An agreement is a contract between either a writer and a publisher or a publisher and a publisher. Agreements appoint the publisher to manage or administer a piece of music (sometimes known as a work) or catalogue on behalf of the writer or publisher.
Types of Agreement
Writer to Publisher:
- Exclusive Songwriter Agreement - covers all the writer's music.
- Specific Agreement - covers a specific piece of music.
- Part-Catalogue Agreement - covers a collection of the writer's music.
Publisher to Publisher:
- General Catalogue Agreement - covers all works in a catalogue.
- Part Catalogue Agreement - covers a collection of the publisher's music.
- Administration Agreement - covers an entire catalogue but does not assign rights.
- Specific Agreement - covers a specific piece of music.
Registering Agreements
Agreements are usually registered by the acquiring publisher. For the moment, these can only be registered manually, by completing an Agreement Registration Form. A copy of this should be retained and the completed forms sent to us at the address on the form.
Terminating Agreements
Writers and publishers should send 'confirmation of an agreement termination' to us
Further Information
- A Legal Referral Service is available for members
- Publishers do not have to tell writers if they enter into an agreement with another publisher e.g. to administer their repetoire overseas.
- Many agreements contain retention clauses which enable publishers to retain the rights to the works covered by the agreement beyond the termination date.
- PRS will not accept agreements that entitle the publisher to more than a 50% performance income share.