PPL pays out to a record 147,000 performers and recording rightsholders

In its fourth quarter distribution last week (16 December), UK music licensing company PPL will pay £41.8 million to 124,000 performers and recording rightsholders. Funds were collected by PPL for the use of recorded music in the UK and internationally and paid either directly to PPL members or indirectly through other collective management organisations.

PPL has paid out £228.7 million across all quarters of 2021. This year’s annual pay-out is down 12.1% from £260.2 million last year, but the number of people paid by PPL this year is up 9% from 135,000 performers and recording rightsholders in 2020 to 147,000 in 2021. Over 8,000 performers from the UK and around the world received supplementary remuneration allocations in this quarter’s distribution.

Over 8,000 performers from the UK and around the world received supplementary remuneration allocations in this quarter’s distribution.

Peter Leathem, PPL chief executive officer, said: ‘Today’s announcement is a testament to [the] hard work and the industry-leading operation we have here at PPL. As we continue to navigate the pandemic and its impacts, we will keep on representing and fighting for the rights of those that create recorded music, helping them to get paid when their music is played.’

PPL has made investments over the last decade to develop its repertoire database, holding detailed information on more than 20 million recordings, to maximise PPL’s royalty revenue and distribution.

Founded in 1934, PPL is the UK music industry’s collective management organisation, licensing recorded music when it is played in public, on TV, radio and on some online streaming services and ensuring that PPL members receive appropriate revenue.