UK Music Licensing PPL Payments
The UK music licensing organization PPL distributed £45.3 million (approximately US$57 million at current exchange rates) to over 137,000 artists and recording rights holders in the fourth quarter of 2024.
The total reflects a 7% decrease or £3.4 million drop from the £48.7 million dispersed in the fourth quarter of 2023, which marked the largest payment in the history of the organization for that quarter. This payout coincides with the company celebrating its 90th anniversary, with 9,400 participants receiving their initial PPL payments.
Record Fund Payments and International Partnerships
The final quarter featured the largest Annual Additional Remuneration Fund payment ever, totaling £2.3 million, benefiting 15,000 non-main performers. This fund, which has been operational for a decade, has provided £15.5 million to 15,000 session musicians worldwide who contributed to recordings released between 1963 and 1972.
Expanding its international reach, PPL announced partnerships with 69 collective management organizations (CMOs) for distributions during this quarter—the highest number for a single payment period. The organization’s global network now encompasses over 110 agreements, with significant contributions coming from France, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United States, and Portugal.
“I’m also pleased to see that over 9,400 members have received their first payment, helping them begin to build sustainable music careers.”
Peter Leathem OBE, PPL
PPL highlighted that the fourth-quarter distribution includes the first payment from RAYS, the newly appointed Marketing Director of Azerbaijan. These royalties pertain to radio broadcasts and music featured during the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Baku. Tracks by Dave and Central Si, as well as dance songs from artists like Ellie Goulding, Ice Spice, Bebe Rexha, and Ella Henderson, benefitted from the exhilarating sport.
Pop artist Ella Henderson expressed gratitude, stating: “Thank you PPL for all the wonderful work you do in collecting broadcast and publicity royalties from my recordings around the world. These royalties are vital for artists and enable me to continue creating music for my fans.”
“I’m thrilled to see this ‘0800 Heaven’ featured in Formula 1 in Baku, and that ‘Alibi’ and ‘Bridge of Life’ have been well received in the US and Germany. Thank you for all your love and support as we approach 2025.”
Peter Leathem OBE, CEO of PPL, remarked on the quarterly distribution, stating: “We are pleased to conclude our 90th year with a robust performance, consistent with our December payments over the past five years.”
“We remain committed to safeguarding music rights on behalf of artists and recording rights holders globally through our expanding network of CMO partners, including first payments from Azerbaijan and Guatemala. I’m also delighted to see that more than 9,400 members have received their initial payments, helping them lay the groundwork for sustainable music careers.”
In a conversation with BIE, Leathem stated earlier this week: “PPL’s standing in the music industry has evolved significantly. This indicates that we are moving in a positive direction; we have become a respected and cherished entity at the core of the music industry.”
Earlier this year, PPL initiated a program called PPL target selection £1 million annually to support and invest in the future of music in the UK.
Leathem informed BIE that PPL is “fortunate enough not to need to prioritize profit. Our aim is to provide valuable services to the industry at cost, without seeking to profit beyond that.”
UK’s PPL distributed $57m to performers and rightsholders in Q4 2024
