# ASCAP Repertory Scraper (`crawlerbros/ascap-repertory-scraper`) Actor

Search the ASCAP ACE Repertory - the public database of 13+ million musical works - by title, performer, writer or publisher. Returns full work records with writers, publishers, ASCAP work IDs, ISWCs, alternate titles, performance counts and ASCAP/BMI shares.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/crawlerbros/ascap-repertory-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Crawler Bros](https://apify.com/crawlerbros) (community)
- **Categories:** Automation, Developer tools, Integrations
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## ASCAP Repertory Scraper

Scrape the **ASCAP ACE Repertory** — the public searchable database of 13+ million musical works maintained by ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers). Find songs by **title**, **performer**, **writer** or **publisher** and get complete work records: writers, publishers, ASCAP work IDs, ISWCs, alternate titles, performer counts, and ASCAP/BMI share splits. The definitive source for music licensing research.

### What this actor does

- **Six modes:** `search` (any field), `searchByTitle`, `searchByPerformer`, `searchByWriter`, `searchByPublisher`, `byWorkId` (direct lookup by numeric ASCAP work ID)
- **Repertory universes:** Songview (ASCAP + BMI combined), ASCAP only, or ASCAP 100% controlled works
- **Full work detail:** title, performers (with primary performer), writers, publishers, work ID, ISWC, alternate titles, performance/writer counts, ASCAP & BMI shares (including the "other society" writer/publisher shares and the human-readable share split messages)
- **Party detail:** every writer and publisher on the work with IPI number, party ID, society (ASCAP/BMI), role, lie mandate start date and contact details where available
- **Source links:** every record links back to its ACE Repertory page plus the canonical ACE API resource URL
- **Filters:** keyword on work title, alternate-titles match, result cap
- **Empty fields are omitted**

### Data Source

ASCAP's **ACE Repertory** — https://www.ascap.com/repertory — the public searchable database of musical works in the ASCAP repertory (plus, through the Songview project, works shared with BMI). The repertory's JSON API (`ace-api.ascap.com`) is guarded by **reCAPTCHA Enterprise** and can only be queried the way the website's own single-page app does it: by first minting a reCAPTCHA-scoped session token in a real browser. This actor drives the public SPA in headless Chromium, performs the same searches a visitor would, and captures the API responses the SPA receives — no account, login or API key is required. This actor is not affiliated with ASCAP.

### Output per work

- `workId` — ASCAP work ID (e.g. `310026950`)
- `workTitle`, `workTitleTypeCde`, `iswc` (ISWC code)
- `alternateTitles[]` — alternate title spellings/versions
- `performers[]`, `primaryPerformer`
- `writers[]` — writer full names
- `publishers[]` — publisher full names
- `interestedParties[]` — full detail per party: `fullName`, `roleCde` (`W`/`P`), `ipiNaNum`, `partyId`, `societyName`, `payIndicator`, `lieMandateStartDate`, `partyApiUrl`, `address`, `phone`, `email`
- `association`, `sourceOfOrigin` — ASCAP / BMI society info
- `performerCount`, `writerCount`
- `totalAscapShare`, `totalBMIShare`, `totalWriterAscapShare`, `totalWriterBMIShare`, `totalPublisherAscapShare`, `totalPublisherBMIShare`, `otherAscapWriterShare`, `otherAscapPublisherShare`
- `totalAscapShareMessage`, `totalBMIShareMessage` — human-readable share split lines
- `reconStatus`, `disputeFlag`, `specialPaymentIndicator`, `holdIndicator`, `lieFlag`
- `partyName` — originating party (performer/writer/publisher modes)
- `sourceUrl` (ACE page URL), `apiResourceUrl` (ACE API resource), `recordType: "work"`, `scrapedAt`

### Input

| Field | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `mode` | string | `search` | `search` / `searchByTitle` / `searchByPerformer` / `searchByWriter` / `searchByPublisher` / `byWorkId` |
| `query` | string | `all of me` | The value to search for |
| `workIds` | string\[] | `[310026950]` | Numeric ASCAP work IDs or ACE work URLs (mode=byWorkId) |
| `searchField` | string | `title` | Field used when `mode=search` |
| `universe` | string | `SVW` | Repertory universe: Songview / ASCAP / ASCAP 100% |
| `includeAlternateTitles` | bool | `false` | Also match works by their alternate titles |
| `containsKeyword` | string | – | Keep only works whose title contains this substring |
| `maxResults` | int | `10` | Hard cap (1–100) |
| `proxyConfiguration` | object | off | Optional Apify proxy for blocked regions/IPs |

#### Example: search works by title

```json
{
  "mode": "search",
  "query": "all of me",
  "maxResults": 20
}
```

#### Example: everything a writer has written

```json
{
  "mode": "searchByWriter",
  "query": "max martin",
  "maxResults": 50
}
```

#### Example: all works performed by an artist

```json
{
  "mode": "searchByPerformer",
  "query": "andra day",
  "containsKeyword": "christmas"
}
```

