Membership
PMLL is a membership organisation which is mandated by its music publisher members to operate licensing schemes and collect copyright royalties on their behalf.
How it works
Royalties are distributed to the copyright owners on the basis of distribution policies set by the PMLL Board, including consideration of the data on usage supplied by licensees. From April 2021 users under the PMLL licensing schemes are able to submit their usage data online via the PMLL Hub.
PMLL also monitors the market to ensure that the licences provide a benefit to copyright owners and licensees, and to see whether licences should be amended or new licencing schemes developed.
If you own the copyright in printed music publications and would like to know more about PMLL please contact us.
The PMLL Code of Conduct provides information to rights-holders and members who join PMLL schemes on what they can expect from the services we offer. It also provides information on the steps they can take if PMLL does not meet expected standards of service.
How to join PMLL
Any rights-holder publishing printed music publications, whether directly or through a third-party agreement is eligible to join PMLL and give PMLL a mandate for its licensing schemes
PMLL is open to a rights-holder who is either classified as a print music publisher or who has a third-party print licensing agreement with a print music publisher, provided that the rights-holder controls rights that are reasonably expected to be copied under at least one of the PMLL licensing schemes. Many PMLL rights-holders are also members of the Music Publishers Association but this is not a condition of participation in the PMLL licensing schemes.
If you wish to join PMLL and mandate us to license your rights and collect royalties on your behalf under the PMLL licensing schemes please contact PMLL and we can send you the relevant documentation.
Distribution policy
The PMLL Board is responsible for the formulation and implementation of royalty distribution policy and is required to ensure that the policy is fair, transparent and cost-effective.
The PMLL Board regularly reviews distribution policy particularly in response to changes in the terms of any licencing schemes or changes in the availability of relevant data as well as in response to member concerns.
The general principle governing distribution is that the allocation of royalties to rights-holders is made on the basis of a combination of actual usage data collected from licensees and non-data based methodology approved by the Board.
In the event that a dispute arises between PMLL members regarding the allocation of royalties PMLL will seek to resolve it in accordance with the PMLL Dispute Handling Procedure.
