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Song Path: PPL registration
Written by Andy Patterson
If you have performed on your recording (which if you’re reading this, you probably will have been…) or you own the rights to recordings (which if you have made them yourself, and you paid for them, then you do) then you should really register with the PPL…
The PPL exists to make sure that members get fairly rewarded for the talent, time and investment they make in recordings. So whether you are a performer, or you are a record company, or in some DIY cases you will be both – this is a good idea to join.
Hang on – I though the PRS did that sort of thing?
The PRS looks after the rights of (and collects money on behalf of) songwriters, composers and publishers, whereas the PPL collects money on behalf of performers and rights holders of the recordings themselves.
Although if you are a composer, it is a very good idea to also register with the PRS, and we’ll be looking at this in a future post.
Back to the PPL
So every public performance of a piece of music in the UK is subject to a fee for the usage. So if that is a performance on the radio – a radio play – or a shop playing a CD, or even a company using your CD as their hold music – the user of the money should apply for and pay money for a license to be able to use your music.
Now – most shops, pubs etc pay a blanket fee for the year and that covers their playing of the music for the year. Some shops and bigger chains pay a separate company for ‘Sound-a-like’ tracks to avoid paying these fees. You’ll see that a lot of them have a sticker on the front window which says they are PPL license holders. This is what this means.
So Why should you Join?
Well, if you have performed on a recording that has been played in public or broadcast on the radio – then you are entitled to some of the license fee or payment that has been made – and given that it is free to join – they why wouldn’t you?!?
How to Apply
So, if you are thinking of joining the PPL, then start at this page: I Make Music – here you make a choice of whether you are an owner of repetoire (ie a rights holder – record company etc) or you are a performer. You will need to give them bank details so you can be paid.
Do you get a lot of money then?
Well, it depends on the level of usage and the amount of usage…
I wouldn’t rely on the income to pay your rent, but it is nice to get the extra money you are rightly entitled to, from the use of your performance/recordings/both!