Dr. Richard James Burgess
UK Music Rights Organization PPL Names Richard James Burgess as Chair
The previous chair, John Smith, is stepping down after a decade in the position
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.”
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.”
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.”
Phonographic Performance Ltd
Richard James Burgess
The American Association of Independent Music
Peter Leathem
SoundExchange
Worldwide Independent Network
Copyright Alliance
musicFIRST
Executive Moves
Executive Leadership Changes
Industry Personnel Changes
Collection Society Modernization
Executive Appointments
Collection Society
Industry Association Leadership
Executive Departure
United Kingdom
United States
👋 Disclosures & Transparency Block
This article was written with information sourced from Music Business Worldwide.
We covered it because PPL is a major music rights organization.
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