Label Codes

For international collections from Germany, recording rightsholder members need to provide PPL with Label Code information in order to maximise their potential payments. A Label Code (LC) is a unique five-digit code allocated to a specific marketing label that releases recordings in Germany. LCs should be displayed on all products distributed in Germany and each individual label needs its own separate LC. You can request LCs from PPL.

LCs are used by the German music licensing company GVL to allocate music usage to recordings and are therefore essential for receiving revenue from Germany. When a radio station reports airplay to GVL they provide the LC along with label name, product and recording details. GVL then match this information to its system and allocates the revenue to the specific label.

How can I find my labels in myPPL?

If you are unsure which of your labels are registered with PPL please login to your myPPL account to check.

Once logged in:
• Click on the ‘My Accounts’
• Click on your Rightsholder account
• Scroll the section titled ‘Portal accounts (Label owner)’

Where can I get a Label Code from?

If you need an LC for one of your labels, please download the form and email your completed form to lccodes@ppluk.com.

Once the LC has been allocated, we will send you further information about how to use.

Where should the LC be displayed on products?

In order for the LC to be reported, it is essential that it is displayed on all products.

As the LC is the only identification method used to allocate revenue in Germany, you must display the code on products where all the rights in the sound recordings are held by you.

Physical products

It is essential that the label name and LC are printed clearly and legibly on the CD, MC, LP, etc. The LC symbol looks like this:

It should measure 15×6 mm and, if possible, be placed in the upper right-hand quarter of the cover/booklet or imprinted directly on the CD. The symbol should also be printed on record sleeves and CD inlays.

Digital products

LCs should be included in the metadata of digital products, allowing the correct reporting of music usage. We have also been informed that the German organisation GVL are in talks with digital retailers (such as iTunes) as to how to embed digital audio files with the corresponding LC.

You should also include your LC when sending press kits to broadcasters and in any email correspondence (if sending your recordings via email) and also ensure that your distribution company is aware of the code.

Websites

In certain instances, radio stations and GVL will have to research online in order to find the correct LC for recordings that have been reported without them (or if there is any error in the initial reporting). For this reason, where possible the LC should be included on your companies’ website and on music resource sites such as Discogs.com, Wikipedia, etc.

Video

Codes can also be put on to audio-visual media products (videos) which do not exceed a playing time of ten minutes. In these cases PPL can collect for the underlying sound recording within the video.