Show Me The Money

Why did Dolly Parton turn down a deal for Elvis to record a version of 'I Will Always Love You'? In this episode we learn from Dolly about how manage your rights, plus I cover what collecting societies to sign up to and ultimately, how to get paid, as well as how income from streaming subscriptions is divided up and how all this sits within a music industry that has a data problem.

IN THIS EPISODE:

00:35 Dolly Parton making copyright moves

04:30 The musical copyright and the sound recording

07:40 What kinds of royalties are there?

09:18 How do I actually get paid when my music is used?

09:45 What are collecting societies?

11:00 Where does the money go when we pay a streaming subscription?

17:45 What are the collecting societies in the UK and which ones do I join? PRS, PPL and MCPS

19:16 How much does it costs to join a collecting society?

22:12 Tips for making sure you get paid from your collecting society

22:52 What are the identifier codes and why do I need them?

25:47 ISWC, ISRC, IPI, IPN, ISNI

28:30 What do I do if I get stuck or there is a problem with my collecting society royalties?

29:25 It’s not just you, the music industry has a data problem.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• PRS: https://www.prsformusic.com/

• MCPS: https://www.prsformusic.com/what-we-do/mcps

• PPL: https://www.ppluk.com/

• UK industry agreement on music streaming metadata: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-industry-agreement-on-music-streaming-metadata

• Buy your copy of Copyright In The Music Industry (second edition, 2026) -⁠ https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/copyright-in-the-music-industry-9781035330386.html⁠

FIND DR HAYLEIGH BOSHER:

• Instagram: ⁠@hayleigh.bosher⁠

• Website: ⁠hayleighbosher.com⁠

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CREDITS

Whose Song Is It Anyway? is produced by Good Form

Funded by The British Academy

DISCLAIMER

Nothing in this podcast constitutes legal advice. It is legal education to help you learn more about your rights.