FAQs

A performer’s right to receive equitable remuneration from PPL is transmissible upon death (whereas it is not freely transmissible by a performer prior to their death). PPL will require certain documentation in order to process the transfer of this right to receive equitable remuneration to a beneficiary.

It is PPL’s policy to receive copies of formal, court issued probate documents and the will (if there was one) along with PPL documents signed by the executor(s)/administrator(s) and copies of their ID.  It is also PPL’s policy to pay deceased performer monies into one bank account.  The executors/administrators can also tell us what should happen to the rights going forward.

For a performer who died while resident in England or Wales, for example, you would be asked to provide:

• Grant of representation including any attachments, i.e.:
• • full grant of probate with a will attached; or
  • letters of administration (with or without a will attached)

• ID of executor(s)/administrator(s)
• Deceased change of details form*

As well as the above documents, you may also be required to provide the following:

• Death certificate
• Registration form (if performer was not previously registered with PPL)*
• Representative appointment form* (if you wish to appoint a third party to deal with PPL on your behalf)

*If there are multiple executors/administrators to an estate then these forms will need to be signed by all executors/administrators.

If the performer resided outside of the UK when they died, the formal, court issued probate documents will be those relevant to the legal rules of that place of residence and additional information regarding the relevant probate process applicable to that territory will also be required (along with informal translations of documents that are not in English).

We understand that there are circumstances when, legally, it will not be necessary to obtain formal, court issued probate documents and you should let us know when you get in touch if this applies. We will require additional information and documentation in such circumstances.

Please contact PPL’s Member Services team on 020 8068 1054 or via email at memberservices@ppluk.com and we will assist you with this process.

If the beneficiary did not transfer the rights prior to their death, and the rights formed part of their own estate, PPL will ask for the same type of information and documentation as for a deceased performer (that is, legal probate court documents for the deceased beneficiary, etc.).  If the beneficiary disposed of the rights prior to their death, PPL should have been informed at the relevant time and provided with evidence of the transfer. If PPL was not informed of any such transfer, this information will now need to be provided to PPL.

Please contact PPL’s Member Services team on 020 8068 1054 or via email at memberservices@ppluk.com and we will assist you with the process to update the account.

A number of performers have asked PPL for information about how to refer to PPL performer payments in a will.  As noted in the FAQ above, you should discuss this with your legal advisor and consider making a specific provision (a “bequest”) regarding, for example: your right to receive performer remuneration such as equitable remuneration under s.182D and supplementary remuneration under s.191HB of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 together with, where applicable, the right to receive similar performer remuneration (sometimes referred to as “neighbouring rights”) and other performer payments (such as the “blank tape levy”) from other countries.

In each case it will be important to seek advice from the legal advisor who is preparing the will on your behalf and any information provided by PPL does not constitute legal advice.

In the UK, a performer’s right to receive payment from PPL (so-called “equitable remuneration”) now lasts for 70 years from when it is made or released.  If a performer dies within that period, the right continues and will be passed to a beneficiary as identified in the performer’s will (or under intestacy law if there is no will, or the inheritance rules that apply in other countries).

When PPL becomes aware of a performer death, PPL actively takes steps to contact the personal representatives of the estates of deceased performers when it can, to make them aware of the potential for continuing PPL payments, but it is not always possible to find out who to contact.

When making or updating a will, please give some thought to expressly identifying the beneficiary of your right to receive a payment of equitable remuneration, whether the income is from the UK or elsewhere.  By making such a provision in your will you can highlight this income to your executors, which may further help ensure that these payments are dealt with in accordance with your wishes.   It may also be relevant to consider other performer payments you are entitled to receive in other countries (such as the “blank tape levy” operated in various countries).  Even if you don’t mention PPL or your music related rights in your will, what happens to your rights is still likely to depend on your will, if you have one.  Further advice should be sought from the legal advisor who is preparing the will on your behalf. You may also want to consider letting PPL know the details of your executor and making your executor aware of PPL.

If a performer doesn’t make a will, PPL usually expects the performer’s right to receive PPL performer royalties will be part of their estate when they pass away and PPL will need to understand who has inherited the rights under intestacy rules in the UK, or any other legal rules that apply in the country where the performer was resident.

It is important to bear in mind that the UK rights to equitable remuneration and supplementary remuneration are personal rights which, under UK law (CDPA 1988), are not freely transferrable by a performer during their lifetime, so we expect the rights to form part of a performer’s estate.

This will depend on the legal constitution of the PPL/VPL rightsholder member entity (e.g. sole trader, partnership, limited company, etc.) and any local laws that might apply. Further advice should be sought from the legal advisor who is preparing the will on your behalf. If the rights are going to form part of your estate and you have a will, you may want to consider letting PPL/VPL know the details of your executor and making your executor aware of PPL/VPL.

No, two-factor authentication is activated for all myPPL users. It is not possible to opt-out of the process.

Please note, logins for myPPL should not be shared. Each user should be set up with their own individual access. If you require additional logins for a myPPL account, you should contact Member Services.

Check your spam or junk folder as it may have ended up there depending on your mail settings. If you no longer have access to the email account to which the verification code was sent, you will need to contact Member Services to discuss updating your account after passing a manual verification process (similar to what you need to complete to access a bank account).

Member Services are available Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 020 8068 1054.

• If you desk share or are trying to login using a different PC you will be required to re-verify your login for each additional browser/device used to log in.
• If you are manually (or if something is automatically) deleting all the cookies held on your browser you will need to re-verify every time this occurs.
• If you are choosing to browse in private or incognito mode, it is not possible to track that your browser has already been verified. You can avoid needing to re-verify your account by accessing myPPL through a standard browser.
• If you have manually unticked the “Don’t ask again” box on the ‘Verify Your Identity’ page you will need to verify your identity every time you try to login. If you re-tick this box, you should no longer need to repeat the process.

If you are still experiencing problems with verification, please contact the Member Services team on 020 8068 1054.

Two-factor authentication is a standard method used by companies to ensure the person logging onto a secure website (such as myPPL) is an authorised user for the account they are trying to access. This process requires a unique code to be entered on the login screen, which is sent to the user via another contact method (for myPPL, the code is supplied via email). It ensures the identity of the user who is trying to log in is verified by other information held about them. Therefore, if a user’s password is compromised it makes it much harder for someone else to access the account.

If you are a recording rightsholder and wish to stop being a member of PPL you can do so by writing to PPL, giving six months’ notice to terminate. Upon termination, all rights granted to PPL shall be re-assigned to you and any optional mandates shall end.

You can also terminate each optional New Media Rights and Programme Distribution Rights mandate individually by giving six months’ written notice. The International Collections Mandate can be terminated only on 31 December in any calendar year by giving at least three months’ written notice, except in the first calendar year, when at least six months’ notice must be given.

