Members Services

Songwriting Copyright Protection Service

The magazine for songwriters, composers, lyricists, performing songwriters, artistes/groups, music publishers, record labels, management companies, and all those working in the music industry worldwide

Songwriting & Composing Magazine

The magazine for songwriters, composers, lyricists, performing songwriters, artistes/groups, music publishers, record labels, management companies, and all those working in the music industry worldwide.

The Guild of International Songwriters & Composers the home of songwriting and composing. The UK's premier songwriting organisation.
Publishers of Songwriting & Composing Magazine since 1986.

A successful 2011 for songwriters' songwriting royalties

MCPS/PRS (PRSforMusic) royalties increased 45.3% in 2011 to £38.5m

Over £545m of songwriting and publishing royalties were paid to PRSforMusic songwriter, composer and publisher members in 2010. For the first time PRSforMusic's revenue has topped £600 million, which is an amazing achievement. PRSforMusic’s record results have seen: Licensing revenue growth of 8% on 2009. Double digit growth in three of our four licensing areas effective licensing of new online services Growth of 9% in net distributable revenue on 2008.

The PRSforMusic's July 2011 distribution totalled just over £91million. In total the PRSforMusic July 2011 distribution contained more than 2,274 separate usage sources, generating 126million transactions. There were some 35million unique performanmces during the quarter made up of 674,905 distinct works to include Guild members works.

The PRSforMusic October 2011 royalty distribution totalled just over £127 million to its publisher and writer members. In total the October 2011 royalty distribution contains more than 2,400 separate usage sources, generating 109 million transactions. There were some 37 million unique performances during the quarter, made up of more than 8000,000 distinct works.

MCPS/PRS (PRSforMusic) who represents 85,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in the UK saw royalty collections rose 3.2% to £630.8m last year after a surge in revenues from overseas and digital services. As part of this uplift money from services including itunes , Spotify, Amazon and we7 increased 45.3% in 2011 to £38.5m and made up a record 6% of total PRS collections. The licensing of new digital services enabled PRSforMusic to pay additional royalties to their members last year.

Newly-announced figures also reveal there was a big increase in money collected for the use of UK music overseas with this sum rising 10.6% to £187.7m. The lift came on the back of successes by British songwriters such as Adele, Taio Cruz and Coldplay last year as well as improvements in working with overseas collecting societies to collect what was owed.

Royalties from live music were up 8.2% to £225.5m, helped by the likes of the UK festival market and Take That’s Progress Live stadium tour, while money brought in from businesses such as shops, pubs, hotels, restaurants and work places for publicly playing music went up 0.9% to £131.4m. Broadcast income increased 1.2% to £149.0m with the only area of business experiencing a fall being recorded media. Here royalties fell 13.3% on the year to £101.6m with royalties from CDs, DVDs and covermounts all dropping.

The licensed digital market is now delivering a significant income stream for MCPS/PRS (PRSforMusic's) writer, composer and publisher members.

Songwriting and publishing royalties are a substantial source of income.