ASCAP Nashville

ASCAP Nashville is a regional office of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). It handles music rights and collects and distributes performance royalties for songwriters and publishers in and around Nashville, Tennessee. The office was established to serve the country music industry concentrated there, but its membership now spans multiple genres including gospel, Christian contemporary, Americana, and film and television composition. ASCAP itself was founded in New York City in 1914, making it the oldest performing rights organization in the United States. The Nashville branch acts as a local point of contact for members, handling membership outreach, educational programming, industry advocacy, and community events that would otherwise require direct engagement with ASCAP's national headquarters.

History

Nashville's growing prominence as a music creation center, especially in country music, led to a dedicated ASCAP office there. As Nashville's music industry expanded through the mid-20th century, a localized presence became increasingly necessary. The office initially represented established country music songwriters and publishers working along Music Row, but its scope broadened over the following decades to cover gospel, Americana, Christian contemporary, and film and television composition.

ASCAP Nashville's history is tied closely to Nashville's own transformation into "Music City." The city grew from a regional hub into an international music destination. As that happened, copyright administration and royalty collection became more complex. The office responded by developing services tailored to the local community: workshops, educational programs, and direct advocacy with policymakers on issues including copyright law, streaming royalty rates, and the implementation of the Music Modernization Act of 2018, which revised how digital performance royalties are calculated and distributed. From broadcast radio and cable television to digital downloads and streaming, ASCAP Nashville adapted repeatedly to shifts in the music industry to help ensure its members received compensation when their work was performed publicly.

For years, ASCAP Nashville operated out of offices on Music Row, the historic corridor of recording studios and music business offices that anchored Nashville's music industry since the 1950s. In February 2026, ASCAP announced plans to relocate its Nashville offices to a new, purpose-built facility elsewhere in the city, with the move expected to be completed by May 2026. The Music Row building was subsequently sold, with the transaction completed shortly after the announcement and drawing attention from buyers across the real estate and entertainment sectors.

Programs and Initiatives

ASCAP Nashville runs a range of programs aimed at supporting working songwriters at different stages of their careers. The ASCAP GPS (Growing Performing Songwriters) Project stands out as one of the most prominent. It's a selective development program designed to give emerging songwriters direct access to industry education, mentorship, and networking opportunities. In January 2026, ASCAP announced the Class of 2026 for the GPS Project, which included a notable expansion into Christian music, a genre with deep roots in the Nashville community, alongside its existing country and pop songwriter tracks.

The GPS Project reflects a broader commitment by the Nashville office to identify and invest in talent before it reaches mainstream commercial success. Participants receive guidance on the business of songwriting: how performance royalties work, how to register works correctly, and how to build relationships with publishers and labels. The program's expansion into Christian music acknowledges Nashville's role as a hub for that genre alongside country, and it signals the office's intention to serve a wider share of the city's creative community.

Each fall, ASCAP Nashville holds its annual Songwriters Celebration, one of the more closely watched events on Nashville's music industry calendar. The 2025 edition, held on November 17, honored Ashley Gorley and Shaboozey as top honorees, recognizing their achievements in country songwriting over the preceding year. Gorley, one of the most commercially successful country songwriters of the past two decades, was recognized for his volume of charting material, while Shaboozey received the ASCAP Country Music Award for "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," a crossover hit that drew significant national attention to Nashville's songwriting community that year. The celebration recognizes ASCAP members whose songs generated the most performance royalties across country radio and other platforms during the calendar year. Publishers, label executives, and songwriters from across the country attend.

Beyond the annual celebration, the office hosts workshops and showcases throughout the year, bringing together emerging songwriters and established professionals for industry panels, co-writing sessions, and performance opportunities. Most of these events are open to members and the wider public.

The office also advocates for the rights of songwriters and composers at both the state and federal levels. It engages with policymakers on copyright law, streaming royalty rates, and other legislation affecting music creators. This advocacy work helps maintain Nashville's standing as a city where professional songwriting remains economically viable.

Economy

ASCAP Nashville contributes substantially to the economic life of the Nashville region. The office collects performance royalties, which are fees paid by radio stations, streaming platforms, venues, and other businesses that publicly perform copyrighted music, and distributes those funds to member songwriters and publishers. This channels significant revenue directly into the local creative economy. Individual songwriters benefit, but so does the broader network of businesses that depend on active music creation: recording studios, music publishers, licensing attorneys, and live performance venues.

An active ASCAP office also helps attract music industry professionals and companies to the city. Publishers and independent songwriters weighing a move to Nashville factor in the availability of performing rights organization support when making those decisions. Efficient administration of music rights is a practical consideration for anyone building a career in professional songwriting, and the Nashville office's local presence reduces the friction involved in managing that side of the business.

The economic reach extends well beyond country music, even if that genre remains the largest segment of the office's membership. Gospel, Christian contemporary, Americana, and film and television composers based in Nashville are also represented. The city's diversification as a music production center over the past two decades is reflected in the office's membership base.

Culture

ASCAP Nashville actively participates in the city's music scene through events and public programming. The office hosts workshops and showcases throughout the year, bringing together emerging songwriters and established professionals for industry panels, co-writing sessions, and performance opportunities.

The royalties the office collects and distributes support the songwriters whose work is performed nightly at the Ryman Auditorium, the Grand Ole Opry, and the honky-tonks along Broadway. Those venues, central to Nashville's tourism economy, depend on a steady supply of commercially successful songs. Most of those songs were written by ASCAP members.

Educational workshops and showcases hosted by the office are often open to aspiring songwriters and music enthusiasts, not just industry professionals. They offer a look into the craft and business of professional songwriting that goes beyond what most visitors to Nashville encounter. For a working songwriter, an afternoon session at an ASCAP event can carry more practical value than weeks of independent study.

Notable Members

ASCAP Nashville represents a large membership base of songwriters and publishers, many of whom are prominent figures in the music industry. Country music songwriters, composers working in film and television, Christian music writers, and artists across a range of other genres are all included. The 2025 Songwriters Celebration highlighted Ashley Gorley, one of the most commercially successful country songwriters of the past two decades, and Shaboozey, whose crossover success with "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" brought significant attention to Nashville's songwriting community that year.

The office supports both established writers and those early in their careers. The GPS Project is designed to identify emerging talent and give those writers access to resources and connections that accelerate professional development. Many songwriters who've gone on to achieve commercial success in Nashville have passed through ASCAP Nashville programs at some point in their careers.

Getting There

ASCAP Nashville is located within the Nashville metropolitan area. As of early 2026, the office is in the process of relocating from its longtime home on Music Row to a new facility elsewhere in the city, with the transition expected to be completed by May 2026. Anyone planning a visit should confirm the current address directly with ASCAP before traveling. Car travel is easiest given Nashville's road network, though buses operated by the WeGo Public Transit system serve much of the city.

Nashville International Airport (BNA) is the primary air hub for the region. It has direct service to dozens of domestic and several international destinations. Taxi, ride-share, and rental car options are available from the airport for those traveling from out of town.

See Also

• Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
• Ryman Auditorium
• Music Row
• Nashville Songwriters Association International