by broadcasters and venues worldwide, supporting a sustainable ecosystem for independent music creators.

For most Envato Elements subscribers, these benefits can be enjoyed without needing to worry about additional PRO details or licences. Any "public performance" use is typically covered by the broadcaster or venue handling the performance, which most likely already holds the blanket performing rights for all content they play. In these cases, whether the music you use is PRO or Non-PRO is effectively the same.

Is Envato Elements music royalty-free?

Yes — for most subscribers, all Envato Elements music is effectively royalty-free, including PRO music.

Here is how it breaks down:

• All Non-PRO music on Envato Elements is royalty-free and performance royalty-free. No additional fees apply under any circumstances.
• PRO music is also royalty-free in the sense that your licence download allows you to use the music in your end product for as long as you need, and you will never pay Envato additional ongoing fees based on your usage.
• For PRO music that is publicly performed or broadcast, the performance royalties are typically already being paid as blanket fees by the broadcasters and venues. In the majority of cases, you as the subscriber will not need to pay any additional performing rights fees.

If your project does not involve publicly performing or broadcasting PRO music at all, it is effectively royalty-free in every respect.

For most subscribers, even using PRO music will require nothing more than your standard Envato Elements subscription download.

When do I need performing rights from a PRO?

If you download Non-PRO music, performing rights are already included with your Envato Elements licence. No additional steps are required.

If you download PRO music, performing rights are not included with your licence — but in most cases you will still not need to obtain any additional licence or pay additional fees. This is because broadcasters, venues, and major online platforms typically already hold blanket PRO licences that cover your use:

If you are unsure whether your specific use constitutes a public performance, or whether you may need to pay additional performing rights fees, contact your local PRO or a music rights specialist. Different countries and PROs have different rules — for example, some countries consider telephone on-hold music or certain online streaming to be a public performance, while others do not.

How do I get performing rights for PRO music?

If you do need public performance rights for PRO music, these rights are administered directly by the PROs themselves. You will need to licence them directly from the relevant PRO.

PRO licences are almost always provided as blanket licences — meaning they cover the performance rights for any and all PRO music you perform or broadcast, not just specific tracks. Once you hold a public performance licence from a PRO, you can use any PRO music from Envato Elements under that licence.

PROs also typically work together and share information internationally, so in most cases you will only need to work with the local PRO(s) in your own country. See PROs around the world below for links to each country's PRO.

Direct licensing: Some PROs — including ASCAP and BMI in the United States — allow their composers to personally grant direct licences for the performing rights of their music. If you only need to perform or broadcast a single specific PRO track by a single author, you may wish to contact the author directly to enquire about a direct licence. Check the item description on Envato Elements and any information provided with the music download, as the author may provide direct licensing information there.

How do I find PRO music on Envato Elements?

Both PRO and Non-PRO music are included in Envato Elements by default. To identify or filter PRO music:

• Filter by PRO affiliation: In the music search results, use the "Include P.R.O. Music" checkbox in the filter sidebar to display only PRO music.
• Check the item page: Each music item page displays P.R.O. affiliation information. If the track is affiliated with a PRO, the PRO name will be shown. If there is no PRO affiliation listed, the track is Non-PRO.

If you need more information about a specific track's PRO, composer, or publisher, check the item description and attributes on the item page.

In this example, the music track has no P.R.O. affiliation.

In this example, the music track includes a P.R.O. affiliation

What are cue sheets and do I need to file one?

Cue sheets are one of the primary tools PROs use to track music usage and distribute earnings to composers and publishers for publicly performed music.

What is a cue sheet? A cue sheet is a document listing information about the music tracks used in a broadcast or film production — typically including the track title, duration, composer name, and publisher. Cue sheets are used by PROs to attribute and distribute performance royalties correctly.

Who files cue sheets? Cue sheets are typically prepared and filed by the production company, not by the subscriber. They are usually filed online or emailed directly to the PRO.

Does it cost anything to file a cue sheet? No. Filing a cue sheet is free. It simply helps ensure that Envato Elements authors receive their fair share of PRO earnings for the music they created.

Where do I find the information for a cue sheet? All the information you need -track title, duration, composer, publisher - should be available either via the Envato Elements item page, the item download, or via the P.R.O’s searchable database, which is usually found on their website. If you are having difficulty locating these details, please feel free to contact us for further assistance. 

An example cue sheet template is available to download here.

Tips for using PRO music in your project

Confirm blanket licence coverage with the broadcaster or venue
While most broadcasters and venues already hold blanket PRO licences, it is good practice to confirm this with them before your project is performed or broadcast.

Double-check whether your use constitutes a public performance
Different countries and PROs have different definitions of what counts as a public performance. If your project will be publicly performed or broadcast in any way, confirm whether an additional performance rights licence is required. When in doubt, contact your local PRO or a music rights specialist.

Consider direct licensing for single-track use
If you only need performing rights for a single specific PRO track from a single Envato author, you may be able to obtain a direct licence from the author — particularly if the author is affiliated with a North American PRO such as ASCAP or BMI. Check the item description for any direct licensing information provided by the author.

File cue sheets where applicable
If your project is being broadcast or publicly performed and requires a cue sheet, filing it is free and helps ensure Envato authors are paid fairly from the PRO earnings pool. See What are cue sheets? above for full details.

Frequently asked questions

• Can I use PRO music from Envato Elements on YouTube?

  Yes. YouTube holds a blanket PRO licence that covers all content streamed on its platform. If you use PRO music from Envato Elements in a YouTube video, you do not need to obtain any additional performing rights licence.

• Does Non-PRO music have any restrictions?

  No. Non-PRO music on Envato Elements is fully royalty-free and performance royalty-free. No additional fees or licences apply under any circumstances for Non-PRO music.

• What happens if I use PRO music in a project that is publicly broadcast?

  In most cases, the broadcaster or venue will already hold the blanket PRO licence that covers the performance royalties for your use. You do not need to take any additional steps. If you are broadcasting directly yourself without going through a licensed broadcaster, you may need to obtain a performing rights licence from your local PRO.

• How do I know if a track on Envato Elements is PRO or Non-PRO?

  Check the item page for the track on Envato Elements. PRO affiliation information is displayed on each music item page. If no PRO affiliation is listed, the track is Non-PRO.

• Which PRO should I contact?

  Contact the PRO in the country where you will be publicly performing or broadcasting the music. For a full list of PROs by country, see the PROs around the world section below.

PROs around the world

Below is a list of the major Performing Rights Organizations by country, with links to their websites where you can find more information about performing rights, cue sheets, and how to contact them.

Note on Non-PRO music: Although Non-PRO music is not affiliated with a PRO, in some countries you may still be obligated to pay additional performing rights fees for Non-PRO music depending on the rules of your local PRO and local laws. It is your responsibility as a subscriber to be aware of the laws in your country and pay any applicable fees.