PRS launches digital tracking service in Malta

UK-based Performing Rights Society for Music – the government-appointed society responsible for music license collection and payment of royalties to Maltese and international composers and artists – has just announced a deal with Spanish BMAT Music Innovation for music tracking services to be launched in Malta before anywhere else. 

Karen Buse, Director International at PRS for Music, said that the new system aims in part to improve the allocation of royalties to local artists. 

“We are committed to continually improving the service to all of our members worldwide and I’m delighted we’re partnering with BMAT to bring this innovation to Malta first. The technology provided will ensure we have additional data to track and match the works of our members and those of sister societies, meaning more accurate distribution of royalties to all.”

But Maltese members of PRS – including songwriters and performing artists in various musical genres – have long complained that despite paying their membership dues, and the fact that a strict collection system has in place for decades, the society still owes thousands in unpaid royalties for the past 15 years.

“The current situation with collection of royalties is unfortunately as bad as it was 15 years ago, 10 years ago and so forth,” Howard Keith of Jagged House Productions told MaltaToday.

Keith, who manages artists such as Ira Losco, Tribali, Airport Impressions, The Rifffs and Red Electrick, says that none of his clients have received their full dues.

“Airport Impressions haven’t got 1 cent from PRS, and they’re a radio act with five No. 1 hits, and which won Best Song for two consecutive years.  Ray Mercieca from the Rifffs and Characters got nothing. Ira Losco is probably the most shameful of cases, with a string of over 85 performances abroad, numerous No. 1 hits, and yet PRS payout has been nothing but shameful.”

The new logging system, which will be launched early next month, will track Malta’s 11 major radio and television stations with a view to provide accurate logs of music usage.  PRS announced that the deal is the first of its kind with BMAT, a company that already operates tracking services in numerous countries including the US and counts companies such as EMI, Telefonica and Intel as clients. 

But Howard Keith is unimpressed. “Every now and then PRS decide to show some interest in Malta so they don’t lose the Malta account, trying very hard to impress government officials who decide or not if their contract is renewed. It is that simple.”

Keith also confirmed that both individually and through UKAM, Malta’s union of artists and composers, local artists and composers are currently looking for alternative collecting societies.

“Today, we feel there is no room for talk with PRS, and we have already started talks with other collecting societies to choose the best candidate who’s credible, not too much of a big fish to snub us, who understands the past wrongdoings and is ready to commit to rightful and payments.”

UKAM saw its members swell in November 2009, when the union met to discuss the issue of unpaid royalties. Estimates raised during that meeting suggested that €200,000 was still owed to local artists for 2007 alone.

“Malta has been robbed, and hundreds of thousands of Euros have been wrongly distributed over the last number of years,” Keith said. “Trying to cover up one’s mistakes too late in the day does not satisfy the cheated client.”