Response to the setting up of the Welsh-language collecting agency

PRS for Music and the Welsh Music Publishers and Composers Alliance (WMPCA) as part of ongoing discussions concerning the possible withdrawal by some Welsh-language songwriters and publishers of their radio broadcasting and televising rights from PRS for Music.

PRS for Music and the Welsh Music Publishers and Composers Alliance (WMPCA) met on Tuesday, 15th August in Cardiff as part of ongoing discussions concerning the possible withdrawal by some Welsh-language songwriters and publishers of their radio broadcasting and televising rights from PRS for Music. 

The talks focused on the practical implications of the formation of a Welsh-language agency to directly collect royalties for these rights.   

PRS for Music’s policy is to distribute royalties fairly and accurately based on the amount of music played by a station and its audience size, using information published by RAJAR (the industry benchmark for radio broadcasting), and this means that rates can vary year-to-year. To ensure fairness to all its members, PRS for Music specifically avoids attributing different values to different types of music, irrespective of genre, language or other distinctions. The policy was established by PRS for Music following a Monopolies and Mergers Commission Report in 1996.

The WMPCA continue to campaign for a higher value from broadcast usage for Welsh-language music. However, PRS for Music remains committed to its policy to distribute royalty payments on a fair, accurate and transparent basis to all its 90,000 members.

PRS for Music has been collecting royalties on its members’ behalf since 1914 and has grown royalty distributions to over £630m in 2011. 

While I fully respect the decision of our Welsh-language members to consider setting up their own collection organisation, I strongly believe all parties need to carefully study the effect that such a fundamental change to the royalty collection ecosystem will have on royalties for Welsh-language repertoire. 

DATGANIAD

Cyfarfu PRS for Music a Chynghrair Cyhoeddwyr a Chyfansoddwyr Cerddoriaeth Cymru (y Gynghrair) yng Nghaerdydd ar ddydd Mawrth 15fed Awst fel rhan o’r trafodaethau parhaus ynghylch y posibilrwydd o rai cyfansoddwyr a chyhoeddwyr cerddoriaeth yng Nghymru yn tynnu eu hawliau darlledu ar y radio a’r teledu yn ôl oddi wrth PRS for Music. 

Canolbwyntiodd y trafodaethau ar oblygiadau ymarferol ffurfio asiantaeth Gymraeg i gasglu breindaliadau’n uniongyrchol am yr hawliau hyn.

Polisi PRS for Music yw rhannu breindaliadau’n deg ac yn gywir yn seiliedig ar faint o gerddoriaeth y mae gorsaf yn ei chwarae, a maint cynulleidfa’r orsaf honno, gan ddefnyddio’r wybodaeth a gyhoeddir gan RAJAR (meincnod y diwydiant ar gyfer darlledu ar y radio), a golyga hyn y gall cyfraddau amrywio o un flwyddyn i’r llall. Er mwyn sicrhau tegwch i’w holl aelodau, mae PRS for Music yn osgoi priodoli gwahanol werthoedd i wahanol fathau o gerddoriaeth, waeth beth fo’r genre, yr iaith neu unrhyw wahaniaeth arall. Sefydlodd PRS for Music y polisi hwn yn dilyn adroddiad gan y Comisiwn Monopolïau a Chydsoddiadau yn 1996.

Mae’r Gynghrair yn parhau i ymgyrchu am werth uwch am gerddoriaeth Gymraeg a ddarlledir.  Fodd bynnag, mae PRS for Music yn parhau i fod wedi ymrwymo i’w bolisi i rannu breindaliadau yn deg, yn gywir ac yn dryloyw i bob un o’i 90,000 o aelodau. 

Mae PRS for Music wedi bod yn casglu breindaliadau ar ran ei aelodau er 1914 a chyrhaeddodd y breindaliadau hyn dros £630m yn 2011.  

Er fy mod i’n parchu’r ffaith fod ein haelodau Cymraeg wedi penderfynu ystyried sefydlu eu sefydliad casgliadau eu hunain, rwy’n credu’n gryf fod yn rhaid i bob parti ystyried yn ofalus yr effaith y byddai newid mor sylweddol i’r ecosystem casglu breindaliadau yn ei chael ar freindaliadau i’r repertoire Cymraeg.