When institutions tell you the full picture is too complicated to share, the useful question is not how complicated it is. It is what does the full picture contain they'd rather not tell you.
Excellent take. People are innately curious, and in 2026 we live in a world where every single person has a platform (social media account) for their personal opinions, so we are constantly inundated with opinion after opinion. But as you stated, people do pay attention to facts and genuinely want to *understand* perhaps in some way as an act of rebellion against all of the different opinions we are constantly forced to see/hear.
I have promoted and performed shows and seen there is a PRS cost to pay in the breakdown. They should have an app that the artists can use to submit their setlist for the event in question. If they know enough about it to be collecting money for it happening then it shouldn't be that difficult for an artist to search the show they are playing and submit what "works" were performed.
It just left weird knowing something like £60 of the cost of a small event was going to PRS when i was playing my own compositions, surely that money should then be collected by PRS on my behalf and distributed back to me
PRS know exactly who can't afford to push back. A major publisher with a team of lawyers is a different conversation to a grassroots venue operator or an unsigned songwriter with no leverage and no time. The opacity isn't just institutional inertia, it's rational behaviour. You don't fix what you can get away with not fixing. The food industry held out on labelling until it was forced. Energy companies held out on transparent billing until they were forced. PRS will do the same. The question is just who does the forcing, and when. If ever.
I look forward to Tuesday, thanks for the simplification and analogies, they are really helpful. I would also love to see a counter-argument or statement from PRS relating to the articles published, as I know (like you do Mark) that they have the best interests at heart, it just seems that from whats been presented from one side, that they've become lost or cluttered along the way due to poor decisions that seem to have been made. If thats truly the case, come clean, be honest, and put it right - then we can all move on together and look to tackle some of the issues that affect ALL of us as one, such as why people aren't buying (or delaying in buying) tickets, and what we can do to reverse or rectify it (and which hopefully the levy will help facilitate). More power to your never ceasing fiddlers elbow Mark.
The classic “let’s pretend it’s so mystifying that no-one can understand…” probably one of my faves especially as a youngster where clearly we can’t assimilate anything!
Brilliant as always. Looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings. Thank you Mark.
Excellent take. People are innately curious, and in 2026 we live in a world where every single person has a platform (social media account) for their personal opinions, so we are constantly inundated with opinion after opinion. But as you stated, people do pay attention to facts and genuinely want to *understand* perhaps in some way as an act of rebellion against all of the different opinions we are constantly forced to see/hear.
I have promoted and performed shows and seen there is a PRS cost to pay in the breakdown. They should have an app that the artists can use to submit their setlist for the event in question. If they know enough about it to be collecting money for it happening then it shouldn't be that difficult for an artist to search the show they are playing and submit what "works" were performed.
It just left weird knowing something like £60 of the cost of a small event was going to PRS when i was playing my own compositions, surely that money should then be collected by PRS on my behalf and distributed back to me
PRS know exactly who can't afford to push back. A major publisher with a team of lawyers is a different conversation to a grassroots venue operator or an unsigned songwriter with no leverage and no time. The opacity isn't just institutional inertia, it's rational behaviour. You don't fix what you can get away with not fixing. The food industry held out on labelling until it was forced. Energy companies held out on transparent billing until they were forced. PRS will do the same. The question is just who does the forcing, and when. If ever.
I look forward to Tuesday, thanks for the simplification and analogies, they are really helpful. I would also love to see a counter-argument or statement from PRS relating to the articles published, as I know (like you do Mark) that they have the best interests at heart, it just seems that from whats been presented from one side, that they've become lost or cluttered along the way due to poor decisions that seem to have been made. If thats truly the case, come clean, be honest, and put it right - then we can all move on together and look to tackle some of the issues that affect ALL of us as one, such as why people aren't buying (or delaying in buying) tickets, and what we can do to reverse or rectify it (and which hopefully the levy will help facilitate). More power to your never ceasing fiddlers elbow Mark.
Go go go!!!
The classic “let’s pretend it’s so mystifying that no-one can understand…” probably one of my faves especially as a youngster where clearly we can’t assimilate anything!
Cheers Mark and hope all is good for you.
As ever Mark, a terrifically insightful, honest, open and thought-provoking piece. I was with you for every word 🎉