PRS, PPL and MCPS: which society pays what

Three societies collect royalties in the UK, and clients routinely confuse them. The confusion is expensive: registering with the wrong one, or only one, leaves money uncollected. The sorting rule is simple once you see it. PRS and MCPS pay the people behind the song. PPL pays the people behind the recording.

This guide sets out what each society collects, who it pays, and how the registrations fit together for a typical client.

PRS: performance income for writers and publishers

PRS for Music collects when a song is performed or communicated to the public: radio and TV broadcast, live performance, music in shops, pubs, gyms and offices, and the performance element of online streams. It licenses the users, pools the money, and distributes it against usage data.

A distinctive feature matters for advisers: PRS pays the writer's share of performance income directly to the writer, even when the writer has a publishing deal. That money never routes through the publisher's account, so it can't be recouped against a publishing advance. The publisher's share goes to the publisher and is accounted under the deal.

MCPS: mechanical income for the same song

MCPS collects mechanical royalties, earned when the song is reproduced: physical pressing, downloads, and the mechanical element inside every stream. It operates alongside PRS (the two share infrastructure) but it is a separate membership covering a separate right.

Self-releasing writers are the classic gap. A writer who releases through their own label needs the mechanical licensing side handled even though "the label" and "the writer" are the same person. Unregistered mechanicals sit unclaimed and eventually distribute to others or lapse.

PPL: the recording side, including non-owners

PPL collects when recordings are broadcast or played in public: the neighbouring rights income of the UK system. It pays two groups: the master owner, and the performers who played on the recording.

Performers earn PPL income without owning anything. A session player on a hit earns a non-featured performer share for as long as the track gets broadcast, entirely outside any record deal, and it can't be recouped against one. Featured artists collect a larger performer share alongside whatever their label collects as owner.

International collection stacks on top: overseas societies collect equivalent income abroad, reaching the client either through PPL mandates or through a neighbouring rights agent. For clients with airplay abroad, checking how each territory is claimed is a genuine audit point.

Putting it together for a client

A singer-songwriter who performs on their own records should typically hold all three registrations, because they occupy all three roles at once: writer (PRS and MCPS) and performer plus possibly master owner (PPL).

The practical review for a new client is short and worth running in the first meeting.

Are they registered with each society their roles justify, and are all works and recordings actually registered, not just membership held?
Are writer splits and performer line-ups filed consistently? Mismatched registrations are a leading cause of unclaimed income.
Is anyone claiming their international performance and neighbouring rights income, and through which route?

Figures referred to

Writer's share of PRS performance incomeIllustrative: Half of the performance income is paid to writers directly, outside the publishing dealPRS for Music distribution rules · as of 2025

Figures marked Illustrative show the shape of the market, not a quoted rate. The lessons keep the maintained, sourced numbers.

Common questions

What is the difference between PRS, PPL and MCPS?

PRS collects performance royalties for songwriters and publishers when songs are broadcast or performed. MCPS collects mechanical royalties for the same song-side people when songs are reproduced, including in streams. PPL collects for the recording side: master owners and the performers who played on the track.

Do I need to join both PRS and PPL?

If you both write songs and perform on recordings, yes: they cover different rights and different roles, and neither collects what the other covers. A performing songwriter with releases typically needs PRS, MCPS handling, and PPL.

Can session musicians earn royalties?

Yes. Session players earn a non-featured performer share of PPL neighbouring rights income whenever recordings they played on are broadcast or played in public. It is paid outside any record deal and cannot be recouped against one.

Learn this properly

The interactive lessons on this topic, with sourced figures and live simulators: