ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers)
A membership association of more that 120,000 U.S. composers, songwriters and publishers of every kind of music and hundreds of thousands worldwide. It is the only U.S. performing rights organisation created and controlled by writers and publishers, with a Board of Directors elected by and from the membership.
BAC&S (The British Academy of Composers and Songwriters)
now more commonly known as "The Academy", is a membership organisation that looks after the interests of songwriters and composers across all genres. The Academy achieves this by representing its members at the various organisations that are involved in the British music industry, campaigning to government on writers' royalties and copyright issues and delivering its members workshops and seminars, alongside a members magazine and website.
AURA (the Association of United Recording Artists)
See PPL.
Band Register
A comprehensive service for bands, groups, orchestras and artists to register their names, from wherever they are in the world. It includes a search facility to see if the name or proposed name is already in use.
BMI (Broadcast Music Inc)
is an American performing rights organisation that represents nearly 300,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music. The non-profit making company collects licence fees on behalf of those American creators it represents, as well as thousands of creators from around the world who have chosen BMI for representation in the United States.
BCC (The British Copyright Council)
is an umbrella organisation bringing together organisations which represent those who create, or hold rights in literary, dramatic and artistic works and those who perform such works. The BCC functions principally as a liaison committee for its member associations, providing them with a forum for the discussion of matters of copyright interest. It also acts as a pressure group for changes in copyright law at UK, European and international level.
British Music Rights
British Music Rights works to promote the interests of the UK's composers, songwriters and music publishers and aims to ensure that Britain continues to have a world leading music business. It achieves this by:
- Promoting the music agenda amongst policy makers and opinion formers
- Monitoring government policy and legislative developments in the UK and Europe, specifically that relating to new technology and e-commerce
- Undertaking research projects in support of our activities
- Organising and participating in events e.g. trade fairs, seminars, conferences
- Contributing to training and education programmes
CISAC (International Confederation of Authors and Composers)
is the international body for collecting societies.
EFDSS (The English Folk Dance and Song Society)
EFDSS aims to encourage, document and develop folk music, dance and song traditions within England.
ICMP/CIEM (International Confederation of Music Publishers)
represents serious and popular music publishing in Europe and throughout the world. Its constituent members are the twenty-nine national music publishers associations active in Europe and the eight associations active worldwide. Through these national associations ICMP/CIEM represents music publishers globally. The organisation's mission is to inv=crease the level of copyright protection internationally, strengthen the position of music publishers in the negotiation of licensing terms for their works, improve efficiency in works management, create an industry forum for discussion of global positions, and represent industry positions at international, regional and local levels
ISM (The Incorporated Society of Musicians)
The UK's professional body for musicians. It successfully promotes the art of music and the interest of professional musicians. It also aims to raise standards in the profession, and to give its members the best available advice and services.
IVORS (The Ivor Novello Awards)
is internationally respected as the premier award ceremony to reflect the talent of British songwriters and composers and their contribution as the creative source of the music industry's prosperity. Back to top
Making Music (The National Federation of Music Societies)
represents and supports amateur and semi-professional music groups, including choirs, orchestras and music promoters throughout the United Kingdom. the international body for collecting societies.
The Musicians Benevolent Fund (MBF)
is the music business’s own charity - the largest of its kind in the UK. In 2004 it spent over £2 million on its benevolent work, helping people of any age and in any area of the music business who are in need as a result of illness, accident or other misfortune. The MBF also has an ever-expanding and important music education role, centred on providing financial support to outstandingly talented instrumentalists and singers in the final stages of study. The MBF operates throughout England, Scotland, Wales and the whole of Ireland.
MIDEM (International Music Market, or Marche Internationale de Musique to be more accurate)
is probably the best known of the annual music industry trade shows. It gather representatives from all ends of the business from around the world for five days of total music immersion (usually held in Cannes, France at the end of January).
MMF (Music Managers Forum)
works as a forum for discussion and action by managers of popular music artists and record producers. It seeks to raise professional standards in management and to help managers develop skills and knowledge of the music business.
MPA (Music Publishers Association)
The non-profit making association of the UK music publishing industry. It promotes and protects the interests of music publishers, highlights their role and endeavours to obtain improvements in all legislation affecting the music industry
MU (The Musicians' Union)
is the largest musicians' trade union in Europe. Through its activities, it seeks to improve the status of musicians and obtain better rates of payment for them whilst protecting both their statutory and contractual rights.
Music Manifesto
The Music Manifesto initiative has been developed by DfES and DCMS in collaboration with music organisations and arts practitioners, with the music industry, the Musicians' Union, the TTA, the Specialist Schools Trust, Arts Council England, QCA, Ofsted and Youth Music. Its primary objective is to allow every child to experience the power of music. Creating more opportunities in music for more young people is at the heart of the Music Manifesto.
NMPA (National Music Publishers Association - USA)
This organisation performs a similar role to the UK's MPA, as an advocate for the music publishing industry, it provides its membership (some 800 American music publishers) with information via forums and newsletters.
Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy
is a registered charity which provides therapy through music to people in need. Annual funding costs £1.25 million, which supports the charity's own London Therapy Centre, as well as outreach projects, training courses, research and its extensive fundraising activities, including the famous Silver Clef Awards.
PAMRA (Performing Artists' Media Rights Association)
See PPL
PCAM (Producers and Composers of Applied Music)
is an organisation which helps and guides its members through all issues relating to applied music projects. Anything from advertising to television and film.
PPL (Phonographic Performance Ltd)
The UK record industry collecting society. It administers broadcasting and public performance rights in the sound recordings of its record company members. The money is then paid on to record companies and performers.
The PRS Foundation
An entirely independent body from PRS, with its own Board of Trustees and Advisory Council. It is principally a funding organisation, offering financial assistance to support the furtherance of new music in the UK, but also positively contributes to the public's understanding and appreciation of new music through the activities it supports.
The PRS Members' Fund
The PRS Members' Fund is a registered charity (No 208671) which was formed to help members of the Performing Right Society and their dependants who are in need of financial support. Songwriters and composers, young or old, working in every genre of music can apply to the Fund when illness, accident or old age is causing stress or financial difficulties. If you are a member, ex-member or the widow(er) or dependant of a member of PRS, the PRS Members' Fund is there to help you.
PRC (Performer Registration Centre)
is a division of PPL set up in 1997 following EC legislation which gave performers a legal right to a share in the income generated by PPL. Registration is free and performers are issued with a unique ID number so that they can be accurately linked with their recordings. Visit the PPL website for more details.
Royalties Reunited
An initiative that aims to get airplay royalties collected by PPL to the recording artists, session musicians and backing vocalists who have earned them.
SPNM (Society for the Promotion of New Music)
seeks to promote and advance the education of the public by encouraging the understanding, appreciation and development of music composed by living musicians born or resident in the UK, and of music generally as expressed in any other medium or form. SPNM achieves this through its eclectic annual programme of concerts, events, workshops and collaborations and through its monthly publication "New Notes".
VPL (Video Performance Ltd)
is a non-profit making membership organisation which administers the broadcast, public performance and dubbing rights in short form music videos. Membership of VPL is free, and any company or individual who owns the audio-visual copyright in a short form music video is eligible to join.