Phonographic Performance Ireland (PPI)

Phonographic Performance Ireland (PPI) is a non-profit neighboring rights organization based in Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, that collects and distributes license fees for the broadcasting, cable transmission, dubbing, and public performance of sound recordings in Ireland. It represents record companies and other owners of copyright in sound recordings and music videos, and also makes payments to performers. It is best suited for Irish record labels and self-releasing artists who want to collect equitable remuneration when their recordings are played on Irish radio, television, or in public venues.

How PPI Works

PPI is not a performing rights organization (PRO) in the traditional sense. PROs like IMRO represent songwriters and composers. PPI represents the owners of sound recordings (record labels and self-releasing artists) and pays performers their share of equitable remuneration. The two organizations work together: PPI uses IMRO as its agent for public performance collections, meaning IMRO's licensing team handles the ground-level work of licensing businesses that play recorded music.

PPI issues licenses to radio stations, television broadcasters, cable operators, pubs, restaurants, shops, gyms, and any business that plays recorded music publicly in Ireland. The collected fees are split between record companies (PPI members) and performers. In 2024, PPI collected EUR 13.87 million in total turnover, up from EUR 12.90 million in 2023. Of that, EUR 2.96 million was distributable to performers and EUR 7.93 million was available for distribution to member companies before taxation.

The revenue breakdown for 2024 shows where the money comes from. Public performance fees generated EUR 6.60 million. Broadcasting fees brought in EUR 5.65 million. Broadcasting dubbing fees added EUR 1.01 million. Dubbing fees contributed EUR 443,146. Cable fees accounted for EUR 168,901. The cost of collection and distribution was EUR 2.56 million in 2024, up from EUR 2.24 million in 2023.

PPI's board meets every two months to approve new members. To join, an applicant must own the copyright in at least one commercially released sound recording or music video. The members list was most recently updated in November 2025 and includes hundreds of Irish and international record labels, from major groups like Warner Music Ireland and Universal Music Operations to independent labels and self-releasing artists.

PPI is currently in a legal dispute with RAAP (Recorded Artists Actors Performers) over the definition of qualifying performers under Irish copyright law. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that Irish law should not have qualifying provisions that excluded certain non-Irish and non-EU performers from receiving equitable remuneration. PPI has asked the Irish government to change the law accordingly. Until legislation is passed, the split of distributable revenue between performers and members remains uncertain.

Real-World Example

An Irish independent label releases an album by a folk artist. The album gets regular airplay on RTÉ Radio 1 and several regional Irish radio stations. A Dublin pub plays the album through a licensed background music service. A cable operator includes the album tracks in its digital music channels.

PPI collects license fees from all three sources. The label, as a PPI member, receives a distribution based on the usage data reported by broadcasters and public performance venues. The performer (the folk artist) receives their share of equitable remuneration, which PPI pays on behalf of its members. In 2024, PPI paid EUR 4.57 million to member companies whose interests were represented by its directors, calculated on the same basis as payments to all other member companies.

If the same album is played on radio in the United Kingdom, PPI's reciprocal agreement with PPL means PPL collects those royalties and remits them to PPI for distribution to the Irish label. Conversely, if a UK label's recordings are played in Ireland, PPI collects those royalties and remits them to PPL.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

If you are an Irish record label or a self-releasing artist whose recordings are played on Irish radio, television, or in public venues, PPI collects royalties you would otherwise never receive. Unlike IMRO (which pays songwriters), PPI pays the owners of the sound recording and the performers on those recordings.

Register your commercially released recordings with PPI as soon as they are available for broadcast or public performance. You must own the copyright in the sound recording to become a member. Submit track registrations with correct ISRC codes, rights share percentages, and territory information so PPI can match your recordings to usage data.

If you are both the songwriter and the recording artist, you need both IMRO (for your composition rights) and PPI (for your sound recording rights). These are separate revenue streams. Many independent artists miss out on PPI royalties because they assume joining IMRO covers everything.

The ongoing RAAP dispute means the performer share of distributions may change if Irish law is reformed. Monitor PPI's communications for updates on how the revenue split between performers and record companies may be affected.

Territory Covered

PPI covers the Republic of Ireland. It collects license fees for the broadcasting, cable transmission, dubbing, and public performance of sound recordings within Irish territory. Any business that plays recorded music publicly in Ireland, including radio stations, television broadcasters, cable operators, pubs, restaurants, shops, and gyms, requires a PPI license.

