The legal battle that turned playing records into a paid public performance

Cultures · Published 11 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 1934, a court ruling changed the music industry forever. After a coffee shop was sued for playing records, two major labels formed a collective to manage the rights. This single legal precedent laid the foundation for how artists and labels are paid for recorded music today.

The origins of Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) trace back to a legal dispute involving Stephen Carwardine & Co, a Bristol coffee shop. The company, then known as The Gramophone Company (later EMI), argued that playing records in public without permission was illegal. A judge's ruling in favor of the company established the legal principle that playing music in a public setting requires a license, leading EMI and Decca Records to incorporate PPL on 12 May 1934.

While PPL manages rights for recorded music, it is distinct from PRS for Music, which was founded in 1914 to collect fees for the live performance of sheet music. To streamline the process for businesses, the two organizations entered a joint venture in 2018, forming PPL PRS Ltd. This joint venture aims to provide a single 'MusicLicence' to simplify the licensing experience for customers.

The scope of rights has expanded significantly over decades. The Copyright Act 1956 extended PPL's role to include broadcasting, and the 1988 changes further strengthened its licensing position. In 1996, a major shift occurred when performers were granted the right to 'equitable remuneration' for public performances. This allowed performers—including lead singers, musicians, and even inaudible contributors like conductors—to receive royalties. Although PPL joined PAMRA and AURA in November 2006, it differs from Germany's GVL because it lacks Secondary Exploitation Rights collection for performers; in the UK, the Musicians Union handles this.

Today, PPL is a massive operation. In 2022, it collected £272.6 million in royalties, representing a 7.8% increase compared to 2018. As of 2022, the collective manages royalties for over 140,000 performers and recording rightsholders, operating through an extensive database of metadata to ensure correct distribution.

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