Phonographic Performance Limited

PPL is the London-based UK music licensing company which licenses recorded music and music videos for public performance, broadcast and new media use. The income generated is then allocated and paid to their record company and performer members, often referred to as royalties or revenue payments.

PPL licenses hundreds of UK radio and television stations, other broadcasters and internet radio stations to legally use sound recordings and music videos in their transmissions and thousands of clubs, shops, pubs, restaurants, bars and other music users across the UK to play sound recordings and music videos in public.

In addition to its UK licensing activities, PPL also has 42 bilateral agreements with licensing organisations in other countries to collect overseas income.

PPL also is responsible for the administration of International Standard Recording Codes (ISRCs) within the UK and has several operations under its umbrella including VPL, looking after the licensing of music videos, PPL Video Store (formerly known as Music Mall) supplying music videos to the industry and the PPL Repertoire Database (formerly CatCo) which catalogues every ISRC registered sound recording and what usage it is licensed for.^[1]

The company is a founder member of UK Music, the umbrella organisation for the industry. It also campaigns to uphold and strengthen the rights of performers and record companies both domestically and internationally.

In 2008, PPL collected £127.6 million and distributed £110.3 million to its registered performers and record company members.^[2]

PPL is a founder member of UK Music, the umbrella organisation for the industry.^[3]

Contents 1 Mission statement 2 History 3 Funding sources 4 Speaking out for music 5 Lobbying Governments 6 Shows and Events 7 Growth and representation 8 Embracing Performers 9 PPL & VPL 10 Music users 11 Record companies 12 References

Mission statement

According to the company website: PPL’s mission is to manage the rights and maximise the earnings from the broadcast and public use of recorded music and videos, and distribute them in the most efficient manner possible.

History

PPL (originally Phonographic Performance Limited) was formed by record companies EMI and Decca in May 1934, following a ground breaking court case against a coffee shop in Bristol.

Using the Copyright Act of 1911 as the basis for its argument, in early 1933 EMI (then called the Gramophone Company) brought a case against Stephen Carwardine & Co, a restaurant in Bristol, which had been keeping its customers entertained by playing the 1931 recording of ‘Overture, The Black Domino’, written by the French composer Daniel Auber and played by the London Symphony Orchestra.

EMI said that playing the record in public without the permission of the copyright owners was against the law. The judge, Mr. Justice Maugham, agreed, ruling in their favour, and in turn established the principle that those involved in creating a sound recording should be paid for the broadcasting and public performance of their work.

EMI and Decca co-operated to form PPL and opened the organisation’s first offices in London’s Wigmore Street.

Funding sources

Because PPL is effectively owned by its members, the company does not operate to make profits for itself, but instead endeavours to maximise revenues for members.

The sectors from which PPL derives revenues include:

• Television Broadcasting
• Radio Broadcasting
• Public Performance
• Online & Mobile Television
• Online & Mobile Radio
• Music Suppliers
• International

Joining PPL as either a performer or a record company is free. The company now collects more than £126 million annually, which, after administration costs, is accurately distributed to the record company and performer members.

Speaking out for music

Part of PPL’s remit is to protect and, where possible, enhance the rights of its members not just in the UK, but all over the world, wherever and how ever their music is used. This involves liaison with politicians and regulators in the UK and Europe and worldwide.

Additionally, PPL is represented on various trade body committees outside of the music industry, such as the CBI (Confederation of British Industry), the Creative and Cultural Skills Council and the Broadband Stakeholder Group.

PPL is also involved in continual discussions with the likes of the Copyright Tribunal, Parliamentary Select Committees, the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office, all relevant European Commission Directorates, the European Parliament and any other individuals or organisations whose work might impact on the sound recording repertoire that is entrusted to PPL.

Lobbying Governments

The key seats of government for PPL are in London and Brussels, but staff are also involved in speaking to legislators in the likes of China, India, the United States and South Africa amongst others.

Examples of initiatives that PPL staff have been involved in helping introduce to the statute books include EU internal market commissioner Charlie McGreevy’s proposals to increase the copyright term on sound recordings to 95 years throughout Europe.

Shows and Events

PPL participates in a number of shows and events on an annual basis, both at home in the UK and around the world, to support their members.

In addition to the various award shows that take place, such as the Brit Awards, the Music Industry Trusts Award and National Hospital Radio Awards, the company is also involved in ceremonies for the Publican Awards and other events which involve their music user licensees.

PPL also take part in the Note For Note programme of workshops around the UK every year, where staff can provide advice to performers, record companies and licensees about the company’s services.

As part of PPL’s remit to collect and distribute revenues earned by members’ repertoire from overseas, they attend the most important international trade fairs and showcase events around the world, working to establish new relationships that might help to increase revenues for those members.

Growth and representation

Another important evolution has been PPL’s transformation from an organisation that represented two major record companies in 1934, to one that now represents over 3,000 record companies and other sound recording rights-owners. For music users, these developments mean that a PPL licence allows them to play almost all commercial sound recordings in existence today.

Embracing Performers

PPL's responsibilities to performers have also developed considerably over their history, to keep pace with increasing legal protection for performers' rights. In PPL's early years, some performers received ex-gratia payments but they had no legal entitlement to income in respect of the public performance or broadcast of their performances. Since 1996, however, performers have enjoyed a statutory right to "equitable remuneration”, and PPL makes these payments to them on behalf of its record company members.

These changes have been mirrored by fundamental changes in PPL's structure. In 2006, building on earlier changes such as the appointment of performer directors to the PPL Board, the two performer organisations PAMRA and AURA merged into PPL. Under the new structure, a dedicated Performer Board was created and an Annual Performer Meeting was instituted. PPL now collects revenues on behalf of more than 39,500 performers.

PPL & VPL

VPL was created in 1984 to carry out the same role for music videos that PPL was already carrying out for recorded music. Technically, PPL and VPL are separate companies, with centralised management. Any references to the services offered by PPL in relation to music videos are effectively references to the work done in their VPL capacity.

Music users

If you are a music user, and you contact PPL to obtain a licence to use both recorded music and music videos, you will technically need two separate licences – one from PPL and one from VPL.

Record companies

If you are a record company, and you own or control rights in both recorded music and music videos, you will technically need to join PPL and VPL separately. The application processes and membership documentation are very and you will be submitting the details of your recorded music and music videos into the same database. Over time, you will increasingly see references to this database (formerly known as CatCo) as the “PPL Repertoire Database”. This is again part of the company’s rebranding process.

References