PPL vs. PRS for Small Businesses: The 2026 Guide to UK Music Licensing

If you’ve ever turned on the radio in your office or set a custom track for your business phone line, you’ve likely come across two acronyms that strike fear into the hearts of small business owners: PPL and PRS.

The Difference Between PPL and PRS

In the UK, music licensing is split between the people who wrote the song (PRS) and the people who recorded it (PPL). If you play a standard pop song, you technically need to pay both of them every single year.