Your PRS membership connects you to a worldwide network of collecting societies through reciprocal agreements. When your song is played in another country, the local society collects the royalties, then transfers your share back to PRS for distribution to you.
How reciprocal agreements work
When your song is played on German radio, the German society GEMA collects the royalties. Through its reciprocal agreement with PRS, GEMA transfers your share back to the UK. PRS then includes that income in your regular distributions. The same process operates in reverse – PRS collects royalties for foreign writers whose music is used in the UK and sends their shares to the relevant societies.
This process typically takes 12-24 months from the point of use to reaching you, though digital systems are gradually reducing that timeline. The delays arise because each society operates on its own distribution schedule, and the data has to pass through multiple systems before it reaches your home society.
The system works for most uses, but it has limitations. Each society deducts its own commission before passing money along, so international income passes through two sets of deductions (the foreign society’s and PRS’s). Payment schedules vary between societies. Data standards differ across territories, which can cause matching problems. And some income types may not be covered by the reciprocal agreements at all.
Major international societies
The main societies you are likely to encounter as a UK writer include:
United States: ASCAP and BMI handle performing rights (together covering approximately 90% of the US market). SESAC and AllTrack are smaller alternatives. The MLC handles digital mechanical rights.
Europe: SACEM (France), GEMA (Germany), SGAE (Spain), SIAE (Italy), STIM (Sweden – a partner in ICE alongside PRS and GEMA), BUMA/STEMRA (Netherlands).
Rest of world: SOCAN (Canada), APRA/AMCOS (Australia and New Zealand), JASRAC (Japan).
When your PRS membership includes a reciprocal relationship with a foreign society, PRS handles the representation automatically. But for your most important territories, verify that your works appear correctly in the local database.
Direct membership in foreign societies
For writers with significant activity in a particular territory, joining the local society directly rather than relying on PRS reciprocals can offer advantages: faster payments (often 6-12 months sooner), lower overall commission (avoiding the double deduction), direct access to usage data, and local support.
The trade-offs include additional tax documentation, separate registration requirements, the administrative burden of managing multiple society memberships, and the potential for conflicting claims if registrations are not coordinated carefully. You also need to exclude that territory from your PRS membership to avoid duplicate claims.
Most writers who take this route limit direct membership to one to three key territories where they have substantial and consistent income. Publishers often provide similar benefits through their sub-publishing networks without requiring you to manage the administration yourself.
