Hi, I am new here, and grateful for any attention and help with my questions.

I am attracting some work of late for the music I write, produce and record myself, and though I have experience doing this, I have little experience with the business/legal end of it.

I have music I sell as a complete arrangement- a song- and also loops and beats.

I am thinking of joining ASCAP.

1 Does ASCAP help you get paid royalties if a piece gets used in Film or TV? Or is that something they don't deal with?

2 If you were selling a beat, or a short loop/arrangement to an artist or producer (or buying one as an artist or producer), they are usually license free, right? So does that imply you do not register this with your recording society?

3 When ASCAP collects royalty money on behalf of an artist, they keep a portion of this? If so, how much?

And if so, could it be that this functions sort of like a record company, in that they charge more so they can get money for you and for them? Or is it, from the perspective of a venue or other entity that might use your music, pretty reasonable?

4 Why even publish your music? Obviously you copyright it, and then you negotiate if someone wants to use it. What is the advantage to publishing?

What if you were to get your music placed in a TV show, for example, and you did not belong to a PRO? Would the TV or film music supervisor be less likely to want to work with you if you didn't have a publishing company set up? Or is it just that you go in at risk of losing money if they try not to pay you?

I understand these are a lot of questions. If you only respond to one or two that's fine. Thanks so much!