MCPS announces long term administration deal with PRS

The Mechanical Copyright Protection Society Limited (MCPS), the UK collection society that licenses mechanical copyrights on behalf of over 26,000 music publisher and composer members, has announced a long term administration deal with PRS.

On 1st April 2016 MCPS published a Request for Proposals (RfP) inviting third parties to tender for administration of areas of its business and all back-office operations. This agreement marks the conclusion of that process and the beginning of a new phase in MCPS’s relationship with PRS for Music.

Established in 1924, and owned by the Music Publishers Association, MCPS joined an operational alliance with the Performing Right Society Limited in 1997, known as the MCPS-PRS Alliance. The two organisations announced the restructuring of their partnership in 2013 – with MCPS moving to its current status as a client of PRS for Music, and with MCPS appointing its own small management team to oversee the relationship. Since mid-2013 the business has stabilised and growth returned to MCPS during 2016.

MCPS received multiple responses to the RfP. These responses were then shortlisted and reviewed by a team which included external advisors, management, the MCPS Board and dedicated groups and committees made up of a variety of MCPS members including publishers and composers.

The RfP’s key objective has been to identify the best service for MCPS members, with contractual performance measurements against which that service can be monitored and delivered at a cost efficient price. The RfP process has identified necessary licensing, processing, invoicing and distribution requirements within the MCPS business which will be measured against key performance indicators.

Jane Dyball, CEO of the MPA Group of Companies, said:

“We have seen with the number of responses to the RfP that the MCPS business is – as we thought – a very appealing one. 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. The KPIs 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.”

Chris Butler, Chair of MCPS, said:

“It was essential not to rush this process. Having worked so hard to identify the needs of the MCPS membership we needed to ensure that all possibilities were considered thoroughly. One thing became very clear early on, however, and that is that the mechanical right is in great demand. The MCPS business is in a much better position than it was in 2013 and this is a brand new relationship with PRS for Music. In reaching our decision I would like to thank all of the parties involved in the process with a particular acknowledgement to Jane Dyball, her staff, colleagues and the board of MCPS.”

Robert Ashcroft, Chief Executive, PRS for Music, said:

“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. I would like to thank the board of MCPS for their renewed expression of confidence in PRS and look forward to us working together.”

For media enquiries please contact – tom.fletcher@mpagroup.com

ABOUT MCPS:

Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society Limited (MCPS) is a UK collection society owned by the Music Publishers Association Limited (MPA). The MPA is a company limited by guarantee, with over 260 members. These include the world’s largest music publishers, independent pop publishers, classical publishers, production music publishers and printed music publishers. MCPS has over 20,000 writer members and over 6,000 publisher members and offers blanket licences, licensing schemes and individual licences on behalf of its members.

The mechanical rights encompass (i) the right to make (or authorise) recordings that reproduce a musical work, (ii) the right to import (or authorise importation of) such recordings and (iii) the right to issue (or authorise the issue of) such recordings to the public. The rights controlled by MCPS are licensed to licensees in three main areas of business: recorded media, online and broadcast.
ABOUT PRS for Music:

PRS for Music represents the rights of over 125,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in the UK. As a membership organisation it ensures creators are paid whenever their music is played, performed or reproduced, championing the importance of copyright to protect and support the UK music industry. The UK has a proud tradition of creating wonderful music that is enjoyed the world over and PRS for Music has been supporting the creators of that music since 1914.

PRS for Music provides business and community groups with easy access to nearly 15m songs through its music licences. In an industry worth over £4.1bn PRS for Music is uniquely placed to be a voice for music and music creators. Collecting £621.5m in 2016, PRS for Music is one of the world’s most efficient combined rights organisations. With over 100 representation agreements in place globally, PRS for Music’s network represents over two million music creators.