I am involved in numerous community, church, and non-profit festivals and events. ASCAP now going after community festivals to get money and force them to pay an annual license fee even for a few day event. It does not even matter that an event is free to attend. They also send a threatening letter about fines, etc. if an application and licenese fee is not submitted. Here is just a brief excerpt.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITIES
2010 Rate Schedule
SCHEDULE A: Base License Fee
Population Size Base License Fee
1 to 50,000 $305
50,001 to 75,000 $608
75,001 to 100,000 $731
100,001 to 125,000 $975
125,001 to 150,000 $1,219
150,001 to 200,000 $1,584
200,001 to 250,000 $1.949
250,001 to 300,000 $2,316
300.001 to 350,000 $2,682
350,001 to 400,000 $3,047
400,001 to 450,000 $3,412
450,001 to 500,000 $3,779
500,001 and over $4,631
*** $4,631 plus $500 for each 100,000 of population
above 500,000 to a maximum fee of $60,938
SCHEDULE B: Special Events
The rate for Special Events shall be 1% of Gross Revenue.
"Special Events" means musical events, concerts, shows, pageants, sporting events, festivals, competitions, and other
events of limited duration presented by LICENSEE for which the "Gross Revenue" of such Special Event exceeds $25,000.
"Gross Revenue" means all monies received by LICENSEE or on LICENSEE'S behalf from the sale of tickets for each
Special Event. If there are no monies from the sale of tickets, "Gross Revenue" shall mean contributions from sponsors or
other payments received by LICENSEE for each Special Event.
SCHEDULE C: State Municipal and/or County Leagues or State Associations of Attorneys
The annual license fee for LICENSEES who are legally organized as state municipal and/or county leagues or state
associations of municipal and/or county attorneys shall be $305.
License Fee for Year 2011 and Thereafter
For each calendar year commencing 2011, all dollar figures set forth in Schedules A, B and C above (except for $500
add-on for populations of 500,001 or more) shall be the license fee for the preceding calendar year, adjusted in accordance
with the increase in the Consumer Price Index - All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) between the preceding October and the next
preceding October. Any additional license fees due resulting from the CPI adjustment shall be payable upon billing by
ASCAP.