British collection society PRS for Music has launched an immediate PRS Emergency Relief Fund to support its members during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Launched in partnership with the PRS Members’ Fund and PRS Foundation, the money will be available to to all PRS members around the world who have been a member of the PRO for at least two years and earned over £500 in the last two years.
Grants will be awarded based on assessment of individual need and applicants will receive support up to a value of £1,000.
Unlike Germany’s GEMA – who earlier this week launched an emergency fund for its members worth up to $43m – PRS has declined to put a public figure on the capacity of its COVID-19-related funding.
(PRS has 145,000 members worldwide; if all of them successfully claimed the maximum £1,000 relief – obviously enough – it would amount to £145m ($172m).)
Establishing this new PRS Fund is part of a wider plan to support members during the coming weeks, says PRS, with “further measures being explored”.
Grant applications will go live from 9am GMT on Thursday (March 26).
PRS says that money has been diverted to the PRS Emergency Relief Fund from “paused, cancelled or postponed activities”. Support has also been pulled in from the PRS Members’ Fund and PRS Foundation.
“Members need to eat, support their families and pay rents – without industry support the future is challenging during this terrible time. Together we can get through this.”
Andrea C. Martin, PRS for Music
The scheme will be administered using the PRS Members’ Fund established grants model.
Andrea C. Martin (pictured), Chief Executive Officer, PRS for Music, said: “Our members are under threat as many parts of the music scene grind to a halt.
“They look to PRS for leadership, for support and to be the best and most trusted collecting society in the world.
“Members need to eat, support their families and pay rents – without industry support the future is challenging during this terrible time. Together we can get through this.”
“Never before has there been a greater need for the services the Fund offers.”
John Logan, PRS Members’ Fund
John Logan, General Secretary, PRS Members’ Fund, added: “Never before has there been a greater need for the services the Fund offers.
“This is what we do for creators every year, and I’m heartened the team at PRS have enabled us to do even more at this unprecedented time.”
“The heightened concern for music creators’ livelihood increases our collective will to work harder and collaborate more to lessen the strain of this global crisis so we can ensure UK talent can thrive in the future.”
Joe Frankland, PRS Foundation
Joe Frankland, Chief Executive Officer, PRS Foundation, added: “The heightened concern for music creators’ livelihood increases our collective will to work harder and collaborate more to lessen the strain of this global crisis so we can ensure UK talent can thrive in the future.”
“Our members have immediate need for assistance and it’s the right thing to do to support them. The music industry must come together to support its future during this period of national crisis.”
Nigel Elderton, PRS / peermusic
PRS Chairman and Managing Director/European President of peermusic Nigel Elderton, added: “Andrea, John and Joe and the team have the full support of the PRS Board during this difficult time.
“Our members have immediate need for assistance and it’s the right thing to do to support them. The music industry must come together to support its future during this period of national crisis.”
Royalty payments to members will be unaffected by the establishment of the PRS Emergency Relief Fund and PRS says that its team is focused on processing and paying royalties to members as normal.
To date, distributions will not be affected by COVID-19, says PRS, and April’s payment will proceed as usual.
PRS for Music is also working in partnership with the wider industry through UK Music to lobby government to further support creators and the creative sector to sustain support over the coming months.Music Business Worldwide
