PPL CFO Chris Barton, whose organization has reported a nearly $133 million Q2 2025 distribution. Photo Credit: PPL
The U.K.’s Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) has confirmed making a more than $132 million Q2 2025 distribution to member rightsholders and performers for the use of recordings.
London-based PPL reached out with a formal announcement about the distribution, which came in at £96.7 million (currently $132.6 million). Behind the payout, the 91-year-old organization attributed the lion’s share of the sum to “payments for UK collections across public performance and broadcast licensing in 2024.”
Nevertheless, CMOs operating out of France, the Netherlands, Japan, Norway, and the U.S. kicked in “significant” international payments, “including some income for 2025 airplay from both the US and the Netherlands,” per the text.
Also part of the figure is an initial Annual Supplementary Remuneration payment from France’s Société des Artistes Interprètes (SAI) for airplay across 2014 and 2024, PPL noted.
Lastly, in terms of the Q2 distribution’s breakdown, video-focused PPL sister company VPL contributed north of $1.5 million (£1.1 million), distributed to 278 rightsholders, for music video licensing.
All told, the overarching second-quarter distribution reached 139,000 performers and rightsholders, with 6,400 recipients therein receiving first-time payments, PPL indicated.
Addressing the numbers – or more specifically PPL’s wider operational objectives – in a statement, CFO Chris Barton touted the significance of distribution days for members.
“At PPL our purpose is to ensure that our members’ talent and investment is fairly rewarded when their recorded music is broadcast or played in public places in the UK and around the world,” the longtime CFO communicated.
“We know PPL distribution days can be significant for our members and we work hard to maximise and deliver payments consistently to them throughout the year. We’re proud to collect revenue on their behalf and help ensure performers and recording rightsholders are fairly rewarded for their work,” Barton finished.
Turning back the clock to June 2024, last year’s Q2 payout outshined its 2025 counterpart at $142.2 million (£103.7 million). However, the older distribution represented a 6% improvement from 2023, was the first in PPL history to top £100 million, and coincided with record revenue for the entirety of 2024.
Bearing those points in mind, execs are evidently looking to fuel continued payments growth. Earlier this month, PPL added Melanie Johnson as its first director of transformation. In keeping with the title, the Audoo and Meta vet intends to overhaul the organization’s “internal systems and processes.”
“Melanie will oversee an ambitious cross-company innovation programme, designed to help PPL deliver its vision to be the number one choice globally for neighbouring rights royalty collections,” the hiring entity spelled out.
