Our new five-year agreement with the BBC

We’re delighted to announce a new long-term licence that strengthens our partnership with the UK's leading broadcaster.

PRS for Music and the BBC have agreed a new deal which covers the BBC’s full suite of services for the next five years across television, radio and iPlayer. The agreement, incorporating both the PRS and MCPS rights, also includes BBC Sounds in the UK, as well as BBC World Service and BBC Studios internationally.   

The new five-year licence, significantly longer than recent agreements, represents a long-term commitment by both our organisations and provides certainty for members when their works are used on any of the BBC’s services.

The BBC is one of the most important sources of royalties for members and a world leader in promoting new music across all genres. In 2020 alone we processed over 100 billion lines of music data from across their platforms, with over 40,000 of you getting paid BBC royalties overall. 

Here’s what Dan Gopal (PRS’ Chief Commercial Officer) had to say: 

“We are very proud to have signed this new agreement with the BBC and to see our long-standing partnership continue to evolve in an ever-changing market. It is paramount to PRS members that their music is valued wherever and whenever it is consumed, and our relationship with the BBC ensures that we can deliver on that commitment to our members across the entire proposition of BBC services. The partnership between PRS and the BBC remains one of our most important, with our members playing an instrumental role in bringing BBC content to life through their music, and the BBC’s reputation as one of the world’s most respected and innovative broadcast corporations contributing significant value for the music creators we represent.”