How to Join and Membership Fees

To become a PPI member, an applicant must own the copyright in at least one commercially released sound recording or music video. The recording must be legally available for sale to the general public in Ireland, either physically in a retail shop, from an internet outlet, or digitally from a commercial download or streaming site.

The membership process works as follows:

• Submit a written membership application to PPI's board of directors.
• The board reviews applications at meetings held every two months.
• Upon acceptance, the applicant signs a Membership Assignment and receives a membership certificate.
• New members must register their tracks using the PPI Track Registration Form, with ISRC codes mandatory for all track registrations.

There is no upfront membership fee to join PPI. The organization operates as a company limited by guarantee (non-profit), and membership is open to all record companies, from major groups to independent labels and self-releasing artists. The members list is updated regularly, most recently in November 2025 and again in June 2026.

Overhead Rate

PPI's cost of collection and distribution in 2024 was EUR 2.56 million, up from EUR 2.24 million in 2023. Against total turnover of EUR 13.87 million in 2024, this represents an effective overhead rate of approximately 18.5%. The remaining revenue is split between member companies and performers.

In 2024, the distribution breakdown was:

• EUR 7.93 million available for distribution to member companies (before taxation)
• EUR 2.96 million distributable to performers
• EUR 4.57 million paid to member companies whose interests were represented by directors (calculated on the same basis as all other member companies)

The ongoing RAAP legal dispute may affect how the split between performers and record companies is calculated in future distributions, depending on legislative changes to Irish copyright law.

Royalty Distribution Schedule

PPI distributes royalties to member companies and performers on a periodic basis. Distributions are calculated from usage data reported by broadcasters, public performance venues, and cable operators. The organization aims to distribute collected license fees in a timely manner, as stated in its transparency reports.

PPI uses IMRO as its agent for public performance collections, meaning IMRO's licensing team handles the ground-level work of licensing businesses that play recorded music. This partnership affects the collection timeline, as public performance revenue (EUR 6.60 million in 2024) flows through IMRO's licensing process before reaching PPI for distribution.

Reciprocal Agreements

PPI maintains reciprocal agreements with neighboring rights organizations in other countries, enabling cross-border royalty collection:

• PPL (UK): PPI's primary reciprocal partner. When Irish recordings are played on UK radio, PPL collects and remits to PPI. When UK recordings are played in Ireland, PPI collects and remits to PPL.
• IFPI: PPI is affiliated with IFPI, the global trade body for the recording industry.
• PPI also works with international collection societies to ensure Irish recordings generate royalties when played abroad, and foreign recordings generate royalties when played in Ireland.

PPI is not a performing rights organization (PRO) in the traditional sense. It represents sound recording owners (record labels and self-releasing artists), not songwriters. Songwriters in Ireland are represented by IMRO, while performers receive equitable remuneration through PPI (and RAAP for performer collections).

Notable Members

PPI's membership includes hundreds of Irish and international record labels, from major groups to independent labels and self-releasing artists. Notable members include:

• Warner Music Ireland (major label group)
• Universal Music Operations (major label group)
• RTÉ (Ireland's national broadcaster, also a PPI member for its recorded output)
• Reekus Music (Ireland) Limited (independent Irish label)
• Racket Records (independent Irish label)
• Priory Records Ltd (independent Irish label)
• President Records Ltd (independent label)
• Rightsify Group (global music rights organization)
• Kollective Neighbouring Rights Records B.V (neighboring rights specialist)
• Universal Music Neighbouring Rights (major label neighboring rights entity)

The full members list is publicly available on PPI's website and is updated as new members are approved at board meetings.

Comparison Table

Videos

Similar PROs

• PPL - UK's neighboring rights organization, PPI's primary reciprocal partner for cross-border collections
• SoundExchange - US neighboring rights organization collecting digital sound recording royalties
• IMRO - Ireland's performing rights organization for songwriters, works alongside PPI
• Gramo - Norway's neighboring rights organization for sound recordings

Related Resources

• Performing Rights Organizations (PRO) - What a PRO is and how it differs from a neighboring rights organization
• Performance Royalties - How performance royalties are generated and collected
• Neighboring Rights - How neighboring rights work for performers and recording owners
• Collective Management Organization (CMO) - How CMOs operate globally
• PPI Official Website - Visit PPI for membership and licensing information
• Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to estimate your digital earnings