Online music royalties 'grow more than fall from CDs'

PRS collects royalty payments on behalf of its members

The royalties that UK songwriters, composers and music publishers get from online sales are growing faster than the decline from CDs and DVDs.

That is the finding of PRS for Music, the not-for-profit body which ensures such groups are paid when their music is played, performed or reproduced.

It said UK online revenues for its members rose by £12.8m or 73% to £30.4m in 2009.

At the same time, UK revenues from CD or DVD sales were down £8.7m.

This is the first time that the annual growth in online revenues has been higher than the fall in revenues from CD or DVD sales.

But PRS for Music chief executive Robert Ashcroft said it remained too early to say whether this represented a turning point for the industry.

PRS released the figures as it said overall global revenues for its members totalled £623m last year, up from £608.3m in 2008.

The organisation represents 65,000 UK songwriters, composers and music publishers.