PPL pays record number of performers and recording rightsholders  

UK music licensing company PPL has made its June payment of £71.3 million, marking the highest number of performers and recording rightsholders paid in a June payment, with 113,271 performers and recording rightsholders paid.

The June payees include direct members of PPL as well as performers and recording rightsholders represented via agreements the company has in place with overseas collective management organisations (CMOs). 

Peter Leathem, PPL chief executive officer said: ‘It is great to see PPL paying out money to more performers and recording rightsholders than ever before in a June distribution. Our leading data technology allows us to identify as much recording usage as possible as well as the performers and recording rightsholders to be paid, maximising royalty pay-through.’ 

PPL’s June distribution is made up of monies collected when recordings are played in public places including shops, bars, nightclubs and offices. Collections are also generated when recordings are copied for private use, or broadcast on TV, radio or online and this distribution includes £1.8 million from PPL’s sister company VPL which licenses music videos when they are played in public or broadcast on TV.  

Once money has been collected, PPL calculates how much each performers and recording rightsholder has earned and, after tax and running costs have been deducted, distributes the money to them as royalties.

Founded in 1934, PPL is the UK music industry’s collective management organisation, ensuring revenue flows back to over 130,000 performers and record companies. PPL works with PRS for Music to complete public performance licensing.

You can find out more about PPL here.