How to read your PRS for Music royalty statement
By Marc Aaron Jacobs · Updated
Each PRS line identifies the work by Tunecode, which is on every row, with Work Title beside it. Number of Perfs is the performance count, Prod Header names the program or platform, Perf Start Date is when it was performed, and Amount (performance revenue) is what you were paid.
Two traps: Distribution (posted) is when PRS paid, which can be years after the performance, and the amounts are in pounds sterling even though no column says so.
Where to download it
Sign in to your PRS online account, open My Statements, and download each statement as CSV. The PDF version cannot be read line by line.
The columns, one by one
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| Work Title | The work. |
| Tunecode | PRS's work number. On every row; use it to find a work. |
| ISWC | The international work code. Blank on some rows. |
| Prod Header | The program or platform, for example a channel or a streaming service. |
| Broadcast Region | Despite the name, it holds a channel name on some rows. |
| Usage Summary | How the music was used. |
| Number of Perfs | How many performances the line pays. Written with leading zeros. |
| Duration | How long the work ran. |
| Perf Start Date, Perf End Date | When it was performed, written day first. |
| Distribution (posted) | When PRS paid, not when it aired. |
| Amount (performance revenue) | What the line paid you, in pounds. |
| Territory Name | Where it was earned. |
Dates and currency
PRS writes dates day first (DD/MM/YYYY). A date like 04/05 is the 4th of May, not April 5th. Reading them the US way puts lines in the wrong quarter.
The amounts are in pounds sterling and the file never says so. Any total in dollars is a conversion, and should be marked as approximate.
Read it in one minute
Drop the file into the free statement reader and it is recognized as PRS for Music automatically. It runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded, and no account is needed.
Common questions
What is a Tunecode?
PRS for Music's identifier for a work. It is on every line of a PRS statement and is the reliable way to find a work, since titles vary.
What currency is a PRS statement in?
Pounds sterling. The export does not name a currency, so a dollar figure is always a conversion.
Is the Distribution date when my music was played?
No. Distribution (posted) is when PRS paid. The performance dates are Perf Start Date and Perf End Date.
Related
- How to read your ASCAP royalty statement: domestic and international exports, column by column.
- How to read your SOCAN royalty statement: the 62-column export with no currency column, and why your totals read 40% high.
- How to read your GEMA royalty statement: which of GEMA's report types has the broadcast count, and which does not.
Who makes this
ONTRK is built by Marc Aaron Jacobs, a composer who runs the libraries Tonal Chaos and Tonal Chaos Trailers, and who built DropCue. ONTRK started as the thing he wrote to read his own ASCAP statements. Questions go to hello@ontrk.app and reach him directly.
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