July 24, 2017

PPL and PRS for Music have launched a pilot designed to evaluate the use of Music Recognition Technology (MRT) in identifying music publicly performed by DJs in clubs, bars, pubs and hotels licensed by PPL and PRS.

It is hoped that the pilot, carried out by MRT provider DJ Monitor, will result in the accurate identification of music performance information, which when collected from a wide variety of licensed premises can be incorporated into a “best practice” policy for distributing royalties to PPL and PRS members.

Participating venues will monitor music played by DJs using an MRT device and send the data to a secure database to be matched, analysed and reported back to PPL and PRS for Music.

The pilot, which started in late 2016, has since been rolled out to venues across the UK including iconic nightclubs such as Ministry of Sound and Fabric and major club chain, The Deltic Group. It will run throughout 2017 with potential to be extended further.

Peter Marks, Chief Executive at The Deltic Group said: “Music is the very heartbeat of our business and it’s in our interest to see that talented artists are rewarded for their creations. With online streaming and other digital technology, it’s increasingly difficult for songwriters and musicians to make a living from their creations, so anything we can do to help and attract and support the latest local talent has to be a good thing.” To read the PRS for Music press release in full, click here.