The first ever Annual Performer Meeting of recording rights body PPL took place on Monday. As previously reported, PPL staged it's first APM this year following its merger last year with other recording rights bodies PAMRA and AURA. Previously PPL only representing record labels but post merger it now represents performers too.
Commenting on the APM, Gerald Newson, chairman of the PPL Performer Board, said this: "The meeting naturally dealt with formal business but was also a celebration of our first year in the newly structured PPL where performers and the record industry are able to sit and work together. The performers' interest of maximum returns, quicker distribution, more accurate line up information, greater political leverage with overseas societies were original ambitions - and will remain so - but even after a year are now starting to bear fruit. We look forward to an even better and more exciting period next year by building on the experience that has been gained and the systems that have now been put into place".
The meeting finished with a showcase of music from the new 'Don't Trigger' album, the previously reported album that is being released as part of a campaign designed to highlight the problem of growing gun and knife crime. On that PPL chief Fran Nevrkla commented: "The Don't Trigger campaign, which the performer board - and my thanks to them - was very happy to support, is a small but critical reminder of the power and value of musicians and music in today's increasingly fast changing world. It is this value of music - social, cultural, economic - which PPL will always continue to promote on their behalf".