PPL PRS

What PPL PRS does

PPL PRS Ltd is a UK-based music licensing joint venture established in 2018 and equally owned by PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) and PRS for Music, two UK collective management organisations. The company's primary function is to administer TheMusicLicence, a single unified licence that consolidates what were previously two separate music licensing arrangements — one for recorded music rights (PPL) and one for musical composition rights (PRS for Music) — into a single point of contact, invoice, and licence for UK businesses that play or perform music publicly. PPL PRS serves the full spectrum of UK organisations using copyright-protected music, spanning offices, retail, hospitality (pubs, bars, restaurants, cafes), fitness and dance venues, hair and beauty, live events and festivals, theatres and performing arts, education, healthcare, sports venues, local authorities, and charity and community groups.

The company operates a proprietary music licensing management system built on databases covering millions of musical compositions and recordings. Core technical capabilities include TheMusicLicence platform itself, a music usage tracking system that ingests track-by-track reporting from broadcasters and supplements this with market surveys for smaller businesses, and an international royalty collection network underpinned by 117 reciprocal CMO (Collective Management Organisation) agreements covering 55 countries. PPL PRS does not offer public APIs, SDKs, or AI/ML products, and its technology stack is oriented toward tariff administration, usage tracking, and royalty distribution rather than digital product innovation.

PPL PRS generates revenue through subscription and pay-as-you-go annual licensing fees structured by sector-specific tariffs. Pricing varies materially by business type and music usage: small offices pay approximately £168.25 per year for background music, shops around £235.50, hair and beauty salons about £238.33, fitness and dance venues £333, restaurants and cafes up to £536.96, and jukebox operators £580-£642 annually, with live music events priced at £14.21 per event. Distribution occurs through a self-service online portal at themusiclicence.pplprs.co.uk, dedicated telephone sales lines, a field sales team for live music and enterprise accounts, and licensed background music supplier partnerships. Marketing channels include a content blog, social media presence across YouTube/Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/Instagram, email newsletters, PR activity, and customer case studies. Named customers range from small independent venues (The Real Ale Classroom, Fringe By The Sea) to large enterprises (Caffe Nero, Sofology, MyActive's seven leisure centres, The London Art Bar, The Workplace Depot).

Name

PPL PRS

Legal name

PPL PRS Ltd

Website

https://pplprs.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

PPL PRS Ltd is a UK music licensing joint venture, equally owned by PPL and PRS for Music, that administers TheMusicLicence — a single unified music licence enabling UK businesses across hospitality, retail, offices, fitness, and live events to legally play recorded and live music publicly.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Licensing Services

NAICS

Music Publishers (51223), Music Publishers (512230)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) & Public Performance Licensing (MPAIAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Music Rights Administration & Royalty Processing (Admin, Accounting, Statements) (MPAIAKAD), Performance Rights Administration (PRO Affiliation, Cue Sheet/Setlist Processing) (MPAIABAE), Neighboring Rights (Master Performance Rights) Administration (MPAIAAAH), Neighboring/Related Rights for Publishers (Where Applicable) (MPAIABAJ), Neighboring Rights Collection (Sound Recording Performance Rights) (MPAIAKAC)

Keywords

• Music licensing services
• Public performance licensing
• Music rights management
• Royalty collection services
• Copyright licensing solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. TheMusicLicence Fees: Annual licensing fees collected from UK businesses and organisations for public performance of recorded and live music. Fees are calculated based on sector-specific tariffs covering various music usage scenarios including background music, live performances, and special events. After business costs, fees are distributed to music creators via parent companies PPL and PRS for Music.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PPL PRS issues TheMusicLicence, a single unified music licence enabling UK businesses to legally play recorded and live music for employees or customers. It consolidates what were previously two separate licences from PPL and PRS for Music into one contact, one invoice, and one licence, covering music via radio, TV, digital devices, streaming services, CDs, MP3s, jukeboxes, and live performances across all UK commercial sectors.

