PPL Pays $132 million to Performers and Recording Rightsholders

The UK’s Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) has announced a Q2 2025 payment of £96.7 million (approximately $132 million) to 139,000 performing and recording rightsholders. The distribution consists primarily of payments for UK collections across public performance and broadcast licensing in 2024, as well as some additional revenue from international markets.

Dig deeper:

• Of the 139,000 performers and recording rightsholders, 6,400 are receiving a payment for the first time.

• In addition to income from collections in the UK, the distribution also consists of “significant payments to performers” from CMOs in France, the Netherlands, Japan, Norway and the US, including some income for 2025 airplay from both the US and the Netherlands.

• The figure also includes a first-time Annual Supplementary Remuneration payment from France’s Société des Artistes Interprètes (SAI) for airplay between 2014 and 2024.

• In addition to revenue collected in the UK, recording rightsholders are receiving “significant payments” from CMOs in Belgium, Hungary, the Netherlands and Sweden, as well as from the licensing of publicly played music videos via PPL’s sister company, VPL. In total, £1.1 million ($1.5 million) is being distributed to 278 recording rightsholders.

2024 comparison:

• As per Digital Music News, in Q2 2024 PPL paid out $142.2 million (£103.7 million).

What they said:

• Chris Barton, Chief Financial Officer, PPL: “At PPL our purpose is to ensure that our members’ talent and investment is fairly rewarded when their recorded music is broadcast or played in public places in the UK and around the world. We know PPL distribution days can be significant for our members and we work hard to maximize and deliver payments consistently to them throughout the year. We’re proud to collect revenue on their behalf and help ensure performers and recording rightsholders are fairly rewarded for their work.”