Where does the money go?
Music is valuable, and so are those that make it.
TheMusicLicence ensures those who are involved in creating the music we all enjoy are fairly paid for their hard work and talent.
After our business costs, all the music licence fees we collect go back to PPL and PRS for Music who then process, allocate and distribute royalties to the music creators they represent.
PPL represents the rights of over 165,000 performers and recording rightsholders while PRS for Music represents the rights of over 175,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers.
How it works
PPL and PRS for Music each have databases that store details of millions of musical compositions and recordings.
Together with a wealth of information about what music is being used by customers and where, PPL and PRS for Music can determine fairly and efficiently which of their members to pay, and how much to pay them.
PPL and PRS For Music receive reporting and information on recorded music played by the TV broadcasters, radio stations, music suppliers and UK businesses that they license. In some cases, this information is provided on a track-by-track basis, which is then reviewed against the data they hold to identify the applicable performers and recording rightsholders members whom they should pay.
Where it is not feasible to receive track-by-track usage information, such as from smaller TV and radio stations and businesses, they use a combination of methods to identify the music that has been played. This includes the use of data captured at the point of licensing and through market surveys (in relation to the types of music used by different types of customers).
When setting up your licence, you may be asked whether you use the radio or streaming services and whether you intend to use recorded or live music.
Doing so, helps to create this information so that royalties can be distributed accurately according to what music is used.
Distribution
*Data supplied by PPL and PRS for Music, representative of annual reports and statements for 2023.
For more information about PPL’s and PRS for Music’s 2023 annual royalty distribution please visit: www.ppluk.com and www.prsformusic.com
It’s really special knowing that ‘One More Sleep’ brings a little joy to people’s Christmases. The song and the whole album mean so much to me. It’s really beautiful that people connect to it and as an artist that’s all I could hope for.”Leona Lewis, OBE
Support the Future of Music
By purchasing TheMusicLicence you are supporting the future of music by ensuring those people who write, perform, compose, record or publish music are fairly paid for their work.
Check out our video to learn more
Member testimonials
About PPL & PRS for Music
PPL UK and PRS for Music are both collective management organisations. They issue licences and collect royalties in respect of certain uses of music, on behalf of their hundreds of thousands of members. They then distribute those royalties to members (following deduction of processing costs).
PPL represents record companies and performers for the use of recorded music, while PRS for Music represents songwriters, composers and music publishers for the use of musical compositions and lyrics (for both recorded music and live performances).
PPL and PRS for Music set up PPL PRS Ltd to offer a single joint music licence, on behalf of them both, for playing and performing music in public.
Find out the cost of your music licence now
Call us on
0116 290 0525
(8am to 6pm Monday to Thursday and 8am to 3pm Friday)
Alternatively you can complete the online form and an adviser will call you back soon.
