Andrea Gray appointed Managing Director of PPL PRS Ltd

PPL and PRS for Music are delighted to announce that Andrea Gray has been appointed as Managing Director for PPL PRS Ltd, the Leicester-based joint venture for public performance licensing between the UK’s two music licensing companies.

With more than 30 years’ experience working in contact centres, Andrea has held senior leadership roles at FTS Ltd (part of the BNP Paribas group), Nuffield Health and more recently at Hastings Direct in Leicester where she has launched and grown the contact centre to more than 1200 people.

Andrea took up her position at the company on 4 November 2019; PPL’s Chief Operating Officer, Christine Geissmar, who was appointed interim Managing Director earlier this year, following a transition period, will return to her permanent position at PPL and will continue as Board Director of PPL PRS Ltd.

We are delighted to welcome Andrea to the role of Managing Director of PPL PRS Ltd. Her impressive career and particular experience of establishing and growing first class customer service operations for multi-million pound companies will set her in good stead for taking our joint venture with PRS for Music to the next stage in its journey. Her drive and ambition will support the 200 strong team in Leicester who continue to work hard to see our performer and record company members receive the money they are due for the use of their recorded music.

We are pleased to have the benefit of Andrea’s leadership as we continue to build our joint licensing business. Andrea’s role will be to evolve a best in class customer experience and sell the benefits of our respective members’ music to the 450,000 business premises that choose to use it and to the wider UK business community. Our members rely on their royalty income and I know with Andrea’s appointment this vital revenue stream will continue to grow.

About PPL

Founded in 1934, PPL is the UK music industry’s collective management organisation (CMO) for over 110,000 performers and record companies. We license recorded music in the UK when it is played in public (shops, bars, nightclubs, offices etc.) or broadcast (BBC, commercial radio, commercial TV etc.) and ensure that revenue flows back to our members. These include both independent and major record companies, together with performers ranging from emerging grassroots artists through to established session musicians and influential festival headliners. PPL’s public performance licensing is carried out on PPL’s behalf by PPL PRS, the joint venture between PPL and PRS for Music.

We also collect performance rights internationally when music is played in public and used on TV, radio and some online streaming services, as well as for private copying. This is achieved through our network of 92 agreements with CMOs around the world. International revenues are an increasingly important revenue stream for performers and recording rightsholders – since 2006 we have collected £429.1 million. In 2018 we collected £246.8 million while also distributing money to 105,192 performers and recording rightsholders.

About PRS for Music

Here for music since 1914, PRS for Music is a world-leading music collective management organisation representing the rights of more than 175,000 talented songwriters, composers and music publishers. Redefining the global standard for music royalties, PRS for Music ensures songwriters and composers are paid whenever their musical compositions and songs are streamed, downloaded, broadcast, performed and played in public. 

For 110 years it has grown and protected the rights of the music creator community, paying out royalties with more accuracy, transparency and speed. In 2023, PRS for Music paid out £943.6m in royalties and collected a record £1.08 billion in revenues. prsformusic.com

About PPL PRS

PPL PRS Ltd is the organisation that issues, and collects the fees from, TheMusicLicence. It is a joint venture between PPL and PRS for Music, the UK's two music licensing societies, which has simplified the legal playing of music by introducing one licence, TheMusicLicence.

About TheMusicLicence

In accordance with The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, permission is needed from the relevant copyright holders – those people who create music – in order to play or perform music in public. TheMusicLicence allows you to legally play music for employees or customers in your business through the radio, TV, other digital devices and live performances.