If you are a performer and want to terminate your International Performer Mandate you can do so by writing to PPL to give notice. The International Performer Mandate can be terminated only on 31 December in any calendar year by giving at least three months’ notice, except in the first calendar year, when at least six months’ notice must be given.

If you entered into an International Performer Mandate before 1 January 2012 then different termination requirements may apply. Please contact Member Services team on 020 8068 1054. You will be entitled to receive PPL royalties as normal up to the date of termination.

PPL collects and distributes money for the use of recorded music on behalf of record companies and performers. PRS for Music and the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS) collect and distribute money for the use of music and lyrics on behalf of songwriters, composers and publishers.

Even if you are registered with PRS for Music as a songwriter or composer, you may also wish to register with PPL to make sure that you receive any recorded music licensing income you are due as a performer or recording rightsholder as well.

Find out more about the difference between PPL and PRS for Music

A performer’s right to receive royalties (or ‘equitable remuneration’) is transmissible upon death. PPL will require certain documentation in order to process the transfer of this right to a beneficiary. Please contact PPL’s Member Services team on 020 8068 1054 or via email at memberservices@ppluk.com.

PPL actively takes steps to contact the estates of deceased performers to ensure they are aware of the potential for continuing PPL payments. When making or updating a will, please give some thought to expressly identifying the beneficiary of your right to receive a payment of equitable remuneration, whether in the UK or elsewhere.

By making such a provision in your will you can highlight this income to your executors, which may further help ensure that these payments are dealt with in accordance with your wishes. Further advice should be sought from the legal advisor who is preparing the will on your behalf. You may also want to consider letting PPL know the details of your executor.

If you already represent a PPL performer or recording rightsholder and have a myPPL account, you can register a new performer or recording rightsholder by clicking on “Accounts” from the myPPL homepage, then selecting “Registrations” followed by “Add Another Registration”. You can begin the registration on behalf of the performer or recording rightsholder – please ask them to sign the registration forms before returning to PPL for processing.

If you do not already represent a PPL member or do not have access to the myPPL service, please click here and select the “I am a representative of a performer or recording rightsholder” option.

If you make use of PPL’s international collections service as a performer, the international performer mandate will apply.

More information on PPL’s international service

Where rightsholders appoint PPL to manage rights in their music videos this is done through our sister company VPL. VPL operates a core appointment and one optional appointment covering new media rights.

In addition to the membership terms, the relationship between PPL or VPL and rightsholder members is also governed by the PPL or VPL company articles of association.

If you want to check (and if necessary, correct) the VAT number on your account, simply follow these steps:

1. Log into myPPL
2. Click on the ‘Accounts’ tab
3. Select the account you wish to view/edit
4. From here you can check the current VAT number we have held on your account
5. Click on the ‘Edit’ button at the top if you wish to amend this, or any other, field on your account
6. Click ‘Save’

Please note that if there are multiple contacts on your account it is only the person who is set up as the Primary Contact that can view/edit the account details.

If you are registered for VAT, you must charge VAT on all supplies of goods and services that you make within the UK. Recording rightsholders are supplying PPL with the rights to their music when they join PPL. As a result, VAT will be added to all royalty payments made to members if they are a VAT registered business in the United Kingdom.

If you are VAT registered then you will be required to sign a VAT self-billing agreement each year, which PPL/VPL will send to you.

You can update your bank details through your secure myPPL account. Once you have logged in, please click on the ‘Account‘ tab, then click on the name of the account you wish to update, then click on the ‘Update Bank Details‘ button. Once you have validated your bank details and saved them, your details will be updated on your account.

You can update your personal details through your secure myPPL account.  Once you have logged in, please click on the ‘Account‘ tab, then click on the name of the account you wish to update, then click on the ‘Edit‘ button.  Once you have entered your personal details and saved them, your details will be updated on your account.

Please note, an address must be listed or PPL is not able to make payment to you due to UK tax restrictions.

To log in to myPPL enter your email address and password.

Don’t worry if you’ve forgotten your password, it’s easy to reset it.

1. Click on ‘Forgot your Password?’ on the myPPL login page.
2. Enter the email address that you registered with and click on ‘Send Password Reset Email’.
3. An email will be sent to you with a link in order to set up a new password. Your new password will need to contain letters, numbers and a symbol such as ! or * (but not a £ sign).

myPPL is a secure, online portal enabling you to manage your PPL membership quickly and easily. Once your PPL membership is approved, you can use your myPPL account to view your payments and statements, check and update your bank/personal details and search the PPL Repertoire Database.  In addition, recording rightsholders can register (and where necessary, amend the data for) their recordings, and performers can make claims against those recordings.  You can also contact Member Services through your myPPL account by raising a query.

If you have joined PPL as recording rightsholder and a performer, and/or you are also a VPL member, you will be able to manage all of your memberships through a single myPPL account.

Existing PPL members can contact Member Services to obtain access to myPPL.

A myPPL account is a secure online service. You can use this online facility to register with PPL as a recording rightsholder or a performer or to request ISRC details.

Once you are an approved PPL member you can use your myPPL account to view payment statements, register repertoire and products, make claims, access and manage account information (such as updating contact and bank details) and search the PPL Repertoire Database.

You can also contact Member Services through your myPPL account by raising a query.

Go to myPPL

Recording rightsholder members (once registration has been approved) can begin to register repertoire through their myPPL online account. Members can begin to earn royalties on repertoire once complete and accurate data relating to a recording has been entered into PPL’s database. Recordings must be registered by 31 January each year in order to be eligible for inclusion in PPL’s main UK distribution payment made later that year.

View the how-to guides on registering repertoire

Performer members (once registration has been approved) can begin to make claims through their myPPL online account. To ensure that you are listed as a performer on the tracks that you’ve performed on, you can use our claims system.

How do I make a claim?

You can search for your tracks on the PPL Repertoire Database, which contains all the recordings registered with PPL. Once you have checked the details of the recording and confirmed that you are not listed as a performer, you can claim for your performance to be added to the recording data. You may need to provide evidence in some circumstances.

Please contact Member Services for more information about the claims system or view our guide to making claims.

The Collective Rights Management (CRM) Directive Regulations include certain rights for all rightsholders in relation to their dealings with UK collective management organisations (CMOs), including PPL.

Read more on the CRM Directive

Read more about the PPL policies

Performers

Joining PPL as a performer does not involve transferring any rights.  Performers have certain statutory rights to receive a share of the licence fees for the public performance and broadcast of recordings on which they have performed.  PPL simply collects and distributes the UK royalties that you are entitled to as a performer.

If, as a performer, you also choose to appoint PPL to collect your international royalties, this involves you appointing PPL exclusively to do this, either worldwide or for the countries you specify.  This means you cannot appoint anyone else to do this, for the same countries, whilst your International Performer Mandate with PPL remains in force.