Product overview

PPL PRS operates as a joint venture between two collective management organisations — PPL (representing record companies and performers for recorded music rights) and PRS for Music (representing songwriters, composers, and publishers for musical compositions). The company's primary product is TheMusicLicence, a unified music licensing service launched in 2018 that combines what were previously two separate licences into a single point of contact and invoice for UK businesses. TheMusicLicence is supported by an extensive tariff structure covering various business sectors and music uses, including background music tariffs, Specially Featured Entertainment (SFE) tariffs, jukebox tariffs, and sector-specific tariffs for venues such as theatres, live events, fitness centres, and retail establishments. PPL PRS does not offer a public API, AI capabilities, or explicit product integrations with third-party tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TheMusicLicence The primary product offering from PPL PRS, providing UK businesses with a single unified licence to legally play recorded and live music for employees or customers. It covers music played via radio, TV, digital devices, streaming services, CDs, MP3s, jukeboxes, and live performances, combining what were previously two separate licences from PPL and PRS for Music into one contact, one invoice, one licence.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.75% year-on-year revenue growth in 2025, reaching £315.3 million
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• International CMO NetworkcoreOthers · 14 April 2026117 CMO (Collective Management Organisation) agreements covering 55 countries through reciprocal agreements with international societies, enabling collection and distribution of international royalties. New collections added from Argentina in 2025.
• PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018PPL PRS Ltd was created by PPL and PRS for Music as a joint venture to offer a single unified music licence. PPL represents record companies, musicians and performers for the use of recorded music. PPL PRS Ltd is equally owned by both parent companies.
• PRS for MusicflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018PRS for Music is a collective management organisation representing songwriters, composers and music publishers. Together with PPL, they formed PPL PRS Ltd to provide TheMusicLicence - a single joint music licence for playing and performing music in public.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ASCAP: American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers is the largest US PRO collecting public performance royalties for musical compositions. Directly comparable to PRS for Music as a parent of PPL PRS, performing the equivalent songwriter/composer licensing role in the US market.
• JASRAC: Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers. Directly comparable as one of the world's largest national PROs with reciprocal agreements through the international CMO network, collecting public performance royalties for compositions.
• SACEM: France's PRO and one of the largest CMOs globally, with extensive reciprocal agreements. Directly comparable to PRS for Music as a CMO representing songwriters, composers, and publishers, and a CMO partner in PPL PRS's international network.
• GEMA: Germany's PRO for musical compositions and one of the largest CMOs in the world. Directly comparable as a national PRO with reciprocal agreements, public performance licensing, and royalty distribution for composers and publishers.
• BMI: Broadcast Music, Inc. is the second major US PRO, performing the same collective licensing of public performance rights for songwriters and publishers. Directly comparable to PRS for Music in repertoire, model, and customer base.
• APRA AMCOS: Australasian Performing Right Association and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society. Directly comparable as a regional CMO with combined performing rights and mechanical licensing functions, operating in the same reciprocal international collection network.
• SoundExchange: US neighbouring rights organisation that collects and distributes digital performance royalties for sound recording copyright owners and featured artists. Directly comparable to PPL's role in PPL PRS as a master/sound recording rights collection body.
• GVL: Gesellschaft zur Verwertung von Leistungsschutzrechten is the German neighbouring rights organisation for performers and record labels. Comparable to PPL's role within the PPL PRS structure as a master/sound recording rights collection entity.

Broad incumbents

• PPL: The other parent of PPL PRS, representing record companies and performers for recorded music. Comparable as a stand-alone CMO for master/recorded music rights across UK broadcast, public performance, and international collection.
• PRS for Music: One of the two parent organisations of PPL PRS, representing songwriters, composers, and publishers. Comparable as a stand-alone CMO with a much larger repertoire-only mandate covering composition rights across all UK business and broadcast use cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pplprs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCUMHrV3oUt66CSoG3-2TnA
• Facebookfacebook.com/PPLPRS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/19443148
• Instagraminstagram.com/ppl_prs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PPL PRS