PRS for Music Paid over £100M from Live Music for the First Time in 110 Years
- Martina
- 07 May 2026, Thursday
In its latest financial report, the British music copyright collective PRS for Music revealed that revenue collected from live music exceeded £100 million in 2025, marking the first time in its 110-year history and highlighting the continued growth of live performance as a revenue stream.
PRS for Music’s 2025 Financials: Striking Growth in Royalty Payouts
PRS for Music’s 2025 financial report points to rising royalty payouts and a growing number of works and performances generating income across live, streaming, and international markets.
Last year, the collective paid out against 7.8 million unique works – a 41% boost (2.3 million) since 2020. This marks a record level of distributions to songwriters, composers, and publishers.
Overall royalty collections rose by 7.7% from the previous year, reaching $1.67 billion (£1.24 billion). Of this amount, $1.44 billion was paid to rightsholders in 2025 – a 4.9% increase from 2024. Of those paid, 4,541 songwriters and composers received payment for the first time ever, pointing to continued growth in the creator base.
Music streaming remains the largest source of royalties, contributing $473.8 million in 2025, up 11.8% on the year before. Video-on-demand revenue totaled $104.1 million, a significant 20.1% increase over the previous year. Altogether, PRS collected $603 million in online royalties, a 9.6% YOY boost.
Most notably, live music earned over £100 million in royalties – specifically, $136.7 million – a first in PRS’s history and a 13.2% increase YOY. Overall revenues from public performances, including live music and music played or performed in public settings such as stores, restaurants, and pubs, reached $422.6 million, a 9.1% YOY increase.
Over 37,600 PRS members received royalties from live performances and, prominently, a quarter of all first-time earners were paid out because their music was performed live.
In terms of territories, Europe continues to be the core market for PRS members’ music, contributing £200 million (7.9% increase YOY). North America continues to drive a significant share (28%) of international income, totaling $495.3 million in 2025.
Although the report shows promising results, PRS emphasizes the ongoing challenge of capturing all performance data across live and digital channels. For that reason, the collective continues to invest in music data tracking and reporting infrastructure, including enhanced tools and services for its members.
Martina is a Berlin-based music writer and digital content specialist. She started playing the violin at age six and spent ten years immersed in classical music. Today, she writes about all things music, with a particular interest in the complexities of the music business, streaming, and artist fairness.