Recording rightsholders

Joining PPL as a recording rightsholder member involves transferring the right to play in public and broadcast your recorded music (and to copy it for those purposes) to PPL, for the duration of your PPL membership. All other rights in your recorded music remain with you.

If you additionally choose to appoint PPL to manage your new media rights or programme distribution rights, then you retain these rights but appoint PPL as your non-exclusive agent to enter into licences on your behalf.

You can see the relevant terms that apply to each of these  appointments by following the links below:

UK Public Performance and Broadcast (Compulsory for all PPL recording rightsholder members)
UK New Media Rights
UK Programme Distribution Rights
International New Media Rights
International Programme Distribution Rights

As a recording rightsholder, you may also choose to appoint PPL to collect your international royalties by giving us an International Collection Mandate. This involves you appointing PPL exclusively to do this, either worldwide or for the countries you specify. This means you cannot appoint anyone else to do this, for the same countries, whilst your International Collection Mandate with PPL remains in force. You can see the terms of the International Collection Mandate by clicking here.

Where rightsholders appoint PPL to manage rights in their music videos this is done through our sister company VPL. VPL operates a core appointment and one optional appointment covering new media rights.

In addition to the membership terms, the relationship between PPL or VPL and its rightsholder members is also governed by the PPL or VPL company articles of association.

You can register online for performer and recording rightsholder memberships with PPL. It is free to do so. Click here to start the registration process, which you can complete online. The process guides you through what you need to do, to help make registration as quick and simple as possible.

The registration process starts with a few simple queries to help us identify which type(s) of membership you need.  For example, if you are a performer who also owns the rights to recordings on which you’ve performed, you will need to register with PPL as both a performer and a recording rightsholder, in order to maximise your PPL royalties. In most cases, you can do this by completing one combined registration.

You can also use the online registration process if you wish to register as a rightsholder in respect of music videos.

If you already have a performer or recording rightsholder account with PPL and wish to add another account, you can do this by clicking on “Accounts” from the myPPL homepage, then selecting “Registrations” followed by “Add Another Registration”.

If you are under the age of 18 you cannot complete the full registration process online and will be prompted to download a registration form to complete offline. This will need to be counter-signed by a parent or guardian.

If you are the beneficiary of a deceased performer, please contact Member Services on +44 (0)20 8068 1054 so that we can advise you on the steps you need to take with regards to PPL performer registrations.

Anyone who owns (or is the exclusive licensee of) the rights for when recorded music is broadcast or played in public in the UK can join PPL as a recording rightsholder member.

Anyone who has performed on recorded music can join PPL as a performer member. In some cases, studio producers are also eligible to receive royalties from PPL.

Find out more about PPL and studio producers

Members may wish to submit a dispute to one of the more formal Alternative Dispute Resolution procedures that PPL offers. These processes aim to provide members with flexible, cost-effective, confidential and expeditious processes for resolving disputes. These procedures include adjudication, mediation and arbitration.

Download the rules

The PPL Repertoire Database displays data from a wide variety of sources and PPL continues to make positive steps to improve data quality. These steps include obligations that PPL now places on its rightsholder members to provide performer line-up information (see here for more information), together with repertoire investigations carried out by PPL staff and music experts.

Further to this, PPL encourages its performer members to actively claim for their performances to ensure that their contributions are captured and revenues allocated accordingly. These claims may require supporting evidence, depending on value threshold and the roles being claimed.

PPL can only license a sound recording if the sound recording rightsholder is a member of PPL, and they must have registered the recordings on the PPL Repertoire Database in order for us to be able to allocate royalties.

If your record label has not registered a particular recording with PPL, you will not be able to claim against it until they do so.

If you wish to claim against a recording as a performer on that recording, and you are also the recording rightsholder for that recording, you can register it first via your recording rightsholder membership and then claim against it as a performer.

You can see all of your repertoire via your online myPPL account. Click on the ‘Search Repertoire’ option from the home page, once logged in.

If you are a performer, select ‘My Repertoire’ then click on ‘Search’ to view all the repertoire you are linked to.

If you are a recording rightsholder, select ‘My Repertoire’ and click the Search button to see all the repertoire your account is linked to. Or, you can select ‘My Submissions’ to see all of the repertoire you have registered.

You can view the status of all claims by using the Music tab in myPPL. There are options to view Open and Closed Claims. Within these views you can also filter your claims by substatus, such as Accepted, or Rejected, as well as by Band/Artist name, to narrow down the view if you have lots of claims.

Once your PPL membership is approved, you can make a performer claim via your myPPL account by searching for your recordings on the PPL Repertoire Database. Once you have found and checked the details of the recording on which you performed, and if you are not listed as a performer, you can claim for your performance to be added to the performer line-up.

You may need to provide evidence in some circumstances. Where this applies, we will notify you. Please note that once evidence is supplied, it will then be processed by our Member Services department who will contact you again once this has been done.

Please contact Member Services for more information about the claims system or download the following guide:

How to submit a PPL performer claim

Performers’ legal right to share in the licensing income when recordings of their performances are played in public or broadcast applies to “qualifying performances”.

In this context, a “performance” generally includes all audible contributions to the recording (such as guitar or vocals). In addition, certain inaudible contributions (such as the contribution made by a conductor or studio producer) may also be treated as a performance, where the conductor/studio producer conducts or provides a similar musical direction to another performer’s live performance as it is being recorded.

When making a performer claim against PPL repertoire, performers are requested to select a role to identify their contribution to each recording.  If you have performed more than one role on a recording then you can claim for each role separately. Please note PPL will only pay a performer for one role on a recording, but other CMOs may pay for multiple roles which you perform – so if you are using PPL to collect your international royalties, it is important to claim for all of your roles on a recording.

Download a list of performer roles

As noted above, the performance must also be a “qualifying performance”. In summary, under the relevant statutory rules, a performance can qualify in one of two ways:

• Based on the country of performance (i.e. where the performer gave the performance);
• Based on country of residence/citizenship of the performer at the time they gave the performance.

In each case, the test is whether the relevant country of performance or country of residence/citizenship, is classed as a “qualifying” country under UK law. The list of qualifying countries is updated from time to time. It covers all EU member states, plus many other countries, each of which the UK considers offers sufficient protection of performers’ rights.

Please see PPL’s Distribution Rules for further information on how PPL applies these statutory rules when making payments to members.

You must request an ISRC during the process of becoming a PPL recording rightsholder member. The code is specific to you as a rightsholder and helps to identify your tracks quickly and simply.

If you are already registered as a PPL recording rightsholder member you can raise an ISRC query through your myPPL account. If you are not yet a member and require an ISRC only, please register online and select the ‘ISRC only’ option.

If you are a non-UK member, your ISRC must be requested from your local music licensing body.

