Data and technology are at the heart of PPL’s ongoing drive to maximise revenue and further enhance service levels.
We use in-house expertise to measure and improve data quality, which, in turn, supports our collection and distribution processes.
We have one of the most comprehensive repertoire databases in the world, holding detailed information relating to over 15 million sound recordings, including who owns them and which performers have performed on them.
We carefully manage this vast amount of data to help ensure it is accurate and up-to-date. This facilitates quicker and more accurate payments to our members.
As a secure, user-friendly member portal, myPPL enables members to view payments, access statements, upload repertoire, and search for recordings on which they have performed. myPPL is a single platform where members with multiple roles can manage all of their PPL accounts.
Within myPPL, recording rightsholder members can actively submit repertoire through the Register Repertoire tool. Using the tool, recording rightsholders can upload recordings in bulk, register individual recordings and releases, and edit thousands of recordings at the same time.
The joint initiative between PPL and Session has led to the creation of a performer verification mechanism. Session users who are PPL performer members can verify their PPL membership and retrieve their International Performer Number (IPN) from the session product. IPNs are a unique universal identifier allocated to every single PPL-registered performer, as well as performers who have registered with other CMOs, and are used to identify performers in data exchanges between CMOs around the world.
Standardising the way that data is gathered, described, and exchanged between collective management organisations (CMOs) and across the wider music industry is hugely important for operating efficiently, managing data effectively, and maximising payments to members.
With this in mind, PPL sits on the board of DDEX, a group of organisations across the music industry with a mission to standardise the data value chain. The aim of DDEX is to develop and maintain data standards to enable more efficient exchange and management of data. We joined DDEX shortly after its inception in 2006.
Music Recognition Technology (MRT) identifies music being broadcast or played in public, by “listening” to the music and comparing it to a reference database of recordings.
PPL and PRS for Music work together to use MRT in identifying music publicly performed by DJs within our licensed clubs, bars and pubs. The aim is to increase the accuracy and fairness of PPL’s distribution of royalties, while also ensuring cost-effectiveness in approach.
PPL is playing a leading role in developing VRDB, a technology and business transformation project focused on delivering a more efficient exchange of recording and performer data between collective management organisations (CMOs) to support international payments to performers.
The VRDB project is being run by SCAPR (the umbrella organisation for the world’s CMOs representing performers).
Sound Credit works with PPL to improve the quality of performer line-up data on recordings. Sound Credit is a platform, consisting of a plug-in and desktop app, that makes it easier for creators to collect, edit and deliver music credits. The partnership allows PPL performer members to verify their membership with PPL via the platform and add their International Performer Number (IPN) to their Sound Credit profile. This helps collective management organisations (CMOs) like PPL accurately identify and pay them.
RDx is a music data exchange service from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and Worldwide Independent Network (WIN), built and operated by PPL. It will enable record companies and collective management organisations (CMOs) to submit and access authoritative recording data via a single point. This will help to improve the timeliness, accuracy and efficiency of CMO revenue distributions to rightsholders worldwide.
