I got a letter from SESAC. Now what?

If a SESAC envelope just landed on your desk, take a breath. You are not alone. SESAC is real, but they work differently from ASCAP and BMI — smaller catalog, no public rate sheet, and rates that are genuinely negotiable. That changes how you should respond.

Here is the actual playbook: who SESAC is, why their letters look different, and the calmest way to deal with it without overpaying.

First, who SESAC is

SESAC was founded in 1930 and is the third-oldest US Performing Rights Organization. They represent a smaller but higher-profile catalog — Bob Dylan, Adele, Neil Diamond, R.E.M., Lady A, and a long list of film and TV composers. Their roster is invite-only, and unlike ASCAP and BMI they are a private for-profit company.

Because SESAC is not subject to a federal antitrust consent decree, they do not publish a rate card and there is no rate court that can force them to a published number. Every venue rate is negotiated. That sounds intimidating but it actually creates room for you to push back on the first quote.

What SESAC can legally do

• •Sue you in federal court for copyright infringement. Statutory damages run $750 to $30,000 per song, up to $150,000 per song for willful infringement, plus their attorney fees. SESAC has no consent decree limiting how aggressively they litigate.
• •Send field investigators who document the specific songs being played in your bar.
• •Quote you a custom rate. Without a published schedule, the first number is whatever they think you will pay.

What SESAC cannot do

• •They cannot have you arrested. Copyright infringement of this type is civil, not criminal.
• •They cannot enforce a quote you never agreed to. The first rate they send you is an offer, not an invoice you owe.
• •They cannot stop you from comparing their quote against ASCAP and BMI rates and the going rate other similar venues are paying.

The actual playbook

1. Do not ignore it. SESAC will follow up, and if they have field-rep documentation already, the next step is a lawsuit.
2. Do not accept the first quote. Because SESAC rates are negotiated, the opening number is rarely the floor. Treat it like buying a car.
3. Verify your venue data. Capacity, square footage, music hours, cover charge, dance floor. SESAC routinely starts from worst-case assumptions; correcting those usually drops the quote.
4. Compare against ASCAP and BMI. Even though SESAC does not publish rates, your ASCAP and BMI numbers are a reasonable yardstick for what SESAC should be charging at your venue size.
5. Solve all four PROs at once. Without GMR, BMI and ASCAP also licensed, fixing only SESAC leaves you exposed to three other suits.
6. Get a lawyer involved only if the letter names a specific infringement, demands a specific lump sum, or threatens imminent suit. For a routine licensing offer, an attorney is usually overkill.

That fifth point is what we do. We negotiate SESAC rates as part of a bundled package across all four PROs and consolidate everything into a single monthly payment so the negotiation only has to happen once. If you want to see what your full PRO bill should look like before you respond to SESAC, run a free quote and you will see all four PROs side by side in about two minutes.

Why SESAC letters feel weirder than the others

The most common reaction to a SESAC letter is "I have never even heard of you." That is normal — SESAC is much smaller than ASCAP or BMI, and their existence rarely comes up unless one of their member songwriters is on your playlist. That does not make them less legitimate. It just makes the first contact feel out of left field.

The fragmentation problem is real. Four PROs, four letters, four renewal cycles, four chances to overpay or accidentally lapse. That is the actual problem we built this company to fix. PROs are not scams. The way the system reaches small venues just feels like one.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Consult an attorney for specifics about your letter.