The Ultimate Guide to UK Music Royalties: PRS, PPL & MCPS Explained

edbrown2879
May 8
4 min read

If you’re a musician, songwriter, producer, or record label in the UK, you’re likely missing out on royalties every time your music is played, streamed, or performed. The UK has three main royalty collection societies — PRS, PPL, and MCPS — each handling different types of payments.

These Articles break down:

✔ What each organisation does

✔ Who gets paid (and who doesn’t)

✔ How to register and claim your royalties

✔ Common myths and mistakes to avoid

Let’s dive in!

1. PRS for Music (Performing Right Society)

PRS collects performance royalties whenever your music is:

Played live (gigs, festivals, covers in pubs)
Broadcast on TV, radio, or podcasts
Streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube
Played in public spaces (shops, gyms, restaurants)

Who Gets Paid?

✅ Songwriters

✅ Composers

✅ Publishers

❌ Performers (unless they also wrote the song, performers of the music have their royalties covered by PPL)

Q: How much can I earn from PRS?

A: This solely depends on the success of your track and how many times it is broadcast and/or streamed. PRS does have a minimum payout (as they can't exactly pay you £0.004 if you only get one stream.) Their payment threshold for UK musicians is £30 which is around 750 streams alone, not including any potential radio plays.

Radio play (BBC Radio 1 = around £14 per minute of playtime)
Streaming (~£0.0005 per stream, this is the percentage per stream that prs pays for.)
Live gigs (varies by venue size, songs played and amount of songs played.)

Q: Do I need PRS if I only release music online?

A: Yes! Streaming platforms pay performance royalties (PRS) and mechanical royalties (MCPS). So if you only release music online this is the way you earn royalties form those streams. Make sure you sign up before you release your music however, as you cannot backdate royalty collections to when you weren't a member.

Q: How do I sign up?

A: Register at PRS for Music (£100 one-time fee). I honestly couldn't recommend signing up enough, its the go to way to earn royalties from your music if you're a songwriter in the UK.

2. PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited)

PPL pays recording royalties when the master recording is:

Played on radio, TV, or in public (clubs, shops, airports, gyms etc...)
Streamed on non-interactive platforms (e.g., BBC Sounds and other online radio services)
Used in films, ads, or background music

Who Gets Paid?

✅ Featured performers (lead singers, band members)

✅ Session musicians (via "non-featured" payments)

✅ Record labels

❌ Songwriters (that’s PRS’s job and where PRS and PPL mainly differ from each other.)

Q: How much can performers earn from PPL?

Radio play (£10-£30 per play on major stations)
Live Gig plays (varies by venue size, performance length and songs played)
Streaming (varies on number of streams but typically around 60% goes to PPL with 40% going to PRS)

Q: Does PPL pay for Spotify streams?

A: Yes — Spotify pays both PRS and PPL with a 60:40 percent split rate per stream. Now if you perform the music that you have written you can expect to receive all this money whereas if you perform on a track as a session musician or band member you can get paid PPL royalties.

Q: How do I register?

A: Sign up for FREE at PPL UK.

3. MCPS (Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society)

MCPS collects mechanical royalties when your music is:

Reproduced (CDs, vinyl, downloads)
Streamed (Spotify, Apple Music)
Used in sync (TV, film, adverts)

Who Gets Paid?

✅ Songwriters

✅ Composers

✅ Publishers

❌ Performers (that’s PPL)

Q: Is MCPS the same as PRS?

A: No—but they work together. Most UK songwriters join PRS + MCPS as a bundle.

PRS = Performance royalties (when music is played).
MCPS = Mechanical royalties (when music is copied).

You can sign up for MCPS when you sign up for PRS as they are now both under the PRS For Music umbrella company.

Q: Do I need MCPS for streaming?

A: Yes! Spotify/Apple Music/other streaming companies pay mechanical royalties (MCPS) as well as royalties to PRS and PPL).

Q: How do I sign up?

A: Register via PRS for Music (MCPS is included in the sign up for as an option but will cost you an additional £100 as a one off sign up fee. You can sign up to one without the other.)

PRS vs. PPL vs. MCPS – Quick Comparison

Agency	Who Gets Paid?	Royalty Type	Examples of Use
PRS	Songwriters, publishers	Performance royalties	Radio, live gigs, streaming
PPL	Performers, labels	Recording royalties	Radio, clubs, TV, streaming
MCPS	Songwriters, publishers	Mechanical royalties	Streaming, CDs, sync

Which Ones Do You Need?

If you’re a songwriter: PRS + MCPS.
If you’re a performer: PPL.
If you’re both: PRS, MCPS, and PPL.

Common Royalty Myths Debunked

❌ "I’m not famous, so I won’t earn anything."→ Even small artists earn from local radio, streams, and pub plays. These collection agencies can be a real gold mine and allow you to earn that extra income to help with travel to shows, recording studio time or even starting your own line of merch.

❌ "PRS/PPL take most of my money."→ They deduct 10-15% admin fees—far less than unclaimed royalties! It would be more detrimental to you to not collect any royalties that to deal with a small admin fee charge

How to Claim Your Royalties

PRS for Music → Sign up here.
PPL → Register here.
MCPS → Sign up here.

Pro Tip: Check for missing royalties using:

PRS’s Music Recognition Service
PPL’s Repertoire Database

Final Thoughts

If you’re serious about earning from your music, register with all three organisations.

Missing out? You’re leaving money on the table.

Got questions? Drop them in the comments or check out my YouTube video Series for a deeper dive into all three of the royalty collection agencies!

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