In 2020’s Q3 PPL, the collecting society for performers and record labels, made a distribution of £30.4 million in international revenue, collected from 48 collective management organisations around the world.
Over 23,000 performers and recording rightsholders received a payment either as direct members of PPL or indirectly through other CMOs. Across all distributions made to date in 2020, of both international and UK revenue, PPL has now distributed more than £200 million.
PPL’s international collections service collects money from overseas CEOs for music being played publicly, broadcasted on TV and radio, and private copying.
The Q3 distribution included significant payments from CMOs in Denmark, France, Germany, and the USA.
Due to international revenues are subject to a time lag, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on royalties will be felt in the years to come.
Peter Leathem, chief executive, PPL, said: ‘PPL’s international distributions form a significant part of neighbouring rights royalty income for performers and recording rightsholders. This latest payment means we have paid out more international revenue this calendar year than in any other, with one quarter still to go. This is possible thanks to the hard working, experienced staff we have at PPL.
‘While we expect to see a decline in international collections in 2021 due to Covid-19 lockdowns in markets around the world, the long-term trend is still positive. Growth will arise from further licensing market penetration, improved tariff values, greater efficiencies in operations driven by collaboration and music industry data and technology initiatives, and rights being established in countries that previously had no neighbouring rights laws. PPL is – and will continue – to be a driving force behind these initiatives.’
Laurence Oxenbury, director of international, PPL, said: ‘The ongoing Covide-19 pandemic means that it has never been more important for PPL to be distributing money to performers and recording rightsholders. We are proud to be able to continue to deliver substantial payments to the tens of thousands of individuals and businesses who place their faith in us and to be a leading part of the ongoing collaborative global effort to identify and fairly pay all those who invest their time, money and talent in creating recorded music.’