Learn more about ISRCs

It is the responsibility of each record company that produces or releases a sound recording (the “Subsequent Sound Recording”) containing a sample of another recording (the “Sampled Recording”) to clear all of the rights in the Sampled Recording. PPL will allocate the record company share of all revenue for use of the Subsequent Sound Recording to the record company that owns the Subsequent Sound Recording unless properly informed in writing otherwise by that record company.

It shall be for the record company that owns the Subsequent Sound Recording to pay the owners of the relevant rights in any Sample Recordings featured on the Subsequent Sound Recording in accordance with the arrangements between them. If PPL is informed that the use of a Sampled Sound Recording in a Subsequent Sound Recording was not licensed by the record company responsible for the Sampled Sound Recording PPL may suspend payment to the record company responsible for the Subsequent Sound Recording.

There are a number of different potential scenarios and circumstances that may be relevant to payments to performers where their performance is included in a recording as a result of that recording featuring a sample.

Learn more about samples

Remastered sound recordings should be registered with PPL as a separate recording from the original (un-remastered) recording only where the remaster is protected by a new copyright. PPL has prepared a guidance note on remasters to help members to decide whether to register the remastered recording in each instance. This guidance note also contains information regarding performer payments in respect of remastered recordings.

Download guidance notes on remasters

PPL’s Data Policy states that remasters should be identified as such when they are registered with PPL and sets out how to do this.

Download the PPL Repertoire Data Policy

When PPL receive a claim from another member on repertoire that already has a recording rights owner, the recording will enter PPL’s informal dispute resolution process. Each claiming member will be requested to confirm their claim and supply evidence of their claim. PPL will set deadlines for the submission of evidence, after which it will make a decision based on the information provided. The dispute resolution process normally runs twice a year, in February and August. PPL will contact you at this time if any of your recordings are in dispute.

You will need to supply PPL with certain information and documentation before PPL is able to effect the transfer of repertoire. PPL will need information on the context of the transfer of rights, including confirmation of the relevant repertoire, the relevant date of the transfer and the scope of the rights that have been acquired. PPL may also require documentary evidence of the acquisition.

Please contact PPL’s Member Services team on 020 8068 1054 or email us at memberservices@ppluk.com and we can assist you.

PPL cannot license recordings that are licensed via MCPS, such as production music and library music as there would be a duplication of rights (PPL and MCPS both license for the public performance and broadcast of the sound recordings).

PPL’s role is to license sound recordings that are created for the purpose of being sold (or made available) to the public. However, if the public performance and broadcast rights in the sound recording have not been licensed to any other party then PPL should still be able to license them.

The PPL Repertoire Data Policy defines all of the information required for a recording to qualify to earn revenue from PPL.

Download the PPL Repertoire Data Policy

An “invalid” recording is one where the mandatory data for that recording has not been provided in full.   It is important for recording rightsholders to “fix” their invalid recordings by providing the missing data, as any PPL licensing revenue allocated to the recording rightsholder in respect of an invalid recording will be held pending the completion of the missing data.

It is quick and easy to find your invalid recordings in order to fix them. Simply click on the ‘Fix Invalid Recordings’ icon on the myPPL homepage and you will be able to search for and update your invalid recordings.  When registering details of your recordings with us via our “Register Repertoire” tool, this will also prompt you to provide all mandatory data before the repertoire can be submitted.

As a recording rightsholder, to register a recording with PPL you will need to provide the following data about that recording:

• ISRC
• Recording Title
• Band/Artist name
• Content type
• (P)Date
• (P)Name
• Country of recording
• Country of commissioning

You will also need to specify: rightsholder name, ownership type, rights start date, rights ownership percentage (if applicable) and the territories where you control the rights in that recording.

In addition, you must supply a full performer line-up for the recording, including details of:

• at least one featured performer; and
• at least one non-featured performer (or a positive indication that no non-featured performers contributed to the recording).

Providing this information to PPL ensures that performers, who have a legal right to receive equitable remuneration from the owner of the copyright in the sound recording, can be fairly paid for their work.

PPL will withhold the recording rightsholder share of revenue generated by recordings that do not meet these criteria until the required information is supplied.

For more information please refer to PPL’s Data Policy and the User Guide for PPL’s “Register Repertoire” tool.

Adding new recordings

Only recording rightsholder members may register new recordings into the database; performers can only claim on existing recordings. If you are a performer and your recording has not yet been entered into the PPL Repertoire Database, please inform the record company so that you can claim if necessary.

Once you are an approved PPL member you can use your online myPPL account to register new repertoire and products or update existing repertoire.

See our guides on how to enter recordings or products into the PPL Repertoire Database

Register a new recording by logging into your myPPL account and clicking ‘Register Repertoire’. Select the option to ‘Register Recording’ and fill in the required fields of recording details, contributions, repertoire ownership, rights holders and publishers. You can set up defaults for recording or product details and performer line-ups to quicken the process

If you wish to register a new release (for example, an album of recorded music), you must first add each individual recording as above and then click on ‘Register a release’. Complete the required information and add the track listings.

It is the responsibility of the recording rightsholder to submit a full performer line-up with each new recording.

Amending or updating existing recordings

If you would like to amend or update an existing recording in the PPL Repertoire Database (to add some additional information or remove/replace data now known to be incorrect), login to your online myPPL account.

Click on ‘Register Repertoire’ then Manage Repertoire’. This dashboard will then allow you to search for previously registered recordings and releases, by using the search box at the top of the page and using the ‘Show Recordings: Registered’ button.

Once you have found the recording you want to edit you can use the Edit option in the Action menu to the right of the recording.

If you wish to make the same changes to more than one recording you can use the check box to the left to select the recordings and then use the ‘Edit Selected recordings by’ drop down menu to edit certain fields in bulk.  Please note, not all information can be edited in bulk.

Please note you will only be able to amend recordings you submitted to PPL directly. Amendments will show in the In Progress view until they are processed by PPL.  Once processed they will be updated in the Registered view and also in the PPL repertoire database.

See our guides on how to enter recordings or products into the PPL Repertoire Database

If you are a performer member and wish to add yourself to an existing recording listed on the PPL Repertoire Database, you must make a claim.

You should register your sound recordings as soon as you can as this maximises the time PPL has to match your recordings to usage reports provided by PPL’s licensees. The latest you can register recordings to ensure they are included in the main PPL June distribution is the end of January.

PPL is predicting that there will be a significant impact on licensing revenues for 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures that have been implemented. In 2020, UK revenue will see the largest impact and we are currently expecting a decline in UK revenue of 30% on 2019.  International collections in 2020 are expected to remain relatively strong, although there is likely to be an impact in distributions made to PPL from other CMOs from 2021.

It is important to note that the outlook changes on a regular basis, so these are estimates and are being kept under regular review.

