Collective management organisation PPL is known around the world for being one of the most well-managed organisations of its kind. Yet, on talking to session musicians not all seemed that straightforward. In this study I examine the experience of UK performers using collective management organisation PPL, a UK CMO established by record companies that also manages the rights of performers. I consider the effect of the regulatory framework on the provision of transparency to PPL’s performer members by drawing on primary sources including interviews with performers, PPL’s regulation and its public-facing material. I demonstrate that PPL marshals social, financial, legal and technological resources to prioritise the interests of record companies over those of performers. Considering that the current legal framework supports PPL’s actions, I discuss two alternatives: i) tightening regulation of individual CMOs whilst respecting their monopoly status, and ii) opening up the sector to competition. Despite difficulties faced by performers vis-à-vis PPL, I ultimately side with a large body of literature suggesting that performers are best off in an environment that supports CMO’s monopoly status. However, in an environment where regulators resist tightening regulation, performers are forced to support a competitive market for CMOs.
The resulting peer-reviewed article can be found here. I also gave talks at the University of East Anglia, Middlesex University of London and the University of Lausanne. The study forms part of a larger four-year project on performers’ rights conducted at the University of Cambridge with funding from the Leverhulme Trust.