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PRS for Music partners with B2B streaming service Soundtrack to get data on music played in 7,000 UK shops, bars and public spaces – and pay royalties accordingly
PRS for Music has partnered with business streaming service Soundtrack to use direct play-by-play data from music played in around 7,000 UK shops, bars and public spaces. From December 2026, the data will help determine royalty payments to songwriters, composers and publishers, reducing reliance on estimates and making distributions better reflect music actually played.
Soundtrack customers include Uniqlo, Dr. Martens, Four Seasons Hotels and the UK Parliament. PRS represents more than 190,000 members and paid £1.07 billion in royalties in 2025; public performance revenue, including music played in shops and restaurants, reached £313.4 million. Soundtrack says its catalogue covers 150 million songs.
In short
- PRS will use Soundtrack data from about 7,000 UK premises.
- The data will inform royalty payments from December 2026.
- The partnership aims to make distributions reflect actual music use.
Explained simply
PRS for Music is the UK organisation that collects fees when its members’ music is played in public and distributes royalties to songwriters, composers and music publishers. Businesses such as shops, bars and hotels usually need a licence to play recorded music.
Working out which songs have been played can be difficult, so royalty payments have often relied partly on estimates. Soundtrack provides music streaming services for businesses, including major retailers and hotels, and its play records can show which tracks were used.
The information matters because public music use is a significant source of income for PRS members. More detailed records can help link payments more closely to the music played in licensed venues.
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