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Join | PRS for Music

PRS for Music is home to the Performing Right Society (PRS) and the Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society (MCPS), so you have the option to join as a member of either or both.

The society that you join will depend on how your music is being used.

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PRS for Music - What we do

PRS represents performing rights and collects royalties for the performance of its members' work.

MCPS represents mechanical rights and collects royalties for the reproduction of its members' work

Which society should I join?

How is your music used? prs prs
I write or publish music that is streamed or downloaded
I write or publish music that is broadcast on TV or radio
I write or publish music that is performed live
I write or publish music that is played in a public space (e.g. shop/restaurant)
I write or publish music that is used in film
I write or publish music that is released by a record company on a CD or vinyl
I write or publish music that is recorded and used for an audiovisual or multimedia production

Join as a writer

Joining PRS or MCPS as a writer means you can earn money when your music is used. You don't need to be signed to a record label or a music publishing company, but you do need to be the copyright owner of a musical work.

If you are signed with a music publishing company, you probably don't need to join MCPS, as your publisher will usually collect your mechanical income for you.

Joining PRS as a writer costs a one-off £100 fee, and it's a further £100 to join MCPS too.

JOIN AS A WRITER

Join as a music publishing company

If you have at least 15 works in your catalogue by at least two different composers, and you can provide evidence of your status as a music publishing company, you can earn royalties through the performing and mechanical rights of those musical works.

Joining PRS as a music publishing company costs a one-off £400 fee. The one-off membership fee for MCPS is also £400.

JOIN AS A PUBLISHER

Help with joining

If you're looking to join PRS or MCPS as a writer or publisher or both, find the answers to your common queries here.

Frequently asked questions

Which organisation you should join depends on the way your music is used.

  • Join PRS when your music is either broadcast on TV/radio/online or performed live.
  • Join MCPS when your music is released by a record company, downloaded or reproduced onto a CD, DVD or LP.

We recommend you join PRS and MCPS if both sets of criteria apply to your music or catalogues.

Your application should typically take between five and seven days to complete once we've received your documentation.

If you join PRS, your official membership start date will differ from the date your application is accepted. If you were accepted between the 1 January and the 30 June, your official start is 1 January. If however you join between the 1 July and the 31 December, your official start is 1 July.

If you join MCPS, your official start date is when your application is successfully processed.

You can earn royalties for uses of your registered music from your official start date onwards.

If you're in a band, any of your fellow members who contribute to the composition of your music should also join. This is so everyone with a writing credit can be paid their fair share of the royalties.

You can join PRS for Music from anywhere in the world - it doesn't matter where you're based.

Simply follow the application process and we'll let you know of any extra documentation we might need as you complete the form.

You can join PRS to represent your rights for certain territories, while your current society represents you elsewhere.

But please make sure you contact your existing society first. They may need to modify your agreement before you join PRS.

As part of our joining process you can choose which countries to exclude from our agreement. So you would simply need to select the countries covered by your existing society.

Under Article 4 of PRS' Articles of Association PRS' members comprise: Writers, publishers and proprietors of copyright musical works.

Where a member is deceased, this term also refers to any successor including; any spouse, child, next of kin, beneficiary, personal representative, trustee, publisher or proprietor (PRS refers to such persons as 'successors' or 'successor members').

In order to qualify for membership, applicants must be able to prove:

  • their eligibility as a writer, publisher, proprietor, or successor
  • their identity
  • their right to assign the performing right to PRS
  • their right to the performing right income from PRS

Looking for something else?

Check out the Hepl Center to learn more or get in touch with us

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