March 27, 2017

PPL and PRS for Music have piloted a new initiative to link each other’s data sets, jointly creating a prototype search tool to improve identification of sound recordings and musical works and the links between them.

PRS for Music says that the prototype search tool was developed for demonstration and discussion purposes and represents a significant step forward in the creation of a “backbone” of links between PPL’s sound recordings and PRS for Music’s musical works, with over 2.5 million recordings already linked to over 1.2 million works and available to search.

PRS for Music explains that the two membership-owned companies piloted this initiative in response to a growing data problem. The link between a sound recording and a constituent musical work is critical for effective and accurate remuneration of creators and publishers. These links are created by multiple parties in multiple places, leading to duplication and a potential for error and conflict. As the volume of data and the number of data sources continue to increase, the need for a definitive solution to the problem grows; over the past year, PRS for Music has processed over four trillion music uses and on average, 35,000 new recordings are registered with PPL each week.

The ultimate aim is to establish and promote a set of consistent and authoritative links between recordings and works that can be gathered from and shared across multiple parties. Several international societies have already expressed their desire to learn more about the “work-in-progress” initiative, including APRA AMCOS in Australia, who have welcomed the move and confirmed their interest in participating. This three-way collaboration has the potential to link in excess of 18 million musical works with in excess of 10 million recordings.

While conceptually possible, the linked data set does not incorporate full ownership information for recordings or works. This will continue to be managed by each society, but the prototype search tool “signposts” a user to the most authoritative available source of ownership information for each recording and work, which can be displayed directly from a society database when possible.

It is intended that the prototype search tool will act as a springboard for discussion with a wider set of recording, publishing and rights holder organisations around the world. The end goal is to extend the sharing of consistent, authoritative data in order to benefit those who create, perform, and invest in music. To read PRS for Music’s press release in full, click here.