Neighbouring rights in music — what they are and how to collect them in the UK

Neighbouring rights are one of the most consistently overlooked royalty streams for independent artists in the UK. The global market generated $2.9 billion in 2025 — up for the fifth consecutive year — and a significant portion of that income belongs to independent UK artists who have never registered to claim it.

Understanding what neighbouring rights are, who can collect them, and how to register with PPL is the first step toward ensuring your recorded music generates every royalty it is entitled to.

What neighbouring rights are

Neighbouring rights are royalties paid to recording artists and recording rights holders when their sound recordings are publicly performed or broadcast. The term "neighbouring" reflects the fact that these rights sit alongside — and are distinct from — the performance rights that pay songwriters and publishers when their compositions are publicly performed.

The distinction between the two is precise:

When a song is played on BBC Radio 1, PRS for Music collects performance royalties on behalf of the songwriter — compensation for the use of the composition.

At the same time and from the same broadcast, PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) collects neighbouring rights royalties on behalf of the performers on the recording and the recording rights holder — compensation for the use of that specific recording.

Two separate payments. Two separate organisations. Two separate registrations required. This is the master rights side of the income picture.

Who is entitled to collect neighbouring rights in the UK

Neighbouring rights royalties flow to two categories of rights holder:

The owner of the sound recording: typically the record label for signed artists, or the artist themselves for independent releases. If you own your masters — which most independent artists do — you are the recording rights holder and entitled to the master rights portion of neighbouring rights income.

The performing artists on the recording: all artists who made an audible contribution to the recording. This includes:

• Featured artists (the main artist credited on the release)
• Non-featured performers (session musicians, backing vocalists, additional instrumentalists)
• In some territories, music producers

The neighbouring rights income generated from a broadcast is typically split 50% to the master rights holder and 50% to the performing artists. The performers' 50% is then divided between the featured artist(s) and any non-featured performers according to their contributions.

For an independent artist who writes, records, and releases their own music: they are both the recording rights holder and the featured performer, so both sides of the neighbouring rights income flow to them through the appropriate registrations.

Why many UK artists miss this income

The most common reason UK artists fail to collect neighbouring rights is simple: they join PRS for Music but do not separately register with PPL, assuming PRS covers all royalty collection. It does not.

PRS for Music collects composition royalties for songwriters — performance and mechanical royalties on the underlying song.

PPL collects neighbouring rights for recording artists and recording rights holders — royalties on the sound recording as broadcast.

These are completely different organisations covering completely different rights. PRS membership does not provide PPL entitlement and vice versa. Both require separate membership and separate work registration — see how to register with PRS and PPL.

The second most common issue: artists who are PPL members but have not registered individual recordings. PPL membership alone does not generate royalties — each recording must be registered in the PPL system with accurate performer information before neighbouring rights from that recording can be collected and attributed.

The US does not have terrestrial radio neighbouring rights

This is one of the most practically significant differences between UK and US music industry infrastructure. In the United States, there are no neighbouring rights for terrestrial radio broadcasts — radio stations in the US do not pay any royalty to recording artists or labels for broadcast on AM/FM radio. SoundExchange collects digital performance royalties for online and satellite radio (Sirius XM, Pandora) but this does not extend to traditional broadcast.

The consequence for UK artists with US radio play: the PRS performance royalties on the composition are collected through PRS's reciprocal agreement with ASCAP or BMI. But no neighbouring rights income flows from US terrestrial radio broadcasts because the right does not exist in the US.

For UK, European, and most other major markets outside the US: neighbouring rights on terrestrial radio do exist and are collected by the local CMO. PPL has reciprocal agreements with over 90 international CMOs, covering approximately 91% of the global neighbouring rights market.

How to register with PPL and collect UK neighbouring rights

PPL membership and registration is free and straightforward.

Step 1: Register as a performer and/or recording rights holder at ppluk.com. If you both perform on your recordings and own the masters (the typical independent artist position), register in both capacities.

Step 2: Register your recordings. Each recording must be added to your PPL repertoire with accurate information: track title, ISRC, release date, featured artists, and any non-featured performer contributions. The ISRC stored in TYFRA Vault is the reference identifier for this registration.

Step 3: Maintain accurate performer credits. If session musicians or additional performers played on your recordings, their contributions should be registered — they are separately entitled to their portion of the performer's neighbouring rights from those recordings. Correct attribution at registration stage ensures accurate distribution.

Step 4: PPL distributes neighbouring rights royalties directly to registered members. PPL also has an international claiming service — submitting your repertoire to PPL enables collection through their network of 90+ international reciprocal agreements, so royalties from European radio broadcasts, for example, are collected and distributed via PPL without separate registrations in each territory.

International neighbouring rights beyond PPL

For artists with significant airplay in specific international territories where PPL's reciprocal coverage may not be complete, direct registration with that territory's collecting society can maximise collection.

• Germany: GVL (Gesellschaft zur Verwertung von Leistungsschutzrechten) — significant for artists with German radio or television exposure.
• Netherlands: SENA
• France: SCPP (for major labels and independents) and SPPF (for independent producers)
• Australia: PPCA (Phonographic Performance Company of Australia)

In most cases, PPL's international network handles collection from these territories through reciprocals. For artists with major international radio presence, specialist neighbouring rights administration companies can provide supplementary collection beyond what PPL covers directly.

Neighbouring rights and TYFRA

TYFRA Vault stores the ISRC for every recording — the primary identifier PPL uses for neighbouring rights registration and royalty attribution. Accurate ISRCs in Vault ensure the information needed for PPL registration is always accessible.

TYFRA Finance tracks incoming PPL neighbouring rights distributions alongside all other royalty streams — PRS performance royalties, MCPS mechanical income, sync fees, and streaming master royalties — in one income dashboard with 12-month visibility across all channels.