UK Music Rights Organization PPL Names Richard James Burgess as Chair

Phonographic Performance Ltd. (PPL), the major UK-based music rights company, has named Dr. Richard James Burgess as the new chair. He will officially take the position on January 5, 2026.

Burgess’s experience:

• Burgess recently announced he was leaving his role as President and CEO of The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM).

• He has held that position since 2016.

• During that time, he has also served on the boards of royalty organizations such as SoundExchange, Worldwide Independent Network (WIN), Copyright Alliance, and musicFIRST.

• As head of PPL, he will oversee royalty collection for over 150,000 artists and rightsholders.

What they said:

• Burgess: “PPL’s mission to make sure that performers and recording rightsholders are fairly rewarded has long resonated with my own career trajectory, and I look forward to bringing my passion for championing artist-centric governance, transparency, and diversity to such a wonderful organization.”

• PPL CEO Peter Leathem OBE: “The Board and I are very happy to welcome Richard to PPL. He brings a strong vision, a track record of balancing innovation with institutional stability, and deep personal experience across many of the roles our members hold – from performer to recording rightsholder, producer to label owner.”