#### Example: a publisher's catalog

```json
{
  "mode": "searchByPublisher",
  "query": "concord arch songs",
  "maxResults": 100
}
```

#### Example: lookup specific works by ASCAP work ID

```json
{
  "mode": "byWorkId",
  "workIds": ["310026950", "310177270"]
}
```

### Use cases

- **Music licensing & sync** — clear a song for film/TV by pulling its writer and publisher splits
- **Royalty administration** — find the ASCAP work ID and IPI numbers needed for registration and claims
- **Catalog research** — map the full works of a writer, performer or publisher
- **M\&A due diligence** — audit publisher catalogs and share percentages
- **Metadata enrichment** — add ISWCs, alternate titles and performer lists to music databases
- **Copyright compliance** — verify work ownership and society association before reuse

### Limitations

- **Browser required** — the ACE API is guarded by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and can only be queried the way the website's own SPA does it; the actor drives the public SPA in headless Chromium. No account, login or API key is required.
- **Record completeness varies** — the source returns whatever the public database holds: some works have no recorded performers, and numeric-only performer entries (stored as IDs) are omitted.
- **Non-Latin titles may render as `?`** — the ACE service itself renders most non-Latin titles with placeholder characters in results; records are still returned with full work IDs and source links.
- **`maxResults` is capped at 100** — and a single ID can match several registrations (alternate versions of the same song), all of which are returned.
- **Proxy may be needed in blocked regions** — the optional `proxyConfiguration` can be used when the SPA is challenged from specific IP ranges.

### FAQ

**What is the ASCAP Repertory (ACE)?**  ACE ("ASCAP Clearance Express") is ASCAP's public search engine covering the songs in the ASCAP repertory plus, through the Songview project, works shared with BMI. Data includes song titles, writers, publishers, performers and ownership shares.

**Is this affiliated with ASCAP?**  No. This is a third-party actor that queries the public ACE Repertory search. ASCAP is not affiliated with this actor.

**What does `universe` mean?**  `SVW` searches the combined Songview repertory (ASCAP + BMI), `ACE` the ASCAP repertory, and `ASCAP` works that are 100% controlled by ASCAP and its members.

**Why do some records lack performers or shares?**  The source returns whatever the public database holds for that work — some entries have no recorded performers, and numeric-only performer entries (stored as IDs) are omitted.

**How do I get a specific work by ID?**  Use the dedicated `byWorkId` mode with the numeric ASCAP work ID (or a full ACE work URL). A single ID can match several registrations (alternate versions of the same song) — all are returned.

**Can I search in non-Latin scripts?**  Search terms like Japanese or accented characters are accepted, but the ACE service itself renders most non-Latin titles as `?` characters in its results — records are still returned with full work IDs and source links.

**How fresh is the data?**  ACE is updated continuously from ASCAP's registration systems; every run queries the live service at run time.

**Why can `maxResults` return fewer works than requested?**  Filters (`containsKeyword`) and empty result sets reduce the count; the actor also stops early when the party's published work list is exhausted.

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

What to search.

## `query` (type: `string`):

The value to search for, e.g. a song title, performer, writer or publisher name.

## `workIds` (type: `array`):

Numeric ASCAP work IDs (e.g. 310026950) or ACE work URLs to look up (mode=byWorkId).

## `searchField` (type: `string`):

Which field to search when mode=search.

## `universe` (type: `string`):

Which repertory to search: Songview (ASCAP + BMI combined), ASCAP only, or ASCAP 100% controlled works.

## `includeAlternateTitles` (type: `boolean`):

Also match works by their alternate titles (broader results).

## `containsKeyword` (type: `string`):

Only keep works whose title (or originating party name) contains this substring, case-insensitive.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Hard cap on emitted work records.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Optional. If the repertory pages are blocked from your region or datacenter IPs, enable Apify proxy.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "search",
  "query": "all of me",
  "workIds": [
    "310026950"
  ],
  "searchField": "title",
  "universe": "SVW",
  "includeAlternateTitles": false,
  "maxResults": 10,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `works` (type: `string`):

Dataset containing all scraped ASCAP Repertory work records.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "mode": "search",
    "query": "all of me",
    "workIds": [
        "310026950"
    ],
    "searchField": "title",
    "universe": "SVW",
    "includeAlternateTitles": false,
    "maxResults": 10,
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("crawlerbros/ascap-repertory-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "mode": "search",
    "query": "all of me",
    "workIds": ["310026950"],
    "searchField": "title",
    "universe": "SVW",
    "includeAlternateTitles": False,
    "maxResults": 10,
    "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("crawlerbros/ascap-repertory-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "mode": "search",
  "query": "all of me",
  "workIds": [
    "310026950"
  ],
  "searchField": "title",
  "universe": "SVW",
  "includeAlternateTitles": false,
  "maxResults": 10,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}' |
apify call crawlerbros/ascap-repertory-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,crawlerbros/ascap-repertory-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/69UKhYNv0mrya3FAu/builds/XuFuWnvmRZK3W4NuF/openapi.json