The largest and most immediate impact has been seen in revenues collected by PPL PRS Ltd (our joint venture with PRS for Music) for public performance licensing:  the playing of recorded music in public such as in bars, shops, restaurants, offices, gyms etc.  Many of these businesses have been forced to close during lockdown, some permanently, all of which has led to a reduction in our collections.  We have been working closely with PPL PRS Ltd to adopt sensible licensing policies during lockdown, and to ensure that, as businesses re-open, we are able to license them appropriately.  However, it is expected that there will be continued delays to collections into 2021. It is too early to say how long revenues will be impacted and what the outlook for the second half of 2021 might be, but it is clear that there will be a longer-term impact in some sectors, which will in turn have an impact on PPL revenues in future years.

While there will be less of an impact to PPL’s broadcasting revenues, mainly as a result of existing blanket agreements being in place, we may see some impact to revenues collected for commercial radio which is in part influenced by commercial radio advertising revenues.

PPL’s 2020 international collections will be less impacted as much of the revenue that we expect to collect in 2020 will relate to collections made in other territories in 2019 or earlier. We do however anticipate that we will see some impact to these collections as we move into 2021 and beyond as many CMOs are reporting similar levels of expected decline in their 2020 revenues.

In considering these impacts, members must also recognise that there are many reasons why distribution values may fluctuate from year to year and so, where these predictions relate to PPL’s overall revenue for the year, results on an individual member basis will differ.

If you have been unable to locate your payment, please see useful tips below on how to identify it:

UK Payments made via BACS

If you receive payments to a UK bank account, the payment should be credited to your account on the payment date. If you believe that your payment has not been credited to your account, please consider the following:

• On your bank statement, identify the Payment Reference, also referred to as ‘P’ reference, which can be located on either your PPL/VPL payment statement or on your myPPL account.
• The “P” reference is the Payment Reference relating to payments made to you by PPL/VPL. It is comprised of:
  • “P” – Payment,
  • Your PPL ID and,
  • A 3 digit sequence relating to the specific month and year of the payment, i.e. increases by 1 following each payment.

International Payments

PPL has chosen to outsource the payments made to members outside the UK to an external provider so depending on your bank the payments may now show differently on your statement. If you receive payments to an international bank account, the processing time can vary. Please allow up to 5 working days for an international payment to credit your account.

Please also note, the exact reference shown on your bank account statement is dependent upon the local and intermediary bank systems. PPL, nor Currencies Direct, have control over the payment reference which is subsequently applied to your bank statement.

If you are still having difficulties in identifying your payment, please consider the following:

• On your bank statement, identify the Payment Reference, also referred to as ‘P’ reference, on either your PPL/VPL payment statement or on your myPPL account.
• The “P” reference is the Payment Reference relating to payments made to you by PPL/VPL. It is comprised of:
  • PPL or VPL,
  • “P” – Payment,
  • Your PPL ID and,
  • A 3 digit sequence relating to the specific month and year of the payment, i.e. increases by 1 following each payment.
• Alternatively, on your bank statement, the statement narrative or the originating source of the payment may refer to “Currencies Direct,” who are the international payment specialist for PPL/VPL.
• As the payment may not credit your account on the same day that the payment was issued, you should widen your search by using a range of dates instead of a specific payment date.

If you are still having difficulties in locating your PPL/VPL payment, please contact Member Services by email memberservices@ppluk.com or by telephone 020 8068 1054.

Main payment for PPL: Payment for when a recording is included on radio and TV broadcasts and when it is played in public in the UK.

Main payment for VPL: Payment for when a music video recording is included on TV broadcasts and when it is played in public in the UK. Only VPL members receive these payments. Please note that performers on music videos are not paid by VPL.

International payment: Payment for when a recording is played in a different country that has a reciprocal deal with PPL. Members only receive these additional royalties if they have signed a mandate with PPL.

Distribution closure: When PPL formally closes its distribution of UK licensing revenue from the oldest open airplay year. It will no longer distribute or adjust UK licensing revenue from this year(s).

UK adjustment for PPL and VPL: PPL will make adjustments to earlier distribution payments to reflect new information about recordings, including performer claims and changes to rights. As adjustments often require movement of money from one party to another, some balances will be positive while others may be negative. Please see the Member FAQs for more information.

PPL does not often receive this detailed level of information from music licensing companies in other countries and so cannot include the payment breakdown on your statement. We are working on introducing this information into the statements where it is available. For now, if you require a track breakdown for international payments please contact us on 020 8068 1054. Please note that this information is not available for some countries.

If you have both a PPL and PRS for Music account (for example, if you are both a performer and a songwriter) then you may receive payments from both companies in respect of the same licensees and licence periods. However, these payments will not necessarily be comparable or in the same proportions.

PPL and PRS for Music often license the same businesses but our tariff rates may be different. Many, but not all, of these licensees will tell both PPL and PRS for Music about the music they have played. PPL and PRS for Music separately identify (match) the recordings that are used by their licensees and each has its own distribution policy.

PPL is currently working with PRS for Music to see how we can align our internal processes, leading to more consistent results.

Find out more about how PPL distributes royalties

There are two types of Withholding Tax that may be deducted from your PPL payments. ‘Withholding Tax on Interest’ can be deducted on any interest payments you receive, while ‘Withholding Tax on Royalty’ can be deducted on UK source income paid to certain members whose usual place of address is outside of the UK.

Your account may have a negative balance for several reasons. As a performer member, another performer might have made a successful claim on a recording you are currently linked to; you might have been listed incorrectly on a recording and been removed; or there might have been a change in your contribution category or listed country of residence.

As a recording rightsholder member, your recordings may have been transferred to another member; performers may have been added to your track; or you may have been paid an advance by PPL that your distribution did not match.

Read more about negative balances

Provided a performer’s account has a positive balance, any negative allocations applied to the account will be clearly identified in the supporting statement. In this way the performer member will be able to ascertain what has triggered the negative allocation and clearly see the recording in respect of which the negative allocation has been made.

An adjustment is when PPL recalculates the royalties allocated to recordings based on new or updated information, such as recordings being made valid or additional performers being included on a recording’s performer line-up. In an adjustment PPL does not pay out any new revenue; royalties that have been previously paid out are simply reallocated to reflect the new information that PPL has.

The adjustment process can result in either a positive or negative balance of royalties to performers and/or recording rightsholders.

Read more about negative balances

If you receive a payment in the adjustment you can access a statement in your myPPL account. Please note that if your account has a negative balance then you will not receive a statement. The payment amount shown in the CSV file may differ slightly to the amount displayed on the corresponding statement because track allocations under a penny are not shown on your CSV file. This discrepancy is intentional and will not change the amount you are paid.

Please visit the Payment Dates page to find out the date of the next adjustment.

PPL only provides statements when payments are made. Therefore, where a performer’s account is already in a negative balance when a negative allocation is applied this will not be identified in standard reporting. However, if you have any questions regarding this aspect of distributions of payments please contact PPL’s Member Services team.

If you are a registered PPL member and have been expecting a payment that has not arrived, there could be several reasons why:

• Incorrect bank/address details
  PPL cannot make any payments if bank details are incorrect or if there is not a correct address listed in a member’s myPPL online account. The money will be held until the details are corrected.
• Account has a negative balance
  Your account may have a negative balance for several reasons. Find out more about negative balances. Future royalties will be used to make up the deficit.
• Earned less than the minimum payment/threshold
  Please note that we only pay members once the balance of their PPL account is above £30 (or only if the account is above £50 if the royalties are paid into an overseas bank account). Once a year, as part of the December distribution, we lower the threshold and pay any balances above £1 to all members with UK bank accounts. If we do not have your correct bank and contact details, we will hold any payment until correct details are received.
• The recording is invalid
  PPL will not pay out to recording rightsholders for recordings that are incorrect or incomplete in the PPL Repertoire Database. It is the responsibility of the recording rightsholder to ensure the data is correct. Performer payments are not affected by a recording being classed as invalid.
• Your performance is not linked to a recording
  A performer member must be listed on a recording in the PPL Repertoire Database as a contributor before being paid for that recording.
• Your recording has not been played in public or broadcast
  If a member believes that their repertoire has been played in public or broadcast but they have not subsequently been paid, they may raise a query with PPL.

Members must raise a query within six months of the distribution and within three months of an adjustment (where the member receives their first payment as a result), and may submit multiple queries at the same time. An adjustment is where PPL changes allocations for a previous year based on newly available information. If PPL accepts queries outside these timescales, then PPL will charge a fee of £50 that is refundable if, after looking into the query, the member earns more than £50. Once a distribution has been closed (i.e. after 7 years), PPL will not accept any usage investigations for the years closed.

Please note that payment is not guaranteed if your recording is shown as having had ‘Airplay Reported’ in the PPL Repertoire Database. This data only indicates that the recording has been played at some point, but it may only be for a very small amount of money or cannot yet be paid because of other factors.

If your recording was heard in a broadcast such as on the radio or on TV, submit a broadcast query by completing the PPL Broadcast Music Usage Investigation Request Form and email it to memberservices@ppluk.com

If your recording was heard in public such as in a shop or venue or outdoors at an event, etc., submit a public performance query by completing the PPL Public Performance Small Claims Template and email it to memberservices@ppluk.com

PPL makes adjustments to distributions for a period of up to six years, in line with the statutory limitation period.

What is an adjustment?

PPL recording rightsholder members who are VAT registered are entitled to receive VAT on any PPL payments, as HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) rule that you are supplying PPL with the public performance and broadcast rights to your recorded music. If you are a PPL recording rightsholder member please supply us with a copy of your VAT certificate to ensure your PPL payments include VAT, if you have not already done so.

If you are a PPL performer member then you will not receive VAT on PPL payments. This is because HMRC rule that these royalties are collected on behalf of performers and no rights are actually transferred to PPL.

If you are registered with PPL as a performer or recording rightsholder member, you can access your statements via your online myPPL account. Once logged in, click on ‘My Statements’ to find a file (CSV file) which contains a breakdown of your earnings by recording for the UK.

PPL strives to maximise earnings from licensing our members’ rights and to distribute those earnings in the most efficient, accurate, prompt and fair manner possible. We are owned by our members and do not retain a profit for our services. After running costs, all revenue is distributed to our performer and recording rightsholder members.

Costs are calculated and deducted in accordance with PPL’s General Policy on Deductions which has been approved by PPL’s Annual General Meeting. More detailed rules are set out in PPL’s Distribution Rules which are approved by PPL’s Board of Directors.

More information about PPL’s costs as a whole can be found in PPL’s annual financial statements and transparency reports which are audited, presented to PPL’s AGM and published on PPL’s website each year.

For further information about the deductions that relate to your individual UK payments please call PPL’s Member Services team on +44 (0)20 8068 1054 or email memberservices@ppluk.com. If you are a collective management organisation with whom PPL has a representation agreement, please contact your designated account executive.

PPL’s distribution rules are available in full on our website.

See the distribution rules

Where the money relates to the licensing of recorded music being played in public or broadcast (subject to the allocation of costs), one half of the money is allocated to the relevant recording rightsholder member and the other half is allocated to the performers who qualify to receive royalties on the recorded music track. Before a performer’s share is distributed, PPL checks that the performer qualifies to receive ‘equitable remuneration’ in respect of that recorded music track. If the performer does not qualify in respect of that track then the obligation to pay equitable remuneration does not apply and the provisional allocation in respect of that performance is paid to the relevant recording rightsholder(s).

If there is more than one performer listed on a recording, the performer royalties are distributed between them either in accordance with a performer share agreement or PPL’s Performer Allocation Policy. Please see PPL’s Distribution Rules for more details.

Where the money relates to the licensing of an activity where performers do not have a right to receive royalties (such as the copying of the track) all the money is allocated to the relevant recording rightsholder.

Find out more about how PPL distributes royalties

The correct owner of each recording must be identified for any particular time period; otherwise we cannot accurately and efficiently pay royalties to members.

Here are some pointers about registering repertoire, which may impact upon payments made for the use of an individual recording:

• ISRCs
  If you have remixed, re-recorded, edited a track by more than 10 seconds, or remastered a recording, you should assign a new ISRC.  If you have licensed a recording from the original copyright owner you should use the same ISRC assigned by the original owner. More information on ISRCs
• PDate
  The PDate is the year the recording or video was originally released. If the recording has not been changed, the PDate is the same as the date used when the recording was first registered.  If the recording has been changed, the PDate is the year that the new version is released.
• Ownership of the recording
  If you have non-exclusively licensed the recording for use on a compilation you should register the recording with PPL and click the “Third Party” box in the recording rightsholder section of the Register Repertoire screen.  By doing this, you will not have to provide further details of your rightsholding and it will help to prevent disputes on the recording.

PPL makes quarterly distributions to its members.

See the payment dates for the current year

It is a legal requirement to obtain a PPL licence to include recorded music in a radio or TV broadcast. The permission of the copyright holder(s) of each recorded music track a radio station or TV channel uses is therefore required before that music can be broadcast.

As a broadcaster, you would have to obtain permission from potentially thousands of different copyright owners before being able to use the recorded music in the way you want.

A PPL licence is a quick and easy way of obtaining the permission of thousands of different copyright owners to use their music tracks in your broadcast output. Our licences allow you to play virtually all commercially-released recorded music available in the UK simply, quickly and legally.

Find out more about what happens to the licence fee

The cost of a PPL licence varies depending on what type of service you operate. Find more information, including costs, by choosing which type of radio or TV service applies to you.

