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MCPS announces renewed deal with PRS

By | Published on Friday 19 May 2017

MCPS

The good old Mechanical Copyright Protection Society has announced that it has signed a new long-term administration deal with PRS For Music. This follows a consultation period reviewing the two UK song right collecting societies’ relationship.

As previously reported, the MCPS – which represents the mechanical rights in its members’ songs – and which is owned by the Music Publishers Association, began calling for other companies to pitch to run various areas of its business in April last year.

MCPS and PRS have worked closely together since 1997, when an alliance was formed that ultimately resulted in the creation of PRS For Music, a joint venture business that did the deal making, database management and royalty distribution on behalf of both societies.

But in 2013, as part of moves to restructure its financial liabilities, MCPS sold its share in the PRS For Music venture to PRS, thus becoming a client of rather than a shareholder in the organisation that actually does the deals, data and distribution.

Following the recent review of this supplier/client partnership, MCPS identified licensing, processing, invoicing and distribution requirements, which will continue to be provided by PRS, measured against defined performance indicators.

“We have seen with the number of responses to the [request for proposals] that the MCPS business is – as we thought – a very appealing one”, says MPA CEO Jane Dyball. “Consequently, taking the time to explore the full potential of the MCPS business and its operations has been crucial. During this process, we have had the pleasure of working with RfP candidates from around the globe, who have proven the quality of their administrative capabilities and aptitude to meet the needs of their customers”.

She adds: “The [key performance indicators] that have been secured will drive the service delivered from PRS and will help us grow the business. We’re delighted that PRS won the bid fair and square”.

PRS chief exec Robert Ashcroft is also pleased, saying: “We are delighted that MCPS has, following a rigorous selection process, chosen PRS to be its service provider for the licensing and distribution of mechanical royalties. We value our continued partnership, which dates back almost twenty years, very highly and I believe that it remains in the best interests of both the members of our respective societies, and our shared customers, that we continue to license the performing right and the mechanical right together”.



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