Interview with Stuart Belsham - Discover PRS

Welcome to Tile Yard

Introduction

Hello, Stuart. Welcome to Tile Yard. First of all, who are you? What do you do?

Well, I'm Stuart Belsham, I work at PRS for Music and my role is Education and Outreach Manager. Predominantly, I work in East England and the East Midlands area.

Great. And what is PRS?

PRS stands for the Performing Rights Society. It is a royalty collection and distribution society that acts on behalf of songwriters, composers, producers, and music publishers. Our main purpose is to ensure that when their music is used in public, they receive remuneration for it. We collect and license music on their behalf, then pay them royalties.

Different Areas of PRS

In terms of the different areas of PRS, what do they cover within the different departments?

PRS is, to my best knowledge, the largest employer in the music industry with over 600 staff. Internally, we are divided into:

• Front Office
• Back Office
• Membership, which deals with its membership base

Behind that, there are various important departments including:

• Operations
• Distribution
• International Department

Membership Insights

You mentioned that your membership represents composers and publishers. Can you elaborate on your relationship with publishers?

As you rightly say, our membership base includes publishers, songwriters, composers, and producers. Currently, we have about 118,000 members, with the majority being composer and songwriter-based. The number of publisher members is probably between 8,000 to 10,000. Our publishers range from major entities, like Universal, to small independent publishers.

Differentiating PRS and Publishers

What is the difference between PRS and publishers?

PRS collectively manages the rights of songwriters, composers, and publishers to administer on the songwriter's behalf. We license all public uses of music in the UK.

Essentially:

• PRS collects and distributes royalties for public music use, primarily in businesses.
• Publishers enter contracts with composers and songwriters to promote their music across various platforms (advertisements, films, etc.) and facilitate connections between composers and performers.

Simplifying PRS and Publisher Roles

For those confused about the difference:

• PRS handles licensing for media outlets (pubs, clubs, radio, TV) and collects the money to pay composers and publishers.
• Publishers sign songwriters' works and help exploit that music in various areas.

The Role of Reciprocal Deals

I've heard something called reciprocal deals. Can you explain that?

Certainly. PRS licenses in the UK, but every major territory has its own licensing body. For example, in the USA, there's ASCAP and BMI.

When, say, the Foo Fighters (an American band) have their music played in the UK, we collect the income and then send that to the relevant American organization rather than paying the artists directly.

Joining as a Publisher

How can someone join as a publisher, and is it easy?

To become a publishing member, you can self-publish your works. If you're an independent composer, you don't have to join as a publisher. However, if you want to represent others, you'll need:

• A small repertoire of at least 15 works.
• To pay a joining fee of £400.

Additional Membership Information

• Joining as a songwriter costs £100 for PRS and £50 for MCPS (Mechanical Copyright Protection Society).
• You need to have an active repertoire to make membership worthwhile, as our primary role is to license and distribute royalties.

Payments and Royalties

How often do payments happen for composers and publishers?

Payments from PRS occur quarterly. In contrast, MCPS payments can happen as frequently as monthly, depending on the activity of your works.

Payment Systems and Statements

When members receive statements, they should analyze their usage. If they notice missing income, they can raise a query through our membership team.

Membership Queries:

• Members can submit queries online for any discrepancies related to their statements.

Conclusion

Final Thoughts on the Industry

The music industry is experiencing challenges, especially concerning digital income. However, at PRS, we strive to ensure that all songwriters receive proper compensation for their work online.

Thank you, Stuart, for sharing such insightful information!

You're welcome, and it's a pleasure to share my knowledge.