PRS for Music royalty services - overseas

Where does the money come from?

Most countries around the world have an organisation like PRS for Music that collects and distributes music royalties. So that you can receive royalties for performances of your works abroad, we have set up a network of reciprocal agreements with overseas societies.

How are royalties calculated?

Like PRS for Music, each society has its own distribution rules, and usually distributes based on the amounts paid and the information received from music users.  Money for any of our members’ works included in the distribution is then passed on to us. PRS for Music will then deduct an admin charge before distributing the royalties.

List of countries covered and the PRS for Music admin rate for each

When will I get paid?

Royalties from overseas societies are received throughout the year.  PRS for Music distributes this money in its normal quarterly distributions, usually in the next appropriate distribution following receipt from the other society. Please note the following table is for guidance, and societies can sometimes remit money at any other times during the year.

This schedule prioritises the top 40 revenues [inc Commonwealth] where those Societies remit their royalties consistently. Unscheduled royalties will be included in the first available distribution.

We will use our best endeavours to honour the commitment to members set out in this plan.  However, there may be occasions where we cannot comply with this planned schedule which are beyond our control.  In such circumstances we will, where possible, communicate any change to the plan in appropriate literature.

In most cases, the performance periods refer to all performance sources although there are a few exceptions where the affiliated societies return (predominately) film sections a little later than the ones covering general and broadcasting. This also explains why there are some overlapping, or identical, performance period dates for the same territory.

Why might I not have been paid?

As is the case with PRS for Music, not all performances of a work can be logged and paid by another society, and there are many reasons why performances of works abroad may not have been paid:

• The sale of a television series abroad, for example, does not guarantee that a broadcast will take place, or that the channel on which it is broadcast is included in a society’s distribution.  If it is, we are usually notified if a programme has been broadcast for which an affiliated society has no information.
  
  
• Smaller, local radio and TV stations are less important, economically, to a society and so are usually sampled (eg: one day a week or one day a month) thus reducing the probability of being included in the distribution sample.
  
  
• Most societies distribute royalties for music performed within an advertising commercial, but there are exceptions.  It is important with large advertising campaigns for members to obtain as much information as possible at the start of the campaign from the advertising agency. In some instances the name of the product may change from country to country and the soundtrack may be re-dubbed. 
  

What should I do if I know my music is being performed abroad and i haven't received payment?

If you haven't received payment from the foreign society in line with the payment schedule above, you can notify us of the performances that are known to have taken place.  The more specific this performance information is, the more likely accurate payment will follow.  Request Service.

Live Concert Service

For very large live concert events, PRS for Music can operate a special tailored Live Concert Service. The benefits of this service are that PRS for Music will endeavour to pay the royalties in an agreed timescale and to an agreed fixed administration cost. A number of conditions must be fulfilled in order to use this service. Please contact us for more information.