PPL is the UK’s music licensing company for over 140,000 performers and recording rightsholders. We have been licensing the use of recorded music in the UK since 1934.
We license recorded music when it is broadcast on radio, TV and online
PPL licenses radio stations, TV broadcasters and certain digital media services to play recorded music in the UK as part of their programming. We also license music suppliers to copy recorded music for services such as in-store music systems, jukeboxes, compilations for exercise classes and in-flight entertainment systems.
And when it is played in public
If you play or perform music at your business or organisation’s premises, you will usually need TheMusicLicence. This is issued by PPL PRS Ltd - a joint venture between PPL and its fellow music licensing company PRS for Music, with the aim of simplifying the process of becoming licensed to play music in public.
Then ensure that the revenue flows back to our members
After deduction of our operating costs, the music licensing royalties we collect are distributed to the performers and recording rightsholders we represent, based on the use of their music.
PPL's members range from session musicians and emerging artists to major record labels and globally successful performers – all of whom are entitled to be fairly paid for the use of their recorded music.
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Register as a memberWe can also collect royalties for our members from across the globe
Through a network of international agreements with collective management organisations (CMOs) in other countries, PPL is also able to collect royalties for performers and recording rightsholders when their recorded music is played around the world. For your royalties to be collected internationally by PPL, you will need to ensure you give us an up-to-date international mandate appointing us to do so.
Learn more about our international collections serviceFacts about royalties collected
More than 146,500
performers & recording rightsholders paid in 2021More than 20 million
recordings in the PPL repertoire database884
billion
seconds of airplay matched and analysed in 2021 How is PPL different from PRS for Music?
PPL and PRS for Music are both music licensing companies. Because we each act on behalf of members to manage their rights, we are also sometimes referred to as collective management organisations (CMOs).
We both issue licences and collect royalties for certain uses of copyright-protected music and distribute these to our respective members. The main differences relate to what rights we are licensing and on whose behalf we do so.
PPL UK
PPL UK
- Represents recording rightsholders and performers for the use of their recordings and performances
- Licenses recorded music for broadcast on radio, TV and certain digital media services
PRS for Music
PRS for Music
- Represents songwriters, composers and performers for the use of their musical compositions and lyrics
- Licenses recorded and live music for broadcast on radio, TV and online
PPL PRS
PPL PRS
- Jointly owned by PPL and PRS for Music, PPL PRS Ltd was created to provide customers with a streamlined music licensing service – TheMusicLicence
- Licenses recorded and live music when it is played or performed in public