American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers

April 20, 2015
American Authors

Victor Herbert, musician, composer and founder of ASCAP photographed in 1914

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Was Founded
What do Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Madonna, Metallica, Tom Waits, the Dixie Chicks, and Tito Puente all have in common? Yes, they are all Grammy award winners, but they are also members of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).

ASCAP was founded in New York City on February 13, 1914, to protect the rights of the more than 80, 000 composers, songwriters, lyricists and music publishers who are its members. ASCAP's function is to make sure that a writer's work is not used by another artist without paying the proper fee (called a royalty) or acquiring the proper permission. An author's right to protect his work is called copyright. ASCAP's first director was Victor Herbert, a composer and musician who strongly supported artists being paid for their work. How do you think Herbert got the idea for ASCAP?

Source: www.americaslibrary.gov