UK-based collection society PRS for Music says it has made the largest-ever quarterly royalty payout in its 111-year history.
PRS paid out GBP £274.9 million (USD $367.6 million at the current exchange rate) to songwriters, composers and music publishers in December, a 4% increase over the same period a year earlier.
In all, 51,500 PRS members will receive a payment this quarter, among them 400 songwriters and composers who will receive royalties for the first time.
“Hundreds of songwriters are receiving royalties for the first time this year,” said Crispin Hunt, President of the PRS Members’ Council.
“That first payment matters – I’m proud to be part of a member-led society dedicated to making sure hard working and emerging songwriters and composers are earning whenever their music is played.”
Of the total amount distributed, £98 million ($131 million) came from international collections, “reflecting the reach of PRS songwriters and composers on the global stage,” PRS noted.
“Record royalty distributions mean more than just big numbers – they represent rent paid, instruments bought, studio time covered and careers sustained for thousands of music creators.”
Crispin Hunt, PRS for Music
Streaming and broadcasting royalty payments “remain strong,” PRS said, with £13.5 million ($18.1 million) coming from radio. Another £12.8 million ($17.1 million) came from video-on-demand platforms such as Apple, Disney+, and Netflix, and use of music in video games brought in a further £18.1 million ($24.2 million).
More than 14,000 music creators shared £8.9 million ($11.9 million) from songs performed live at concerts and gigs. Including one final payment, set to be made on December 22 and including £22.2 million from multi-territory online streaming services like Spotify and YouTube, PRS for Music will have paid royalties to over 88,000 members in 2025.
“Record royalty distributions mean more than just big numbers – they represent rent paid, instruments bought, studio time covered and careers sustained for thousands of music creators,” Hunt said.
With live music and paid music subscriptions growing, PRS for Music has been breaking royalty payout records in recent years.
For all of 2024, the collection society paid out £1.02 billion ($1.3 billion), up 8.1% from the year before. International royalties have seen particularly strong growth, up 79.6% between 2015 and 2024.Music Business Worldwide
