On track for a great escape

PPL, PRS for Music and PRS Foundation join forces in Brighton

OnTrack, the one-day programme for music creators and the wider industry returns for a Brighton Harbour Hotel takeover on Friday 12 May

Now a must-attend staple on The Great Escape agenda, OnTrack is back for 2023 to convene practical sessions for both music creators and those who support their careers, showcase some of the UK’s brightest talent and host networking sessions.  

Foundational to the programme’s continuing success is the collaboration between the licensing organisations PPL and PRS for Music, alongside PRS Foundation, the charitable new music funder, to provide a programme which caters for the whole industry.   

The 2023 programme includes: 

• ‘In conversation with’ the multi-award-winning artist Ms Banks, discussing being a woman working in music, the value of being PPL Momentum Music funded, and what’s coming next 
• Live performance from emerging UK Singer/Songwriter Bellah 
• Expert panels discussing the evolving experiences of mental health in music, and how UK artists can navigate the international visa landscape to tour successfully 
  
  

 In addition to the plenary sessions, the teams from PPL, PRS for Music and PRS Foundation will be on site to offer one-to-one surgery appointments and host two networking sessions, one at breakfast and a drinks reception to close the day.

Speaking on behalf of all three organisations ahead of the event, Joe Frankland, CEO of PRS Foundation said;

We are delighted to be bringing OnTrack back to Brighton, focusing on the topics we know are top of the agenda for our industry colleagues, as well as offering some time for people to get together and connect. The Great Escape continues to be a hugely import music conference for the UK music industry and we are proud to have been associated with it for so long. OnTrack is always great fun to put together and we are looking forward to a bumper year!

2023 marks a special year for the trio of organisations, as they collectively celebrate 10 years of the PPL Momentum Music Fund with a commemorative report launch and showcase. The PPL Momentum fund plays a critical role in developing UK talent and has supported hundreds of music creators since its inception in 2013.   

OnTrack is open to delegates and performing artists holding a TGE wristband. See below for the full line-up. 

• 09:30 – 10:45: Networking breakfast 
• 11:00 – 12:00 Music Minds Matter presents: Mental health in music - where are we now? 
  
  With panellists Carroll Thompson – PRS Members’ Fund; Claire Cordeaux – BAPAM; Joe Hastings – Help Musicians; Simon Williams – Fierce Panda; Tamsin Embleton – Music Industry Therapist Collective 
  
  
• 12:15 – 13:15 Arts Infopoint UK presents: Visas and other barriers to international touring for UK artists 
  
  With panellists Cils Williams - ATC Live; Marie Fol – On The Move & Keychange; Matthew Covey – Covey Law & Tamizdat; Skanda Sabbagh – percussionist (Balimaya Project); educator & Arts Council England Relationship Manager 
  
  
• 14:00 – 14:20 Bellah live performance 
  
  
• 15:00 – 17:00 PPL, PRS for Music and PRS Foundation Drinks Party 
  
  
• 17:00 – 17.45 PPL, PRS for Music and PRS Foundation presents: In conversation with Ms Banks  

PPL and PRS for Music license the use of music and collect royalties in the UK and around the world, with each company representing different rightsholders. PPL collects and distributes money on behalf of performers and recording rightsholders e.g. record companies and self-releasing artists for the use of their recorded music when it is broadcast or played in public. PRS for Music collects and distributes money on behalf of over 165 000 songwriters, composers and music publishers for the use of their musical compositions and lyrics. This includes when they are streamed, downloaded, broadcast, reproduced, played live, or used in film and TV. PRS Foundation is the UK’s leading charitable funder of new music and talent development. Since 2000 it has awarded more than £44m to over 8,500 new music projects. 

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