Company Background
PPL
PPL Company Profile:
PPL is the music licensing company which, on behalf of 47,500 performers and 6,300 record companies, licenses the use of recorded music in the UK. This enables TV and radio stations, online streaming services and hundreds of thousands of shops, pubs and others using music in their business to obtain a licence comprising millions of recordings.
As a music industry service, the company does not retain any profit for itself. The costs of collecting, processing and distributing the licence fees are taken from the gross revenues that the company collects which are distributed and paid to all PPL's record company and performer members. These include featured artists as well as session musicians, ranging from orchestral players to percussionists and to singers (approximately 90% of whom earn less than £16k per year from their profession). There is no joining fee or administration charge and the company actively seeks members. The cost-to-revenue ratio has remained constant for four years despite increasing investment in technology.
In addition, the company collects international performance rights income for 80% of its members and this revenue stream is currently the fastest growing area of the company. PPL now has representation in 28 different countries around the world, which has resulted in 52 separate contracts with similar organisations, representing a further 2,000 overseas record companies and 24,500 performers for the collection of income generated by their respective rights in the UK.
PPL’s role and remit increases year on year. The company receives details electronically on a weekly basis for an average of 6,500 new recordings. Once this data has been fed into PPL’s databases, it is then passed on to PRS for Music for it to administer the relevant copying rights on behalf of the songwriters, composers and publishers. PPL also provides that data to the BPI and IFPI (International Federation of Phonographic Industry) to assist with their anti-piracy activities. PPL also uniquely provides the music usage data for the highly successful series 'The People's Chart' which is broadcast on Radio 2. PPL’s other areas of operation include VPL and PPL Video Store.
For further information please visit ppluk.com
Interest in the Online Marketplace:
PPL's performer and record company members have asked PPL to license internet radio and some streaming services online where millions of tracks are streamed. A collective licence in these circumstances has huge benefits for rightsholders and users alike, but there are regulatory pressures which reduce its commercial viability. The issues faced by the music industry are now beginning to impact other creative industries.
Current thoughts:
There is a growing realisation of just how important the creative industries are to Europe - economically, culturally and in terms of jobs. The market has developed well in the physical world but there are those who think the rules should not apply online. We have to find a way of allowing the online market to develop where the value of content, for example, is reflected in market structures and revenues.
PPL is the music licensing company which, on behalf of 47,500 performers and 6,300 record companies, licenses the use of recorded music in the UK. This enables TV and radio stations, online streaming services and hundreds of thousands of shops, pubs and others using music in their business to obtain a licence comprising millions of recordings.
As a music industry service, the company does not retain any profit for itself. The costs of collecting, processing and distributing the licence fees are taken from the gross revenues that the company collects which are distributed and paid to all PPL's record company and performer members. These include featured artists as well as session musicians, ranging from orchestral players to percussionists and to singers (approximately 90% of whom earn less than £16k per year from their profession). There is no joining fee or administration charge and the company actively seeks members. The cost-to-revenue ratio has remained constant for four years despite increasing investment in technology.
In addition, the company collects international performance rights income for 80% of its members and this revenue stream is currently the fastest growing area of the company. PPL now has representation in 28 different countries around the world, which has resulted in 52 separate contracts with similar organisations, representing a further 2,000 overseas record companies and 24,500 performers for the collection of income generated by their respective rights in the UK.
PPL’s role and remit increases year on year. The company receives details electronically on a weekly basis for an average of 6,500 new recordings. Once this data has been fed into PPL’s databases, it is then passed on to PRS for Music for it to administer the relevant copying rights on behalf of the songwriters, composers and publishers. PPL also provides that data to the BPI and IFPI (International Federation of Phonographic Industry) to assist with their anti-piracy activities. PPL also uniquely provides the music usage data for the highly successful series 'The People's Chart' which is broadcast on Radio 2. PPL’s other areas of operation include VPL and PPL Video Store.
For further information please visit ppluk.com
Interest in the Online Marketplace:
PPL's performer and record company members have asked PPL to license internet radio and some streaming services online where millions of tracks are streamed. A collective licence in these circumstances has huge benefits for rightsholders and users alike, but there are regulatory pressures which reduce its commercial viability. The issues faced by the music industry are now beginning to impact other creative industries.
Current thoughts:
There is a growing realisation of just how important the creative industries are to Europe - economically, culturally and in terms of jobs. The market has developed well in the physical world but there are those who think the rules should not apply online. We have to find a way of allowing the online market to develop where the value of content, for example, is reflected in market structures and revenues.