Commercial Radio

Community Radio

Hospital Radio

Online Radio and Services

Prison Radio

Short-term Restricted Service Licence

Student Radio

Background Music on Websites

TV broadcasting

TV programme sales

If you require further guidance, please contact us at radiobroadcasting@ppluk.com or tvbroadcasting@ppluk.com, as appropriate.

The law gives performers and recording rightsholders (e.g. record companies) the right to be paid when their music is played. Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, permission is needed from the performers and recording rightsholders in order to include music within a radio, TV or online broadcast.

PPL licenses the use of recorded music in the UK and distributes the licence fee income collected (less our running costs) back to its members. Our members include record companies, featured artists, session musicians and orchestra players (among many more) that contribute to the recorded music tracks you hear on radio and TV every day.

Find out more about what happens to the licence fee

PPL’s radio broadcast licenses available to purchase online, include licenses for online radio services, short term RSL stations and Ofcom-licensed community radio stations.

Apply for a broadcast licence

If you are operating a type of radio station not listed above (for example, a DAB radio station), please contact us at radiobroadcasting@ppluk.com for licensing advice and details of how to apply for your license.

Once you have purchased your PPL licence online, you will receive a copy of your licence agreement and an invoice.

If we need more information from you after you have submitted your licence application, a member of PPL’s Broadcast Licensing team will be in touch within two working days.

Once you receive an invoice from PPL, you can pay for your licence by one of the following methods:

Pay Online

A secure self-service ‘pay online’ portal is available via www.ppluk.com/payonline where you can pay your invoice by credit or debit card. Please have your account and invoice number ready to login to the online portal.

Electronic bank transfer/BACS

PPL’s bank details can be found on the back of your invoice. Please quote your invoice number on any BACS payment as this will enable us to process your payment more efficiently. Please allow up to five working days for your payment to reach us.

Credit/debit card

Please call PPL’s Finance team on 020 7534 1394 to pay your invoice by credit or debit card. Please quote your account and invoice number so we can process your payment more efficiently.

Please note we do not accept American Express or Diners cards.

Cheque

Make your cheque payable to PPL and send it to the following address:

Broadcasting Finance
PPL
1 Upper James Street
London
W1F 9DE

Your cheque must be accompanied by the remittance slip at the bottom of your invoice. Please allow five working days for your payment to reach us.

Most PPL radio licence fees can be paid by Direct Debit. You can either set up the Direct Debit instruction at the point of purchase online for certain types of licence or, you can visit PPL’s online payment portal at www.ppluk.com/payonline alternatively, over the phone by calling 020 7534 1394. When calling us to set up a Direct Debit, we can either complete the instruction over the phone or we can send you a paper form to complete and return.

Making payment by Direct Debit means that you can pay your licence fees in equal, monthly instalments.

A key benefit of making payment of your PPL invoice(s) by Direct Debit is that your Direct Debit payment plan will apply for all of your licences, including renewals, unless you have let us know otherwise.

A PPL licence is a legal requirement if you choose to include recorded music within over-the-air or online radio broadcasts in the UK. While it is common for payment for goods or services to be spread over a period of time and either the services halted, or goods returned, if payment is not received in full, it is more typical for licences to be paid in advance. Additionally, some companies that offer a Direct Debit payment option in instalments may, unlike PPL, charge interest on payments, resulting in you paying a higher fee.

For more information view the Broadcast Direct Debit Terms and Conditions

Where a broadcaster requires a PPL licence but does not obtain one, the broadcaster will be infringing copyright and may ultimately face legal proceedings.

Legal proceedings are a last resort but are sometimes necessary. A court can order the broadcaster to pay outstanding licence fees plus PPL’s legal costs and issue a court order known as an injunction to stop the broadcaster playing recorded music until this is done. In extreme cases, if a broadcaster ignores a court order stopping them from playing recorded music, this could lead to the service owner being sent to prison.

A PPL licence is not required if the copyright in all of the recorded music that you play is not owned by any of PPL’s members. PPL members own the copyright in the vast majority of commercially-released recorded music.

To check whether the music you wish to use is owned by a PPL member, you can check the PPL Repertoire Search.

Certain PPL licences do require some reporting from the licensee. This additional information helps us to improve the accuracy of payments to our performer and recording rightsholder members and is also needed to calculate the licence fees for some licences.

Reporting requirements vary depending on the type of licence you hold.

More information on broadcast data reporting

Through a network of agreements with collecting societies around the world, PPL and PRS for Music control the right to broadcast sound recordings and musical works in the vast majority of music commercially-released in the UK. PPL has publicly available repertoire database and label search facilities available online.

PPL and PRS for Music are two, separate, independent companies. While we both license the use of music and collect royalties for the music industry, we represent different rightsholders and have separate licences, terms and conditions.

PPL collects and distributes money for the use of recorded music on behalf of recording rightsholders (e.g. record companies) and performers. PRS for Music collects and distributes money for the use of music and lyrics on behalf of songwriters, composers and music publishers.

In most instances, a music licence is required from both PPL and PRS for Music for you to legally broadcast recorded music.

Learn more about the difference between PPL and PRS for Music

The first point of call for all radio stations wishing to broadcast on AM or FM is Ofcom, the communications regulator in the UK. For more information, please refer to the Ofcom website at www.ofcom.org.uk.

If you want to set up a community radio station that broadcasts online only, you can find further information on the online licensing page and PRS for Music’s website.

For online stations, you must purchase separate PPL and PRS for Music licences to cover any music included in your broadcast.

The Joint Licence is administered by PPL, on both its and PRS for Music’s behalf. PPL is now the sole point of contract for any queries or changes regarding your licence. Please note that other types of music usage or additional simulcasts (e.g. by local DAB or satellite) may attract additional fees and require separate licensing. Please contact PPL for further details in the first instance.

The Joint Licence should be purchased by an authorised representative (e.g. a director or station manager) on behalf of the company holding the Ofcom Community Radio Licence. This should ideally be done at least 14 days before the station starts to broadcast.

All Ofcom-licensed community radio stations require a Joint Licence if they broadcast PPL and PRS for Music’s members’ repertoire.

Yes, there are no exceptions for charity radio stations.

Ofcom is the regulator for over the air broadcasts in the UK. An Ofcom Community Radio Licence gives a radio station the right to provide community radio AM or FM broadcasts in a particular area. However, the Ofcom licence does not grant the rights to broadcast PPL or PRS for Music repertoire. PPL and PRS for Music control copyright in their respective repertoire and so a licence is required if music within the repertoire is broadcast by your community radio station.

NBR stands for Net Broadcasting Revenue. The definition of Net Broadcasting Revenue is set out in detail in the Joint Licence terms. In summary, it is 85% of the gross income (before any deduction of agency commissions or any other deductions) whether in money or money’s worth derived and received by the licensee, including but not limited to advertising, sponsorship, barter and contra deals and other revenue related to the licensee’s broadcast and simulcast(s).

