PPL (Phonographic Performance Ltd) is a collection society and licensing organization representing recorded music rights in the United Kingdom.
Founded in 1934, PPL licenses music to broadcasters – radio and television – in addition to areas of public performance for music, including nightclubs, bars, restaurants, and physical retailers.
It then collects money owed from these businesses, and distributes these performance royalties to artists and record labels.
PPL represents over 115,000 performers and recording rightsholders.
PPL financial results
According to its 2020 Annual Review, PPL generated £271.8 million in the calendar year of 2019, up 10% year-on-year.
From that, its net distributable revenue – i.e. the money handed over to artists and labels – came in at £233.7 million.
International collections at PPL in 2019 rose 22% year-on-year to £86.7 million, up from £70.9 million in 2018
Across the course of 2019, PPL paid 119,710 performers and rightsholders.
PPL CEO, Peter Leathem, confirmed this was the first time in the history of the organization that it had paid more than 100,000 performers in a single year.Music Business Worldwide