When a student radio station includes recorded music tracks in its broadcast, it needs permission from the owner of the copyright in each individual track. Given the huge number of record companies in the UK alone, it would be a huge task for any radio station to approach each and every copyright owner to obtain their permission to broadcast music.

PPL simplifies this process by offering an easy, one-stop-shop licence on behalf of its recording rightsholder members. Student radio stations can easily purchase a PPL Student Radio Licence online, enabling their station to broadcast as much or as little music as they wish.

Apply for a Student Radio Licence

This Licence covers the use of recorded music tracks by student radio stations based in the UK that broadcast within their school or university premises by one or more of the following methods:

• Ofcom-licensed low-powered AM or FM
• Hardwire (e.g. a connected speaker system in the school’s common areas)
• Password-protected intranet transmissions

Once a station makes payment of the relevant fees, a station can then include recorded music tracks in its low-powered AM or FM broadcast, hardwire broadcast and/or intranet transmissions. Stations can also copy tracks on to a central database for the purpose of providing the broadcast.

This Licence does not grant any rights in respect of the public performance of music tracks. You will need to contact our sister company, PPL PRS Ltd, to license the playing of music in public.

If your student radio station also broadcasts on the internet and/or an intranet that is accessible outside the premises, you will require a separate online radio licence.

If your station will be broadcasting on AM or FM, but only for a short period under an Ofcom Short-Term RSL, you will require a Short-Term RSL Licence instead of a Student Radio Licence.

PPL will not require regular reporting on the music that is used but has the option to request reporting of music use as and when it is deemed appropriate.

It is a legal requirement to obtain a PPL licence to include recorded music in a radio or TV broadcast. The permission of the copyright holder(s) of each recorded music track a radio station or TV channel uses is therefore required before that music can be broadcast.

As a broadcaster, you would have to obtain permission from potentially thousands of different copyright owners before being able to use the recorded music in the way you want.

A PPL licence is a quick and easy way of obtaining the permission of thousands of different copyright owners to use their music tracks in your broadcast output. Our licences allow you to play virtually all commercially-released recorded music available in the UK simply, quickly and legally.

Find out more about what happens to the licence fee

PPL and VPL can offer licences to cover the sale of TV programmes including recorded music and music videos, provided those programmes have been made for and previously broadcast on a UK, PPL or VPL-licensed TV channel.

Find out more about TV Programme Sales

If you’re a TV broadcaster and you use commercially-released recorded music and/or music videos on your channel(s), you need to be licensed by PPL and/or VPL. Please contact us at tvbroadcasting@ppluk.com so we can discuss your licensing requirements.

PPL and VPL TV broadcasting licences allow you to use the recorded music and music videos of our thousands of members, without needing to seek individual clearances.

PPL licenses broadcasters directly for the use of recorded music in programmes they transmit. In the same way, VPL will license broadcasters directly for the inclusion of music videos in their programming.

If you are a production company that has been commissioned by a PPL and/or VPL-licensed broadcaster to make a programme for them, the recorded music and/or music videos you include in the programmes you make will be covered by the broadcaster’s licence(s) with us.

If your programme has not been commissioned by a PPL and/or VPL-licensed broadcaster, you may need to contact the rightsholder(s) (e.g. the record label owning that track or video) to seek a direct licence.

To check if the recorded music you want to use is covered by a PPL licence, you can search the PPL Repertoire Database.

To check if the music videos you want to use are covered by a VPL licence, you can search the VPL Repertoire Database.

You will be granted the right to play any recorded music track in the Repertoire Database (virtually all commercially-released recorded music available in the UK) in your online radio service. You also will be granted the right to copy tracks on to a central database (e.g. your play-out system) for the purpose of providing your online radio service.

PPL’s Webcaster Licences do not cover the following services or activities:

• Interactive services such as those where users can rate tracks or artists to influence the frequency or order in which they are performed.
• Services that allow users to skip, pause or move forwards/backwards during a programme.
• Transmission on closed networks or to closed mobile phone networks.
• Services that allow users to playback programmes on-demand.
• Services that offer the download of programmes or files containing any part of any recorded music tracks, including podcasts.
• The use of recorded music to advertise or endorse products or services.
• Transmission of recorded music that has been edited or synchronised to visuals.
• Playing the radio station in public, such as in bars, clubs, shops etc. Please contact PPL PRS Ltd for information on public performance licences.

A more extensive list of restrictions and other important provisions is provided in the licence itself. If you require a licence for any of the above rights or services, please contact us at radiobroadcasting@ppluk.com.

If you are licensed by PPL under the Linear Webcast Licence, you may stream to a number of different countries outside the UK.

See the territories covered by the licence

The following basic operating terms and conditions apply to all online radio services licensed by PPL:

• Distinct programmes or pre-programmed content (such as recorded music being provided by a playout server) cannot be repeated or ‘looped’ within a time period of three hours.
• No advance information can be given (either via the website or announced through the service) as to the specific songs that will be played in the future. Non-specific details of artists being played in the future can be provided, as well as general information on playlists.
• No ‘shuffle’ function allowing random playback of music may be offered.
• The licensee may not edit, re-mix or change any recorded music track.
• In any given three hour period of online broadcasting there must be:
  • No more than three tracks from a particular album, including no more than two tracks consecutively;
  • No more than four tracks by one particular artist and no more than three tracks consecutively; and
  • No unauthorised tracks (e.g. those ‘ripped’ from websites such as YouTube) can be knowingly transmitted.

The above is just an indication of the terms and conditions of PPL’s licences for online radio and is not intended to replace the full licence conditions. Please email radiobroadcasting@ppluk.com if you have any questions about the restrictions within the licence.

Where a broadcaster requires a PPL licence but does not obtain one, the broadcaster will be infringing copyright and may ultimately face legal proceedings.

Legal proceedings are a last resort but are sometimes necessary. A court can order the broadcaster to pay outstanding licence fees plus PPL’s legal costs and issue a court order known as an injunction to stop the broadcaster playing recorded music until this is done. In extreme cases, if a broadcaster ignores a court order stopping them from playing recorded music, this could lead to the service owner being sent to prison.

This licence grants you the right to make clips of recorded music tracks available for streaming on-demand on your website to UK users.

The clips must be non-downloadable and must be no more than 30 seconds long. The exception is for clips taken from recorded music tracks that are 10 minutes or more in duration, in which case the clips may be no more than 45 seconds long.

If your on-demand clips streaming service uses up to a maximum of 1,000 clips, you can purchase your licence online.

The clips used in your service must not:

• imply endorsement of a product or service, or be used in advertising or sponsorship messages
• be synchronised with visual images
• be made available from any other websites other than your own
• be included on a subscription or pay-per-play site
• use the clips as mobile ringtones.